A level par final round 70 enabled the 42-year-old Scotsman to finish the day as he had started it, at 12-under and one shot ahead of his rivals.

Lawrie, who won the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, punched the air in delight after sinking a six-inch putt to clinch victory.

“Nine years seems a hell of a long time ago,” Lawrie told reporters. “I have had a few second places during that time and won the Scottish PGA title at Gleaneagles in 2005, but to win again is very nice.”

Swede Johan Edfors shot a closing 68 to finish in second place with Chile’s Felipe Aguilar a stroke further back in third after a 68.

Lawrie’s victory was far but straightforward as he opened his fourth round with two bogeys which left him trailing England’s Mark Foster.

Foster fell away with a run of three straight bogeys but Lawrie found himself under pressure from Edfors who rapped in five birdie putts in eight holes from the seventh.

Lawrie regained the lead as he holed from 15 feet on the 10th green and 20 feet at the next hole and was not overtaken again as he claimed his first tour title since the 2002 Wales Open.

Edfors could have forced a playoff but failed to hole a birdie putt from the fringe at the back of the final green.
 

In Orlando, Florida, Martin Laird’s fortunes rose and fell Saturday at Bay Hill. The only thing that never changed was his name atop the leaderboard in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Laird finally regained control with a two-shot swing on the par-5 16th and finished with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot lead over Spencer Levin going into the final round with high stakes.

Six players were separated by five shots, a group that does not include Tiger Woods. He traded an eagle and birdies with bogeys and a double bogey on his back nine that sent him to a 74, leaving him 10 shots behind.

Laird ran off three straight birdies early in the round to build a four-shot lead. Four holes later, Levin pulled within one shot and they were tied for the lead with three holes to play.

That’s when it turned in the Scot’s favor.

Laird got up-and-down for birdie from just right of the green on the 16th, while Levin was in trouble from the start. He drove into the trees, chipped out into a bunker and then pulled his third shot into the water. He had to make a 6-foot putt to escape with bogey on the easiest hole at Bay Hill. Levin wound up with a 71.

Laird was at 11-under 205 as he goes after his second career PGA Tour victory. Levin has never won, and even more is on the line Sunday. A victory would send him to Augusta National for the first time.
 

In Industry, California, second-ranked Jiyai Shin shot a 3-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead over Sandra Gal after the third round of the Kia Classic.

Shin, the South Korean star who has eight LPGA Tour victories, had a 15-under 204 total on the Industry Hills Golf Club course at Pacific Palms. Gal, from Germany, also shot a 70.

South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi was third after a 65, the best score of the round.

Michelle Wie shot a 71, leaving in tie for eighth at 5 under. Returning to the tour after finishing finals at Stanford, Wie had five birdies and three bogeys in the round.