San Antonio (Texas), March 31 (IANS/CMC): Trinidad and Tobago-born golfer Stephen Ames carved out his first top 20 finish in 27 outings when he shot a final round two-over 74 to finish 16th at the $6.2 million Valero Texas Open.

He counted five birdies but was hampered by four bogeys and a triple bogey, in a see-sawed outing that left him one-under 287 at TPC San Antonio Sunday, reports CMC.

Australian Steven Bowditch got home by a single stroke to take the winner’s purse, despite a final round 76.

On a day when virtually everyone struggled, Ames started brightly on the front nine when he birdied the opening hole. However, he triple-bogeyed the par-three third when he found the water off the tee, and then bogeyed the par-four fourth after more disastrous driving, to slump to three-over.

To his credit, Ames recovered well, sinking a six-footer for birdie on the fifth and then following up with a near seven-putt to pick up another shot on the sixth.

He bogeyed the eighth to make the turn at two-over and another dropped shot on the 14th left him struggling at three-over.

There was no collapse, however. Ames hit back strongly with a birdie on the 16th following near flawless execution on the short par-three and though he stumbled again with bogey on the 17th, another birdie on the 18th saw him close out strongly.

This tournament represented a turnaround in form for Ames who had failed to make the cut in three of the five events prior to this weekend.

His previous best finish of his career was 20th at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii in January last year.