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First Time

Travelers Championship: Hoffman's collapse hands Leishman maiden win

Padraig Harrington carded a final round of 69 to finish four shots back in a tie for 11th.

MARC LEISHMAN’S VICTORY at the Travelers Championship came hours after he watched fellow Australian Marcus Fraser lose in a playoff on the European Tour.

Both are coached by Denis McDade and Leishman said he wanted to give McDade at least one win Sunday.

“That was actually a little bit of incentive for me,” said Leishman, who earned his first Tour win. “I was watching before I teed off, Frase on TV. (I was) trying to get one for Denis, so it was good to be able to be able to do it.”

Leishman shot an eight-under 62, but didn’t secure his first Tour win until Charley Hoffman blew a two-stroke lead on the final two holes.

The 28-year-old began the day six strokes behind the leaders, but made eight birdies in a bogey-free round. He finished at 14-under 266.

“I didn’t think it was going to be enough,” he said. “Golf is a funny game, a really funny game.”

Hoffman was 16-under heading to the 17th hole, but pushed his tee shot right and into the water. He made a double-bogey, and bogeyed the 18th after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

“When it’s said and done, obviously a bad finish and a bad taste in my mouth, but you learn from it,” he said. “Any time you put yourself in contention, you learn from that.”

Hoffman closed with a 66 to tie for second with Masters champion Bubba Watson, who shot a 65. Padraig Harrington carded a final round of 69 to finish four shots behind Leishman in a tie for 11th.

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