Wise Wins Byron Nelson With Record Breaking 23-under

Aaron Wise Takes AT&T Byron Nelson With Record 23-under

Aaron Wise has won the AT&T Byron Nelson with a record-breaking score of 23-under 261. His round totals are 65, 63, 68 and 65. He is three strokes ahead of Marc Leishman who made 20-under 264 (61,66,69,68). Leishman, too, is outside the previous Byron Nelson record of 19-under set by Rory Sabbatini in 2009, at the TPC Four Seasons.

As the day began Leishman and Wise shared the lead on 17-under, four shots ahead of Kevin Na and Matt Jones. Then heavy rain set in, delaying play for four hours and changing the course conditions.

"If it would have been windy, I probably would have preferred that. Firm and windy, taken a few of the guys behind a little more out of it," Leishman said afterwards. "You get what you're given. You can't choose your conditions. I played pretty good. He played better."

Four birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on the par-four 5th brought a round total of 3-under 68 for Leishman, while Wise shot a bogey free round of 6-under 65. Wise hit five birdies over six holes from the par-four 4th, a birdie on the 10th, then pars through to the end. The sun had just set when he made his final par.

"I felt oddly calm all day long and to pull that off and play as good as I did, bogey free, was awesome," Wise said afterwards. "I felt like when it rained today I was really going to tear the course up just because it allowed me to hit driver, which is my strength. I got a lot of short irons in my hand and was able to make a lot birdies."

He also said, "I did a great job of staying focused on the present today. That was a big key for me winning."

On his twitter account Wise has credited Leishman for a great game: "Marc played great, really gave me a run for his money. He hit the ball incredible. I knew he would have a ton of looks from hole three on, and he did. Unfortunately, he didn’t make all the putts and I was able to edge him out."

Wise is the second youngest person to win at Byron Nelson. Tiger Woods also won the tournament when 21 years old, but he was six months younger than Wise is now.

Adam Scott's round of 6-under 65 meant he finished tied at 9th place on 15-under 269. Although within the top ten it is not what he hoped for, not quite enough to ensure his presence at the US Open. Scott won the Masters in 2013 and until now he has not missed a major since 2001.

"I was kind of hopeful to get up there a little bit more but I mean I don't even think it's going to get there now," Scott said. "It's too easy out there, soft and got hundred yard-wide fairways. It's hard to get in trouble."