Durant shoots error-free final round 65 to end winless streak in Funai Classic

JOE DURANT went five years, seven months and 18 days between PGA Tour victories. He questioned every aspect of his game during the winless stretch that spanned 151 events.

He never forgot how to win, though.

Durant shot a bogey-free seven-under 65 in the final round of the Funai Classic at Disney, finished 25 under and picked up his first tour victory since March 2001.

“I knew the kind of round you needed to play on the last day to win, especially when the scores are low, and I was fortunate to do that,” he said.

Rookie Troy Matteson (70) and Frank Lickliter II (62) tied for second, four strokes back. First- and second-round leader Justin Rose (69) was fourth at 20 under.

The 42-year-old Durant played error-free golf down the stretch for his fourth career victory.

He started the day one shot behind leader Matteson and dropped another stroke back after the first hole on the Magnolia Course. But Durant made up ground with smart decisions, a steady short game and several clutch putts.

Durant made a 13-footer from the fringe on the par-three third and followed with a tap-in birdie on the par-five fourth. He took the lead on the par-5 10th, getting up and down for birdie from the sand. He sealed his long-awaited victory with three birdies over the next six holes.

Durant decided to lay up off the tee on the short par-four 13th, then nestled a wedge to two feet for birdie. His doubled his two-shot lead with birdies on the 14th and 16th.

He cruised home from there, taking few chances with a four-shot lead.

“The mind is a scary beast sometimes,” he said. “If you haven’t won in a long time, you go from tunnel vision to spray vision. When you start thinking, ‘Don’t hit it here, don’t hit it here,’ that’s when you get in trouble. I was trying to be very cognisant and not think that way. ... I tried to play smart, conservative.”

Lickliter made a 20-foot birdie putt on the last to shoot the low round of the day.

Matteson, meanwhile, continued an impressive rookie year. He tied for eighth three weeks ago at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, then had a sixth-place finish the following week in Greensboro. It got even better last week in Las Vegas, where Matteson won the Frys.com Open for his first PGA Tour title.

But he couldn’t hang with Durant on Sunday.

“Joe pretty much played flawless golf in my book,” said Matteson, who moved to 42nd on the money list.

The victory earned Durant $828,000 — the biggest paycheck of his career — and ended his winless streak. It also vaulted him to 29th on the money list, in position to earn a spot in the Tour Championship in Atlanta next month.

“I’ve always been a streaky player, and it’s been kind of building,” said Durant.