golf
Jäger wins for the first time on the PGA Tour: “Dream week”
Stephan Jäger finished the tournament in the US state of Texas with a total of 268 strokes. photo
© Michael Wyke/AP/dpa
In the 135th attempt it worked: Jäger wins on the PGA Tour. As the first German since 2015. Before the last blow, it looked as if he would have to go into a play-off against the world number one.
After the first victory of a German golfer on the PGA Tour, Stephan Hunter momentarily stunned. “I assumed he would do it. But I’m not mad at all that he didn’t go in,” joked Jäger at the press conference after the biggest success of his career. “He’s the best player in the world, he assumed he would do it. I was lucky he didn’t hit him.”
Because Jäger himself had missed the chance for birdie on the last hole, world number one Scottie Scheffler came within reach of equalizing and a play-off. But the Texan missed the short shot from just one and a half meters and made Jäger’s victory perfect. “A dream week, of course,” said Jäger.
At the Texas Children’s Open in Houston, the 34-year-old ended a series of strong days on Easter Sunday with a round of 67 and took victory by one stroke over Scheffler from the USA, who finished tied for second place. “He played really incredible golf and he’s such a great guy. It was so much fun playing against him in the last two days,” said Jäger on US television about the duel with the world number one. “I tried to stay with myself. This course is difficult. I’m very happy with today.”
Jäger finished the tournament in the US state of Texas with a total of 268 strokes. “You’re nervous all day, of course. But that’s good nerves. I played the first nine sensationally, the second nine were more difficult. I wanted to be in a position where I had a chance of winning on the last hole,” reported Hunter afterward.