Golf Capsules
- By The Associated Press
- Published 03/30/2008
- News
- Unrated
Updated (2): March 30 07:03 PM
AVONDALE, La.(AP) Argentina's Andres Romero won the Zurich Classic in his 12th career start on the PGA Tour, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Australia's Peter Lonard.
Romero, a shot behind John Merrick on Sunday morning after the completion of the third round, had a 13-under 275 total on the TPC Louisiana and earned $1,116,000.
Lonard had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a long birdie putt on 18.
Lonard closed with a 69. He opened with a pair birdies, bogeyed Nos. 3 and 10, then birdied Nos. 8, 11, 14 and 16 to tie Romero at 13 under. The Australian's putt for par on 17 stopped 4 inches shy of the cup, and he then failed to birdie 18.
Romero, who started with a 73 on Thursday, whittled away at the lead with a 69, then a 65 in the rain-delayed third round. In the final round, Romero offset a bogey on the sixth hole with five birdies.
The consolation for Lonard is that the runner-up finish should get him into the Masters by moving him from No. 72 to No. 50 in the world. The Zurich Classic was the final week to earn a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking.
Romero already qualified for the Masters with his third-place finish last summer in the British Open, a result that helped him earn a 2008 PGA Tour card.
Tim Wilkinson shot a 67 to finish third, two strokes back at 11 under.
Safeway International=
SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. (AP) - Lorena Ochoa left her pursuers in the desert dust, successfully defending her Safeway International title with a dominating seven-stroke victory.
The 26-year-old sensation, with three big flags from her native Mexico waving in the crowd, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 22-under 266. She won for the second time in three tries in the young LPGA Tour season.
It was the lowest score, by four shots, in the five years the tournament has been held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club.
Ochoa turned the tournament into a rout with birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, then punctuated her 19th career tour victory with a birdie tap-in on the 18th.
The world's No. 1-ranked female golfer and the LPGA Tour player of the year the past two seasons won eight times last year and has 16 victories her last 53 starts.
South Korea's Jee Young Lee, who began the day one shot back, shot an even-par 72 to finish at 15 under. Minea Blomqvist of Finland (66) was third at 14 under.
Ginn Championship=
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) - Bernhard Langer won the Ginn Championship for his second Champions Tour victory in three starts, shooting a 1-under 71 in windy conditions for an eight-stroke victory over Lonnie Nielsen and Tim Simpson.
Langer had one of three under-par rounds, with the wind off the Atlantic Ocean a sustained 25 mph and the temperature in 50s. The German star finished at 12-under 204 and earned $375,000 for his third victory in 11 career starts on the 50-and-over tour.
Langer took the lead on the money list and Charles Schwab Cup points race, supplanting Scott Hoch on both lists and joining Hoch as a multiple winner.
Nielsen (77) and Simpson (75) struggled in the difficult conditions.
Louisiana Open=
BROUSSARD, La. (AP) - Australia's Gavin Coles won the Louisiana Open for his fourth career Nationwide Tour title, closing with a 1-under 70 in windy conditions for a one-stroke victory over Kyle Thompson.
Coles had a 12-under 272 total on the Le Triomphe Country Club course and earned $94,500. After playing the first eight holes in 1 under with three birdies and two bogeys, he parred the final 10 holes.
The 39-year-old Coles, one of the tour's shortest players at 5-foot-4, also won the 2002 Jacob's Creek Open and 2004 New Zealand PGA, both co-sanctioned with Australasian tour, and the 2006 Legend Financial Group Classic.
Thompson shot a 65.
Andalucia Open=
PUERTO BANUS, Spain (AP) - France's Thomas Levet won the Andalucia Open, beating 19-year-old Englishman Oliver Fisher with a par on the first hole of a playoff.
Fisher, three strokes ahead with six holes to play, bogeyed the extra hole. Both players shot 5-under 67s in the final round to finish at 16-under 272.
