CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Vijay Singh took advantage of a
record-tying collapse by Sergio Garcia and an untimely mistake by
Jim Furyk, rallying from six shots behind with a 6-under 66 and
winning the Wachovia Championship on the fourth hole of a
sudden-death playoff Sunday.
Singh only needed a par on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow to win
for the third time this year after Furyk's tee shot skipped over a
creek and rolled down into the water.
Garcia started the day with a six-shot lead, then recovered from
his meltdown to take a one-shot lead with two holes to play. He
scrambled for bogey at the par-3 17th, and missed a 20-foot birdie
putt on the 18th hole to fall into a three-man playoff.
It matched the largest final-round collapse in PGA Tour history,
last accomplished by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters.
Garcia was eliminated after three-putting from 45 feet and
missing a 6-footer for par on the first extra hole. He became the
fifth player to blow a six-shot lead on the PGA Tour.
Singh, Garcia (72) and Furyk all finished at 12-under 276.
Singh joined Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the only
three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year.
Nothing went right for Woods all week. After an eagle on the
15th and closing with a birdie, PGA Tour rules officials determined
that he should not have moved a fence right of the 10th fairway,
that was damaged when the gallery joined in to help. He was given a
two-shot penalty, turning his 69 into a 71 and leaving him in a tie
for 11th.
Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco closed with a 66 to finish
fourth, his third consecutive finish in the top five. Mickelson was
9 under through 15 holes until dropping three shots over the final
two holes for a 66 to tie for seventh.<
^Michelob Ultra Open=
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Five tournaments in the making, Annika
Sorenstam's winning streak ended with one miserable hole.
After climbing the leaderboard Sunday morning, Sorenstam's
chances for a record sixth straight victory ended with a
double-bogey on the third hole of the final round at the Michelob
Ultra Open. She finished at 2-over 286, 10 strokes behind winner
Cristie Kerr.
Sorenstam closed with a 3-over 74 and finished tied for 12th.
Kerr earned her fifth career victory, but the first when
Sorenstam was in the field. She shot 68-72 for her two rounds
Sunday and finished at 8-under 276 to earn the $330,000 first-place
share.
Jill McGill finished five strokes back at 3-under 281. Natalie
Gulbis, Catriona Matthew and Michele Redman tied for third at
2-under 282.
Sorenstam, who had tied Nancy Lopez's long-standing record of
five straight wins, finished a tournament above par for the first
time since the 2003 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.<
^Italian Open=
MILAN, Italy -- Steve Webster won his first PGA European
Tour event, closing with five birdies on the last 10 holes for a
4-under 68 and a three stroke victory at the Italian Open.
Webster, a five-time runner-up on tour, finished at 18 under at
the Castello di Tolcinasco Golf Club.
Bradley Dredge (69), Richard Finch (70) and Anders Hansen (66)
tied for second three shots back.<
^The Rex Hospital Open=
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Monday qualifier Eric Axley won his first
Nationwide Tour title, shooting a pair of 4-under 67s in a 36-hole
finish for a two-stroke victory over Troy Matteson in The Rex
Hospital Open.
The 31-year-old Axley is the 18th Monday qualifier and third
left-hander to win a Nationwide Tour event. He was the only player
in the field to break 70 in all four rounds, finishing with a
14-under 270 total on the TPC at Wakefield Plantation.
The former East Tennessee State player earned $81,000 and a tour
exemption through next season.
Matteson closed with a 69 to finish second at 12 under.
Ryan Armour (67) was third at 11 under, and Matt Weibring (67)
followed at 9 under.