[su_spacer size=”20″] Casey had overcome a 3-stroke deficit with five to play, tying Watson at 16-under 264.
[su_spacer size=”20″] But Casey lost his chance at the title while playing the par-4 18th for the third time, when his third shot from a greenside bunker flew over the green and landed on the cart path.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Watson, meanwhile, hit his 160-yard approach just to the right of the hole.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Watson had a chance to win in regulation, but bogeyed the 17th, while Casey closed with three birdies on the final five holes, sandwiched around a bogey on 15.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Watson finished with a 67 at TPC River Highlands and Casey shot 65.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Watson also won a playoff in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in November at the start of the season. He won the Travelers in 2010 for his first of eight PGA Tour titles.
[su_spacer size=”20″] “I hung on, and that’s what you have to do sometimes to win,” Watson said. “It’s just about staying calm. That’s what you have to do, you just breathe and walk slower, take some deep breaths and focus on the fact that no matter what you still come in second place. … I wish it was a lot easier, but a victory is a victory. My whole goal in my career was to get 10 wins. I need two more.”
[su_spacer size=”20″] This was the sixth time since 2004 the tournament has been decided in a playoff.
[su_spacer size=”20″] Brian Harman was third at 15-under, while Brendon Todd was 15th at 9-under and Harris English was 25th at 7-under. Lee McCoy, Hudson Swafford and Erik Compton missed the cut.
The finish assured Harman of a spot in the British Open.
[su_spacer size=”20″] “I’ve been thinking about that tournament for a long time and really trying to look at a way to get in there,” Harman said. “This one burns a little bit, but that definitely helps the sting.”
[su_spacer size=”20″] Full leader board standings can be found here:
[su_spacer size=”40″] Travelers Championship Leaderboard