Kraft fires 65 to win Louisiana Open
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Broussard, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kelly Kraft fired a 6-under 65 on Sunday and came from behind to win the Chitimacha Louisiana Open by one shot.
Kraft finished at 14-under-par 270 in his first Web.com Tour win. He ran off three straight birdies from the 15th to rally past Rhein Gibson for the win.
"It's been a while. It feels good to win again. The back nine is harder and everyone seems to back up," said Kraft, the 2012 U.S. Amateur winner. "After nine holes, I thought if I can post a number, it may work out. Toward the end, I was just trying to make birdies."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gibson played the back nine in 2-over par and closed with an even-par 71. He shared second place at minus-13 with D.H. Lee, who fired an 8-under 63 to match the low round of the day.
Third-round leader Rick Cochran III stumbled to a 2-over 73 at Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club and fell into a tie for fourth at 12-under-par 272. He ended alongside Ryan Blaum (65), Darron Stiles (65), Smylie Kaufman (66) and Cameron Wilson (69).
Gibson grabbed the lead early on with a birdie at the fourth. He made it two in a row with a birdie at five and that pushed him to 15-under, where he led by two.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 29-year-old made his third birdie in four holes at No. 7 and he was three ahead. Things started to come undone for Gibson as he bogeyed the eighth. After four straight pars, Gibson faltered to a bogey on the 13th and the dropped him into a tie with Kraft.
Gibson dipped one back with a bogey on the 14th.
Kraft birdied the first and followed with five pars in a row. He made eagle at seven to jump to 11-under.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Around the turn, Kraft converted a birdie effort at the 10th, but gave that stroke back when he bogeyed the 13th.
Kraft made his charge after a par on No. 14. He poured in three straight birdies from the 15th to jump to minus-14. He parred the last and waited for the final six groups to finish.
Gibson was unable to force a playoff as he closed with four straight pars from the 15th.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I knew what I had to do coming in," Gibson admitted. "I had some chances and didn't convert. I fell in love with the line (on the putt at 18) and I just forgot to hit it."
Lee was long finished so he couldn't force a playoff either. Lee birdied the first, then soared up the leaderboard with seven birdies in an 8-hole span from the fifth.
That burst got him to 13-under. Lee stumbled to bogeys at 13 and 14, but he got those shots back with birdies on the final two holes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: Kraft, who was making his 50th Web.com Tour start, earned $99,000 for the win ... His 6-stroke comeback was fourth-best in event history ... After two weeks off, the tour returns to action in Mexico, where Carlos Ortiz won the El Bosque Mexico Championship last year.