|
NAPA, Calif. -- Bae Sang-moon built a big lead and was steady enough on the back nine at Silverado to win the Frys.com Open on Sunday in the first event of the new PGA Tour season. Bae missed a short birdie putt on the 18th that only affected the margin. He closed with a 1-over 73, the first player on the PGA Tour since Ben Crane at the St. Jude Classic in June to win with a final round over par. Bae won by two shots over Steven Bowditch, who closed with a 67 on a dry, hot day in the Napa Valley. The only drama came from the 28-year-old South Korean, who was six shots ahead when he made a par on the 10th hole. Bae had a trio of three-putts -- two of them from just off the green -- to start coming back to the field. But no one got closer than two shots all day. Hunter Mahan, one of four players in the field who were in the Ryder Cup two weeks ago, looked as if he might make a run when he holed out from 91 yards on the 13th hole for eagle to get within two shots of the lead. But he hit a poor chip on the 15th that led to bogey, and he barely got out of the bunker on the par-5 16th that kept him from a birdie. Mahan closed with a 70 and wound up in five-way tie for third with Retief Goosen, Hideki Matsuyama, Martin Laird and Bryce Molder. Matsuyama finished with two straight birdies, and tied for third for the second straight year at the Frys.com Open. Bae, who finished at 15-under 273, won for the second time in his career and earned a return trip to the Masters in April. LPGA MALAYSIA KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- China's Shanshan Feng rallied to win the LPGA Malaysia for her fourth LPGA Tour title, playing a six-hole stretch on the back nine in 6 under. The 25-year-old Feng, four strokes behind Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum entering the round, closed with a bogey-free 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory over Phatlum. Feng birdied Nos. 11-14 to tie Phatlum at 16 under and pulled away with a four-stroke swing when she holed a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th and Phatlum made a double bogey on the par-3 15th. Feng parred the last two holes to finish at 18-under 266 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. She's projected to jump from ninth to fifth in the world. Playing a group behind Feng, Phatlum birdied the 16th and closed with two pars for a 70. She was trying to become the LPGA Tour's first Thai winner. Lydia Ko missed a chance to take the No. 1 ranking from Stacy Lewis. The 17-year-old New Zealander needed to win and have Lewis tie for 12th or worse. Instead, Ko closed with a 70 to tie for eighth at 11 under. Lewis had a 69 to tie for 21st at 7 under. SAS CHAMPIONSHIP CARY, N.C. -- Kirk Triplett won the SAS Championship for his second victory of the year and fourth in three seasons on the Champions Tour. The 52-year-old Triplett closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-stroke victory over Tom Lehman. Triplett finished at 14-under 202 at Prestonwood Country Club. Triplett followed each of his three bogeys with birdies. The three-time PGA Tour champion also won the ACE Group Classic in February. Lehman eagled the par-5 17th in a 70. Bernhard Langer and Kenny Perry tied for third at 10 under. Langer, the 2012 winner, finished with a 68. Perry, the 2011 champion, had a 67. Langer extended his lead in the season-long race Charles Schwab Cup race. He has a tour-high five wins -- two of them majors -- and leads the money list. PORTUGAL MASTERS VILAMOURA, Portugal -- France's Alexander Levy of France won the shortened Portugal Masters after the third and final round was washed out because of further bad weather. Thunderstorms and water-logged greens had already led to the event being reduced to 54 holes Friday, and more rain Sunday forced European Tour officials to cut it to 36 holes. Levy had rounds of 63 and 61 at Oceanico Victoria to finish at 18-under 124. Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts was second, three strokes back.
|
