J.B. Holmes wins Houston Open in playoff

HOUSTON — J.B. Holmes used a strong start Sunday for a Houston Open victory in a three-way playoff against Jor­dan Spieth and Johnson Wagner.

The 32-year-old Holmes birdied the first five holes and nine of the first 12 after starting the day six shots back of Jordan Spieth.

He shot 64, the day’s low round, and won on the second playoff hole for his fourth PGA Tour victory and the $1,188,000 check. Although Holmes’ missed birdie putt had given Wagner another chance, his short putt for par lipped out.

“I knew I had to play a really low round, and I started out great,” Holmes said. “It worked out for me.”

Spieth was trying to win his second playoff in three weeks, sandwiched around a runner-up finish in the Texas Open last Sunday. But he bowed out on the first playoff hole after his approach shot landed in a bunker and he couldn’t get anywhere close to the cup on his chip.

Wagner, who got into the field only through a sponsor’s exemption, admitted being “pretty bummed” by falling short but said he was hopeful his career is pointed in the right direction again. He was trying to become only the second player to get into the Masters on the weekend before, having done it previously by winning Houston in 2008.

Holmes’ final-day rally was the biggest on the tour since Matt Jones also came from six down to beat Matt Kuchar in a playoff last April. The Houston Open has featured more playoffs than any tournament on the circuit.

Wagner and Holmes hit perfect drives on the first playoff hole, while Spieth almost landed in the water, then wound up in the sand.

“I’m not sure what happened,” Spieth said. “I heard something or maybe it was just me. It’s not an excuse. I got down in the sand and caught it fat and didn’t give myself a chance to continue in the playoff. But it was a great Easter Sunday.”

Earlier, Spieth had seemingly shot himself out of contention with a poor approach on No. 18, the hardest hole on the course. He wound up with a steep downhill lie and a bunker to clear. However, he chipped within 11½ feet, then calmly made the putt.

Spieth was trying to become the second-youngest player after Tiger Woods to win a third PGA Tour event before his 22nd birthday. He also could have passed Jimmy Walker, who missed the tournament because of illness, for the season’s points-standing lead.

Still, Spieth thinks he’s well positioned to contend this week in the Masters. He finished second to Bubba Watson last year.

“I felt very comfortable with more and more pressure going into Augusta, which has the most pressure anywhere,” he said.

Spieth earned his first PGA victory before he turned 20, but he’s still pursuing a breakthrough in one of the majors.

Beginning the final round with a single-stroke lead over three players, Spieth didn’t make a lot of noise early.

Holmes began the day as an after-thought, tied for 18th. But he turned the corner having shot 29, tying the tournament course record for the front nine. His birdie on No. 8 pulled him even with Spieth and another on No. 9, coupled with a Spieth bogey on No. 6, gave him a lead he wouldn’t relinquish before he left the course to await his fate.

“I’ve been working on taking it one shot at a time,” Holmes said. “I did a pretty good job of that today.”

When he got to 9-under through only 12 holes, speculation began as to whether he might have 59 in him. He didn’t. A bogey on the par-3 16th hole also cost him a shot at breaking the 18-hole course record of 63.

Of the three players tied for second through 54 holes, only Wagner contended Sunday.

Scott Piercy, who had tied the tournament course record with 63 on Thursday for the first-round lead, faded gradually and wound up five shots back. Austin Cook, one of four qualifiers to earn spots in the field, got to 15 under through eight holes but struggled with bogeys the rest of the way – including the last three holes – to finish six behind in 11th place in just his second PGA Tour event.

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson was only a shot off the lead through 36 holes. But he began the day, like Holmes, six strokes back, having shot 75 Saturday with three consecutive closing birdies. Although he birdied the first hole, the tournament’s 2011 winner never made a serious move and posted 71 to wind up in a 17th-place tie, seven shots behind Holmes.