Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. On Sunday during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill, Zach Johnson was quietly going about as his business as he knew he was playing for pride since he was well out of contention. That didn’t stop the two-time major winner from hitting this highlight-reel bunker shot on the 17th hole.
Choosing not to have his playing partner Ben An mark his ball just feet from the cup, the crafty Iowan played the old bank shot to perfection as his ball ricocheted like a bocci ball into the hole for an unlikely birdie. Unfortunately for Johnson, he finished with a four-over 76 that left him in a tie for 66th on the week.
Somebody who didn’t struggle this week was Marc Leishman, who claimed his second title on the PGA Tour. The Aussie was lurking behind the leaders Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman all day, but a 51-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th, which the late Arnold Palmer would’ve been proud of, gave him the outright lead for good.
He went on to par the next two holes to hoist a trophy for the first time since the 2012 Travelers Championship, and more importantly earned himself a tee time at the Masters in a few weeks.
Kisner and Hoffman finished runners-up. Rory McIlroy, who put himself in the mix with a blazing 65 on Saturday was right there on Sunday. His round included seven birdies but was offset by four bogeys which left him two strokes back of Leishman’s final total in a tie for third.
For what it’s worth, Rory did crush a 383-yard drive on Sunday, which is bananas. He also has finished in the top-10 in his last five events dating back to last year, which includes the time off he took to heal his rib injury.
Here’s a look at the final round highlights and results that capped an emotional week honoring The King:
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