Moore Successfully Defends in CIMB Classic


Ryan Moore carded his second 5-under 67 over the weekend to win his second straight title in the CIMB Classic. The $7 million PGA Tour event was held at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Malaysia.

Moore, a 31-year-old from Tacoma who before turning pro in 2005 enjoyed a storied amateur career, recorded eight birdies and three bogeys to finish at 17-under 271, three strokes ahead of Gary Woodland (67), Kevin Na (70) and Spain's Sergio Garcia (69).

Last year in Kuala Lumpur, Moore edged Woodland in a Monday playoff. This year, he began the final round tied for the lead with Na but eventually distanced himself from the other 77 players in the field. He is the first player to successfully defend a PGA Tour title since Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2012 and '13.

Moore concluded the tournament with a flourish, with three of his birdies - and a bogey - coming on the final five holes. "It was incredible to finish the way I did," said Moore, who earned $1.26 million and 500 FedEx Cup points for his fourth Tour win.

"You know, coming down to the last few holes, I like to tell myself all the time that I'm a closer. That's what I play golf for. These are the moments and what I'm out here for, so let's do what we can. Let's just hit good shots, and lets see if we can close this thing, and I was able to do that.

"On 14 there, Kevin hit a great drive that looked like kind of almost like a two putt for birdie and I had laid up, but that was my strategy all along," said Moore about the spot where he began his surge to the finish line."

"That's where I was comfortable with that pin, and to hit a great wedge shot in there was a perfect - I laid it upright exactly where I needed to, perfect, full sand wedge. Just couldn't have had a nicer shot, almost ended up making that one.

"Then hit a great shot into that par 3, the next hole, 15, kind of made a mess of 16, but then bounced right back and hit just a great little three footer pitching wedge into 17 really to kind of cap it off at that point so I could just cruise in."

Though he played well over the weekend with a 66 and a 67, Woodland once again had to tip his cap to the winner. "He's playing great," said the 30-year-old Kansan said of Moore. "I played with him the first two days. The golf course sets up great for him, as well. His game looks really good. He's driving it well and rolling the ball really well. That adds up to pretty good scores."

Sharing fifth at 12-under 276 were Australia's Cameron Smith (68) and South Korean Sang-Moon Bae (69), while another stroke down the leaderboard was Aussie John Senden (68).

Fifty-year-old Davis Love III closed with a 68 to end up in a tie for eighth at 278 with South African Rory Sabbatini (66), Thailand's Prom Meesawat (69), the Philippines' Angelo Que (70) and Billy Hurley III (73).

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.