AKRON, Ohio, 26 August 2003 — Darren Clarke shot a closing three-under-par 67 at the Firestone Country Club South Course on Sunday to win his second World Golf Championship title by a comfortable four-stroke margin.
The Northern Irishman led by a single shot overnight and got off to a good start as he cruised to a 12-under 268 total, well ahead of American Jonathan Kaye in second place.
With the victory, the 35-year-old became just the second player after Tiger Woods to win multiple WGC tournaments after he picked up the Accenture Match Play championships in 2000.
“It’s fantastic to win another World Golf Championship after the last one,” Clarke said after picking up a cool $1.05 million and his first title since the 2002 Compass Group English Open.
“Anytime you do something that Tiger has is pretty good, so I’m delighted to have won again.”
Kaye, who began the day a stroke behind Clarke, never put any pressure on the Ulsterman and finished with a 70. Davis Love III was another stroke back after a 69.
Woods, who won the last three NEC Invitationals at Firestone, managed to get within two strokes of Clarke after eight holes, but an inward 38 derailed his chances. He shot 70-274 and came in joint fourth with Chris Riley, who had a 71.
“I was trying to get within one shot with three to go, but instead I went the other way,” Woods said.
Clarke’s 100 putts third for the week but he led the field in putts per green in regulation. His 67 on the scorched South Course was the lowest round among players in the last 25 pairings and the fourth lowest of the day.
After a 15-foot eagle at the second and a birdie at the fourth, from eight feet, Clarke led by five strokes. But he dropped a shot at the fifth with a blown three-footer while Woods birdied seven and eight to cut the difference to two strokes.
Australia’s Flanagan Wins US Amateur Title
In Oakmont, Pennsylvania, teenager Nick Flanagan became the first Australian to win the US amateur championship in 100 years on Sunday, beating American Casey Wittenberg at the 37th hole at Oakmont Country Club.
The 19-year-old Flanagan, who went four up on Wittenberg after the first 18 holes of match play in the morning, had to hold off a brave challenge from his opponent in the afternoon as he followed in the footsteps of compatriot Walter Travis.
Australia-born Travis had clinched the US amateur title in 1900, 1901 and 1903.
The 2003 final had been all square until the par-four ninth, where Flanagan holed a curling 12-foot putt to edge one ahead.
The 18-year-old Wittenberg, bidding to become the second-youngest amateur champion after Tiger Woods in 1994, then missed a chance to level at the 11th, where his birdie attempt from 12 feet lipped out. Wittenberg wasted another opportunity to claw one back at the par-three 13th, where he failed to sink a 15-foot putt to win the hole.
Triplett Shoots 63 to Win Reno-Tahoe Open
In Reno, Nevada, Kirk Triplett pulled off an improbable rally Sunday at the Reno-Tahoe Open, shooting a nine-under-par 63 en route to his second win in 14 years on the PGA Tour.
After shooting a 73 on Saturday, Triplett began the final round in a tie for eighth. But he came from five strokes off the pace to earn his second title in 360 PGA Tour starts.
The 41-year-old Triplett’s only other victory came at Los Angeles in 2000, where he made a clutch four-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to edge Jesper Parnevik by a stroke.
Triplett finished the 72-hole event at 17-under 271, matching the tournament record reached three times over the previous two seasons.
He also pocketed the $540,000 top prize to move into the top 15 on the money list with nearly $1.8 million.
Tim Herron and Craig Barlow held a share of the 54-hole lead but shot 71 and 75, respectively. Herron was alone in second at 14-under 274, a shot better than Dennis Paulson and Rod Pampling of Australia.
Kung Rebounds to Win LPGA Classic
In Kutztown, Pennsylvania Candie Kung overcame a miserable start to claim her second career title Sunday, shooting a two-under-par 70 for a two-stroke victory at the LPGA Classic.
Kung began the day with a one-shot lead before bogeying four of the first seven holes to fall three strokes off the pace. But she played the last 11 holes in five-under to defeat South Korean Se Ri Pak and American Meg Mallon by two shots.
“There’s still, what, 12 holes to go?” Kung remembered saying to herself after the terrible start. “Anything can happen on those 12 holes. I might birdie all the way in. Never know.”
A 22-year-old from Taiwan in her second year on the LPGA Tour, Kung finished with a 72-hole total of 14-under 274.
She collected $180,000 to jump into the top 10 on the money list with more than $620,000.
Pak eagled the finishing hole but could not overcome bogeys at 15 and 17, settling for her second runner-up showing in three starts.
Mallon couldn’t get anything going in shooting her second consecutive 71. Carin Koch of Sweden was fourth at 277, with Beth Daniel at 279.
