Bowditch wins on golf course where he wed

Australian golfer Steven Bowditch has cruised to a four-shot win in the Byron Nelson Championship at the same resort where he celebrated his wedding.

The 31-year-old distanced himself from the rest of the field at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas with a closing 64, posting four birdies on the back nine to go wire-to-wire and triumph at 18-under 259.

It was Bowditch’s second win on the US PGA Tour, and his second victory in his adopted home state of Texas, having won the Texas Open in San Antonio in 2014.

“We took some wedding pictures here at TPC so it is a special place and I get to take some more pictures here,” said Bowditch, who married his Texan wife Amanda at the Dallas area golf resort in 2011.

Americans Charley Hoffman (65), Jimmy Walker (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) shared second place at 14-under. Both Hoffman and Walker tried to catch Bowditch but Walker posted two bogeys early on the back nine and Hoffman simply ran out of steam.

Bowditch started the day with a two-stroke lead. He birdied the first hole and parred the last to seal the win.

“It was great to be patient out there and wait for my time. I had to go shot-for-shot,” he said.

Bowditch’s struggles over the years with severe depression has been well documented. The Newcastle native is an avid spokesman for beyondblue, the Australian non-profit group that promotes awareness of mental illness and depression.

But two of his happiest moments have taken place on the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas grounds where he posed for wedding pictures in September 2011.

“It’s such a special place to me and I just wanted to stay patient out there,” Bowditch said.

Zach Johnson fired a six-under 63 to seize fifth place at 13-under. Brandt Snedeker (64) and Jon Curran (68) tied for sixth at 12-under.

Dustin Johnson grabbed a share of the lead with a pair of early birdies, but he stumbled to a quadruple-bogey at the sixth which dropped him four back.

Johnson closed with an even-par 69 to end in a share of eighth.

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