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  • April 10, 2019
    CROMWELL, Conn. -- Ken Duke needed 187 starts on the PGA Tour to get his first win, securing it at a tournament that is building a reputation for such breakthroughs. The 44-year-old journeyman made a 2 1/2 foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat Chris Stroud at the Travelers Championship. Stroud, who also was looking for his first title, had chipped in from 51 feet on the 18th hole, to get to 12-under par and force the playoff. But Duke made the better approach shot on the second extra hole, bouncing his ball in front of the flag and rolling it close. "Yeah, its been a long time," said Duke, who turned pro in 1994. "Ive been on the Canadian tour, the mini tours, Asian Tour, South American Tour, all of them; Web.com, and its just great to be a part of this big family on the PGA Tour." Duke, who came in ranked 144th in the world, is the sixth golfer in eight years to get his first PGA Tour win here, joining J.J. Henry (2006), Hunter Mahan (2007), Bubba Watson (2010), Fredrik Jacobsen (2011) and Marc Leishman last year. Canadas Graham DeLaet finished a stroke back in third place with a 269. Watson finished fourth, two shots behind, after making a six on the par-3 16th hole. "You gotta believe in yourself in everything you do," Duke said. "Thats why those guys at the top are winning week in, week out because they believe they can do it. Its kind of one of those things once you finally do it it might come easier the next time. Thats kind of the way I feel." Duke wouldnt have been in position to win at all had luck not intervened on the 10th hole, when his ball ricocheted off a tree and onto the green to about 5 feet from the pin, allowing him to make birdie. After a 17-foot birdie putt on the next hole, he made a 45-footer on the 13th hole, a shot that looked as though it might go past the hole to the right, before falling in. He battled Watson for the lead down the back nine, until the former Masters champion found trouble on the 16th. Watson put his drive into the water and put his next shot over the green. He finished two strokes back in fourth place. "The wind affected the first shot, and the wind didnt affect the next shot," Watson said. "I flew it three feet past the hole, which you cant do right now because the greens are so firm." Duke looked as though he had the tournament sewn up after saving par on 18, despite a tee shot that went well right and onto a hill, and a second shot that went just over the green. He used a putter to put the ball within 2 feet, then sank the putt as the crowd roared for what they thought was a winning shot. It looked even more secure when Strouds second shot hit near the stick, but then rolled well off the green. That just set up the dramatic chip shot. Stroud hit his tee shot over the cart path and 94 yards from the hole on the first playoff hole, while Dukes first shot jumped out of a fairway bunker and into the rough. Duke bounced his second shot onto the green. Strouds went into a greenside bunker. Stroud chipped to 8 feet but had to watch as Green almost sank a long putt that would have ended it. The two both struck the ball well on the second playoff hole, but Stroud missed a 25-foot birdie putt, and Duke made his short putt. "I had three shots from 94 yards on 18, the exact same yardage, and I could not figure out a way to stop that ball," Stroud said. "Regulation, luckily, I chipped it in." Watson, Charley Hoffman and DeLaet began the day tied for the lead, but 21 other players were within five strokes. Webb Simpson shot a 65 to finish at 271, then headed home immediately after his round despite being just a stroke behind the leaders at the time. He said he knew the score wouldnt be good enough to win. "Im itching to get to my family, so Im going to head to the airport," he said. Justin Rose followed his U.S. Open win by shooting 6-under par for this tournament. He was in contention, with two birdies on his first seven holes, but didnt get another until the final hole and made three bogeys. He said fatigue was a factor. "Im still able to put one foot in front of the other," he said. "I still feel OK, but my guess is theres just a little bit of sharpness that I might be lacking." No player has gone back-to-back after capturing the U.S. Open since 1997, when Ernie Els won the Buick Classic at the Westchester Country Club in New York. Rose plans to play next week at Congressional before taking two weeks off to prepare for the British Open. DeLaet, a native of Weyburn, Sask., said his thoughts this week have been with the people of Alberta, where widespread flooding is blamed for at least three deaths and forced thousands to evacuate. He had the words "For Alberta" written on his cap Sunday. The 2009 Canadian tour player of the year pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he made to help the relief efforts. PGA Tour Canada, a bank and a Canadian businessman all agreed to match the donation. He finished with three birdies on Sunday and nine for the weekend. "Hopefully it puts a small dent in what they need," he said. "But our hearts are still with them." Ottawas Brad Fritsch shot 70 to finish at 1 under in a tie for 51st. Wholesale Football Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. China Jerseys NFL Cheap . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. http://www.wholesalejerseysnflchinaauthentic.com/ . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Cheap China Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Maryland Preview CapsuleBy The Associated Press=MarylandLast season: 27-9, lost in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament.Nickname: Terrapins.Coach: Mark Turgeon.Conference: Big Ten.Whos gone: F Jake Layman, C Diamond Stone, F Robert Carter, G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Varun Ram.Whos back: G Melo Trimble, leading scorer with 14.8 points per game and assists leader with 176; F Damonte Dodd, who started 13 games; G Jared Nickens, a sharpshooter from beyond the arc; G Dion Wiley, who missed the entire year with a knee injury; F Michael Cekovsky, a 7-foot-1 native of Slovakia whos solid under tthe basket on the defensive end.ddddddddddddWhos new: F C.J. Gill, a transfer from Duquesne; G Anthony Cowan, a quick freshman with quickness on both ends.The Skinny: Coming off their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2003, the Terrapins have lost four starters but have enough talent coming back -- most notably, Trimble -- to finish in the top half of the Big Ten standings and make a run at a third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. ' ' '