Defending champion Lee Westwood (71) was third at 13 under.
AVONDALE, La.(AP) Argentina's Andres Romero won the Zurich Classic in his 12th career start on the PGA Tour, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Australia's Peter Lonard.
Romero, a shot behind John Merrick on Sunday morning after the completion of the third round, had a 13-under 275 total on the TPC Louisiana and earned $1,116,000.
Lonard had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a long birdie putt on 18.
Lonard closed with a 69. He opened with a pair birdies, bogeyed Nos. 3 and 10, then birdied Nos. 8, 11, 14 and 16 to tie Romero at 13 under. The Australian's putt for par on 17 stopped 4 inches shy of the cup, and he then failed to birdie 18.
Romero, who started with a 73 on Thursday, whittled away at the lead with a 69, then a 65 in the rain-delayed third round. In the final round, Romero offset a bogey on the sixth hole with five birdies.
The consolation for Lonard is that the runner-up finish should get him into the Masters by moving him from No. 72 to No. 50 in the world. The Zurich Classic was the final week to earn a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking.
Romero already qualified for the Masters with his third-place finish last summer in the British Open, a result that helped him earn a 2008 PGA Tour card.
Tim Wilkinson shot a 67 to finish third, two strokes back at 11 under.
Safeway International=
SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. (AP) - Lorena Ochoa left her pursuers in the desert dust, successfully defending her Safeway International title with a dominating seven-stroke victory.
The 26-year-old sensation, with three big flags from her native Mexico waving in the crowd, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 22-under 266. She won for the second time in three tries in the young LPGA Tour season.
It was the lowest score, by four shots, in the five years the tournament has been held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club.
Ochoa turned the tournament into a rout with birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, then punctuated her 19th career tour victory with a birdie tap-in on the 18th.
The world's No. 1-ranked female golfer and the LPGA Tour player of the year the past two seasons won eight times last year and has 16 victories her last 53 starts.
South Korea's Jee Young Lee, who began the day one shot back, shot an even-par 72 to finish at 15 under. Minea Blomqvist of Finland (66) was third at 14 under.
Ginn Championship=
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) - Bernhard Langer won the Ginn Championship for his second Champions Tour victory in three starts, shooting a 1-under 71 in windy conditions for an eight-stroke victory over Lonnie Nielsen and Tim Simpson.
Langer had one of three under-par rounds, with the wind off the Atlantic Ocean a sustained 25 mph and the temperature in 50s. The German star finished at 12-under 204 and earned $375,000 for his third victory in 11 career starts on the 50-and-over tour.
Langer took the lead on the money list and Charles Schwab Cup points race, supplanting Scott Hoch on both lists and joining Hoch as a multiple winner.
Nielsen (77) and Simpson (75) struggled in the difficult conditions.
Louisiana Open=
BROUSSARD, La. (AP) - Australia's Gavin Coles won the Louisiana Open for his fourth career Nationwide Tour title, closing with a 1-under 70 in windy conditions for a one-stroke victory over Kyle Thompson.
Coles had a 12-under 272 total on the Le Triomphe Country Club course and earned $94,500. After playing the first eight holes in 1 under with three birdies and two bogeys, he parred the final 10 holes.
The 39-year-old Coles, one of the tour's shortest players at 5-foot-4, also won the 2002 Jacob's Creek Open and 2004 New Zealand PGA, both co-sanctioned with Australasian tour, and the 2006 Legend Financial Group Classic.
Thompson shot a 65.
Andalucia Open=
PUERTO BANUS, Spain (AP) - France's Thomas Levet won the Andalucia Open, beating 19-year-old Englishman Oliver Fisher with a par on the first hole of a playoff.
Fisher, three strokes ahead with six holes to play, bogeyed the extra hole. Both players shot 5-under 67s in the final round to finish at 16-under 272.
Defending champion Lee Westwood (71) was third at 13 under.
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