5/25/2014 Scott Edges Dufner in Playoff to Win at Colonial - NYTimes.com

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GOLF

Scott Edges Dufner in Playoff to Win at Colonial

By REUTERS MAY 25, 2014, 8:34 P.M. E.D.T.

(Reuters) - Adam Scott celebrated his first week as world number one in

emphatic fashion by winning the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Texas on

Sunday.

Last year's Masters champion notched his 24th professional victory,

including 11 on the PGA Tour, by beating American Jason Dufner on the

third playoff hole at Colonial Country Club after starting the day two shots

off the lead.

Scott made a clutch 15-foot putt at the second extra hole to stay alive

then sank a seven-foot birdie at the next to become the fourth Australian to

win at Colonial, joining Bruce Crampton, Bruce Devlin and Ian Baker-

Finch.

"I certainly didn't play perfect this week, making a few errors, but it's

the way you come back and get it done and I felt like I certainly played like

one of the best players in the world out there on the back nine," Scott told

reporters after becoming the first player to complete the so-called Texas

Slam, following victories at the Houston Open (2007), Byron Nelson

Championship (2008) and Texas Open (2010).

"It's a real honor for me to win here. I was determined because I really

wanted to win them all here in Texas."

The week was not all smooth sailing for Scott, who was four-over after

nine holes on Thursday and also double-bogeyed the ninth on Sunday to

dig himself into another hole.

But he recovered with three quick birdies, including a 40-footer at the

5/25/2014 Scott Edges Dufner in Playoff to Win at Colonial - NYTimes.com

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14th that gave him the lead and prompted a punch of the air with an

outstretched index finger, as if to offer a reminder that he is number one.

He and Dufner shot 66 to finish on nine-under-par 271, one shot

ahead of American Nicholas Thompson and Swede Freddie Jacobson.

Dufner, the reigning PGA Championship winner, looked set to claim

his fourth tour title when he stuffed a nine-iron into four feet at the second

extra hole.

But the newly-married Scott, 33, calmly drained his birdie attempt to

set the stage minutes later for his first victory of the year.

"A ball-striker like Jason is going to hit one in close sooner or later and

he did on 17," Scott said. "To make the putt was huge."

The final round began with 36 players within four strokes of the lead,

but in the end the cream came to the top as Scott, who needed to finish

13th or better to stay atop the world rankings, found an extra gear as all of

his rivals except Dufner stalled.

"I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to have to win

every week to stay number one," said Scott.

(Reporting By Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Frank

Pingue)

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