CROMWELL, Connecticut, 31 August 2004 — Woody Austin birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against fellow American Tim Herron to win the $4.2 million Buick Championship on Sunday.

Both players returned four-under-par 66s in the final round to finish with 10-under totals of 270. Zach Johnson, Tom Pernice Jr. and 54-hole leader Fred Funk were tied for third, one stroke behind at the TPC at River Highlands.

Former US Open champion Corey Pavin, Jason Bohn and Matt Gogel were another shot back in joint sixth place.

The round of the day belonged to former US PGA champion Jeff Sluman, who reeled off nine birdies and one bogey for a 62, his lowest score of the season by three strokes.

Sluman finished in a tie for ninth place on 273 with Kevin Sutherland, Todd Fischer and Tom Byrum.

Austin, 40, found the fairway at the par-four 18th, the first hole of the playoff, but Herron was in deep rough to the left.

Herron, 34, hit his approach to the front of the green and needed two putts to get down while Austin struck his second to within eight feet of the cup and rolled in the putt to clinch his first victory since the 1995 Buick Open.

The win was worth $756,000 to Austin, who told reporters he had been struggling with his game, particularly with the mental side.

Ochoa Comes From Behind to Win Classic

In Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Lorena Ochoa carded a bogey free 7-under-par 65 here Sunday to erase a five shot deficit and win the $1 million LPGA Classic event.

Entering the final round five strokes behind Grace Park, Ochoa rebounded with her low round of the year on a hot day at the Berkleigh Country Club.

The 22-year-old Mexican finished at 19-under 269 as she won her second career title and the $150,000 first prize.

Ochoa had been on course to breakthrough and win. In the past five weeks, she had three third-place finishes, a fourth and sixth-place showing. Ochoa finished strongly with birdies on three of her final four holes, including one at the par-5 18th. After setting a tournament record 17-under through 54 holes, Park struggled to an even-par 72 to finish two strokes back. Korean Hee-Won Han and Jill McGill both were four shots behind.