Ponte Vedra: An emotional Webb Simpson stumbled at the final hole but his easy Players Championship victory at TPC Sawgrass was never in doubt.
Beginning the final round with the tournaments largest-ever 54-hole lead of seven shots, Simpson held on tight during a one-over-par 73 to win by four strokes at eight-under 270.
Webb Simpson with The Players Championship trophy.
Photo: AP
The American was seemingly on autopilot at one under in his closing round but showed he was human when found the water with his second shot at the difficult par-four 18th, resulting in a double-bogey.
He won from Charl Schwartzel, Jimmy Walker and Xander Schauffele, who all shot 67s to tie for second.
Simpsons triumph at golfs unofficial fifth major was all the more meaningful given it came almost five years after his last US Tour win.
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It means everything; I love this golf tournament, Simpson said.
The 32-year-old struggled after the January 2016 ban on anchoring the long-handled which he used to win the 2012 US Open.
The North Carolina native also said he wished his father, Sam, who died last year after a battle with Parkinsons disease, could have witnessed an emotional fifth US Tour victory.
I thought about him all day. I think its been an emotional week for my mum and sisters and my brother, Simpson said.
We miss him like crazy, but I really wanted to do this for my mum.
Australias Jason Day bagged a share of fifth place with a 68 lifting him to 13 under.
Day mixed two early birdies with a holed bunker shot for eagle at the ninth, but his surge fizzled with an even par back nine.
Tiger Woods pulled out all the stops during his 69.
The 14-time major winner raced up the leaderboard, picking up six shots through 12 holes.
But a bogey at the 14th cruelled his charge before a double-bogey 5 at the par-three 17th dropped him to a tie for 11th at 11 under.
Also at 11 under was Adam Scott (68), while fellow Australian Marc Leishman struggled to a 76 to share 63rd at three under.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas became golf's new world No.1, ending fellow American Dustin Johnson's 15-month reign.
"It means a lot, but it's something I want to have for a long time, not something I just want to have once," Thomas said at the Players Championship where he tied for 11th.
Thomas won his first major at the PGA Championship last August.
The 25-year-old has won eight times on the PGA Tour.
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