LEMONT, Illinois, 6 July 2004 — Canada’s Stephen Ames returned a steady one-under-par 70 to clinch his first PGA Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Western Open on Sunday.
The 40-year-old native of Trinidad and Tobago finished on 10-under 274 at a windy Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. He picked up $864,000 for his breakthrough triumph, lifting his earnings to $2,749,679 for the season.
American Steve Lowery secured second place with a matching 70 that left him on 276, one stroke ahead of Britain’s Luke Donald (67) and Australia’s Mark Hensby (73).
Two more Australians, Stuart Appleby (72) and Geoff Ogilvy (73), tied for fifth on 278.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods could not reproduce his form of Saturday when he surged into third-round contention with a sparkling six-under-65. The 28-year-old American, bidding for a fourth title at Cog Hill in eight years, managed only one birdie as he closed with a level-par 71.
That left him in a share of seventh place with Davis Love III, Sweden’s Carl Pettersson and 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk.
Ames was delighted with his win and said it had been tough over the closing holes to put the emotion of the occasion to one side.
Lowery slipped back further after a hooked tee shot at the 13th led to a double-bogey six.
Hensby also found trouble on 13, running up a six after hitting his approach into a hazard left of the green.
Ogilvy got to one under for his round after birdies on six and eight but then fell away over the closing holes. It was left to Donald, playing five groups ahead of Ames, to make a significant impression on the leaderboard on his way to a closing 67.
Mallon Seals Two-Shot Win at US Women’s Open
In South Hadley, Massachusetts, American Meg Mallon celebrated Independence Day in style, coming from three behind at the start of the day to clinch her second US Women’s Open crown by two shots at the Orchards Golf Club on Sunday.
The 41-year-old, who was born in Massachusetts and first won the title in 1991, fired a flawless six-under-par 65 to finish at 10-under 274 and claim the $560,000 first prize ahead of second-placed Annika Sorenstam.
Sweden’s Sorenstam, the world No. 1, returned a 67 with American Kelly Robbins a further two strokes back in third at six-under 278.
Sorenstam piled on the pressure with birdies at the last two holes but narrowly missed out on the trophy for a third year in a row. She was second in 2002 and was edged out of a three-way playoff by one shot 12 months ago.
Robbins, who was involved in last year’s playoff won by Hilary Lunke, carded a final-round 69.
Filipino Jennifer Rosales led after three rounds but slipped back into fourth place at three under after completing a 75.
Teenage prodigy Michelle Wie, 14, returned a 73 for a share of 13th place at one-over 285 with 17-year-old fellow American Paula Creamer and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc of France.
Wie and Creamer were the highest-placed amateurs and each gained one of the 20 automatic exemptions for next year.
