CROMWELL, Conn. — Bubba Watson says TPC River Highlands feels like home. It certainly was a comfortable place again this week.

Watson overcame a six-stroke deficit Sunday to win his third Travelers Championship title, shooting a 7-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.

Watson became the first three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season and pulled within one of Billy Casper’s tournament record of four victories.

He finished at 17-under 263. Third-round leader Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Beau Hossler and J.B. Holmes tied for second. Casey shot 72, Cink 62, Hossler 66 and Holmes 67.

Watson also came from six back to win the 2010 event for his first tour title and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.

“I feel like this is my home course,” Watson said. “As soon as they put the schedule up, I sign up for this. I want to come back here. This means so much, not only from the golf side of it but from the family side. My dad, it was the only time he got to see me win (in 2010). He got to see me qualify for the Ryder Cup at this event. So all these things just mean so much to my family.”

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During the victory ceremony, Watson’s children – 6-year-old son Caleb and 3-year-old daughter Dakota – received small trophies of their own.

Watson shot a 33 on the front nine but really got it going on the back with five birdies. He tied Casey at 16-under par by getting up and down from the bunker for a birdie on the course’s signature 15th hole.

Still tied on the par-4 18th, Watson hit his tee shot 366 yards, then pitched inside 3 feet, giving caddie Ted Scott a big high-five before taking the lead with the putt.

LPGA: Japanese teenager Nasa Hataoka ran away with the NW Arkansas Championship at Rogers, Arkansas, for her first PGA Tour title

Hataoka, 19, won by six strokes, closing with an 8-under 63 for a tournament-record 21-under 192 total. She broke the mark of 18 under set last year by So Yeon Ryu.

Hataoka won twice late last year on the Japan LPGA and has finished in the top 10 in five of her last six LPGA Tour starts, including a playoff loss last month in the Kingsmill Championship.

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Hataoka began the round tied with Minjee Lee for the lead.

Austin Ernst shot a 65 to finish second.

Lee and third-ranked Lexi Thompson topped the group at 13 under.

EUROPEAN: Matt Wallace of England shot a 7-under 65 to hold off a record-breaking charge from Thorbjorn Olesen and win the BMW International Open at Pulheim, Germany.

Wallace finished 10-under 278 – just ahead of Olesen, Mikko Korhonen and 2008 winner Martin Kaymer, whose chances took a blow with a bogey on the 17th hole.

“I want to keep building on this,” Wallace said after his third European Tour win.

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CHAMPIONS TOUR: Scott McCarron won the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wisconsin, closing with an 8-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over hometown player Jerry Kelly.

The 52-year-old McCarron birdied Nos. 14-16 and parred the final two to hold on for his first victory of the season and seventh in three years on the PGA Tour Champions. He finished at 15-under 201 at University Ridge.

Kelly shot 65, also parring the final two holes.

Fellow Madision player Steve Stricker, the tournament host and first-round leader, had a 65 to tie for third with 2017 champion Fred Couples (67) and Colin Montgomerie (64).

Second-round leader Esteban Toledo was 24th at 8 under.


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