Golf Capsules
- By The Associated Press
- Published 03/15/2008
- News
- Unrated
ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) Tiger Woods made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot, extending his PGA Tour winning streak to five and keeping intact a perfect season in golf.
In his biggest challenge since this streak began seven months ago, Woods outlasted 45-year-old Bart Bryant and won with a birdie putt on the final hole for the first time in seven years. He turned and slammed his cap to the ground, letting out a roar to celebrate his 64th career victory, tying Ben Hogan at No. 3 on the PGA Tour list.
Palmer stood behind the 18th green with thousands of sun-baked fans who have come to expect nothing less from Woods. The King smiled and nodded his head, a royal approval of a captivating conclusion at Bay Hill. Not since Bay Hill in 2001 has Woods won a PGA Tour event with a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by a shot.
Woods closed with a 4-under 66 and won Bay Hill for the fifth time in his career, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to win four tournaments at least five times. Next up is the CA Championship at Doral, which he has won six times.
The last time he played, he surpassed Palmer on the career list. This one allowed him to join Hogan, who won 64 times over 21 years, the last victory coming at the 1959 Colonial National Invitational. Next up is Jack Nicklaus at 73, with Sam Snead's record of 82 victories looking closer each time Woods plays.
Bryant closed with a 67 and was the only player to break par all four rounds.
Woods has won six straight times worldwide, which includes a thrilling rally in Dubai last month. The winning streak does not include his seven-shot victory at his 16-man Target World Challenge, an unofficial event in December.
Woods finished at 10-under 270 and earned $1,044,000.
MasterCard Classic=
HUXQUILUCAN, Mexico (AP) - Sweden's Louise Friberg won her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 for a one-stroke victory over Taiwan's Yani Tseng in the MasterCard Classic.
Ten strokes behind Ji-Young Oh at the start of play after opening rounds of 72 and 73, Friberg had an eagle, six birdies and a bogey in the 65 - a Bosque Real course-record round and the best score by three strokes in the final round.
The 2003 University of Washington graduate finished at 6-under 210 on the hilly Bosque Real course and made $195,000. Making only her third start as a tour member and fourth overall, she earned her tour card in early December with a ninth-place tie in the qualifying tournament.
Tseng finished with a 74.
Jane Park (70) and Jill McGill tied for third at 4 under, and Pat Hurst (72), Na Yeon Choi (73) and Eva Dahllof (74) followed at 3 under. Oh closed with a 79 to match top-ranked Mexican star Lorena Ochoa (68) at 2 under.
AT&T Champions Classic=
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - Zimbabwe's Denis Watson won the AT&T Champions Classic for his third Champions Tour title in two seasons, beating Loren Roberts with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff at Valencia.
Watson, the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and Boeing Classic winner, birdied the par-5 18th in regulation for a 7-under 65 and a share of the top spot with Roberts (70) and Brad Bryant (72) at 7-under 209. Bryant was eliminated on the second extra hole.
Watson, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, set up his winning putt with a 9-iron form 152 yards to 20 inches on the par-4 10th.
Last year, Tom Purtzer beat Roberts on the fourth hole of a playoff.
Watson, Roberts and Bryant opened the playoff with pars on No. 18. Watson and Roberts birdied the 18th on the second playoff hole to eliminate Bryant. Watson then won with the short birdie putt on the third extra hole.
Watson began the day tied for 20th, seven shots back. He finished regulation play 80 minutes before Roberts and Bryant completed their rounds.
Ballantine's Championship=
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) - Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the inaugural Ballantine's Championship, beating India's Jeev Milkha Singh with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff.
McDowell, a three-time winner on the European tour, and Singh closed with 6-under 66s to finish at 24-under 264 on the Pinx Golf Club course. Ireland's Paul McGinley (69) finished third, seven strokes back.
In his biggest challenge since this streak began seven months ago, Woods outlasted 45-year-old Bart Bryant and won with a birdie putt on the final hole for the first time in seven years. He turned and slammed his cap to the ground, letting out a roar to celebrate his 64th career victory, tying Ben Hogan at No. 3 on the PGA Tour list.
Palmer stood behind the 18th green with thousands of sun-baked fans who have come to expect nothing less from Woods. The King smiled and nodded his head, a royal approval of a captivating conclusion at Bay Hill. Not since Bay Hill in 2001 has Woods won a PGA Tour event with a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by a shot.
Woods closed with a 4-under 66 and won Bay Hill for the fifth time in his career, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to win four tournaments at least five times. Next up is the CA Championship at Doral, which he has won six times.
The last time he played, he surpassed Palmer on the career list. This one allowed him to join Hogan, who won 64 times over 21 years, the last victory coming at the 1959 Colonial National Invitational. Next up is Jack Nicklaus at 73, with Sam Snead's record of 82 victories looking closer each time Woods plays.
Bryant closed with a 67 and was the only player to break par all four rounds.
Woods has won six straight times worldwide, which includes a thrilling rally in Dubai last month. The winning streak does not include his seven-shot victory at his 16-man Target World Challenge, an unofficial event in December.
Woods finished at 10-under 270 and earned $1,044,000.
MasterCard Classic=
HUXQUILUCAN, Mexico (AP) - Sweden's Louise Friberg won her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 for a one-stroke victory over Taiwan's Yani Tseng in the MasterCard Classic.
Ten strokes behind Ji-Young Oh at the start of play after opening rounds of 72 and 73, Friberg had an eagle, six birdies and a bogey in the 65 - a Bosque Real course-record round and the best score by three strokes in the final round.
The 2003 University of Washington graduate finished at 6-under 210 on the hilly Bosque Real course and made $195,000. Making only her third start as a tour member and fourth overall, she earned her tour card in early December with a ninth-place tie in the qualifying tournament.
Tseng finished with a 74.
Jane Park (70) and Jill McGill tied for third at 4 under, and Pat Hurst (72), Na Yeon Choi (73) and Eva Dahllof (74) followed at 3 under. Oh closed with a 79 to match top-ranked Mexican star Lorena Ochoa (68) at 2 under.
AT&T Champions Classic=
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - Zimbabwe's Denis Watson won the AT&T Champions Classic for his third Champions Tour title in two seasons, beating Loren Roberts with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff at Valencia.
Watson, the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and Boeing Classic winner, birdied the par-5 18th in regulation for a 7-under 65 and a share of the top spot with Roberts (70) and Brad Bryant (72) at 7-under 209. Bryant was eliminated on the second extra hole.
Watson, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, set up his winning putt with a 9-iron form 152 yards to 20 inches on the par-4 10th.
Last year, Tom Purtzer beat Roberts on the fourth hole of a playoff.
Watson, Roberts and Bryant opened the playoff with pars on No. 18. Watson and Roberts birdied the 18th on the second playoff hole to eliminate Bryant. Watson then won with the short birdie putt on the third extra hole.
Watson began the day tied for 20th, seven shots back. He finished regulation play 80 minutes before Roberts and Bryant completed their rounds.
Ballantine's Championship=
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) - Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the inaugural Ballantine's Championship, beating India's Jeev Milkha Singh with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff.
McDowell, a three-time winner on the European tour, and Singh closed with 6-under 66s to finish at 24-under 264 on the Pinx Golf Club course. Ireland's Paul McGinley (69) finished third, seven strokes back.
Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Enough, already. We get the point. Actually, we got the point four months and 3,762 references ago, because that’s about how many times we have been subjected to this nonsense about something Ben Hogan may have said 57 years ago.
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