MERIDEN, England, 16 May 2005 — Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn claimed his eighth European Tour title after winning a three-man sudden-death playoff at the British Masters yesterday.
Bjorn’s par at the second extra hole at Forest of Arden was enough to see off Britons David Howell and Brian Davis.
The trio had finished on six-under-par 282, a stroke better than third-round leader Michael Campbell of New Zealand.
Davis was eliminated at the first sudden-death hole, the short 18th, when he bogeyed to Bjorn and Howell’s pars.
Bjorn then hit the 18th green for a second time in the playoff, while Howell missed for the third successive time, including in normal play, but this time the Englishman failed to get up and down. The Dane’s two putts earned him the $536,000 winner’s prize and his first win since the 2002 BMW International Open.
Rookie O’Hair Leads Byron Nelson Championship
In Irving, Texas, PGA Tour rookie Sean O’Hair fired a three-under 67 Saturday to take sole possession of the lead after three rounds of the $5.8 million Byron Nelson Championship.
The 22-year-old Texan, who started the day tied for the lead with Brett Wetterich, moved to 12-under 198 through 54 holes, one stroke in front of British Open champion Todd Hamilton. Hamilton signed for a 65 for sole possession of second place.
Doug Barron, Scott Verplank and Ted Purdy were two strokes back. Barron and Verplank each shot 65 and Purdy carded a 68.
When world No. 1 Tiger Woods sensationally failed to make the cut on Friday — ending a record streak of 142 tournaments without missing a cut — the way had appeared cleared for his colleagues among the game’s elite ranks to make a move. But the remaining big names were struggling to make an impact, with Vijay Singh six shots back and Phil Mickelson seven off the pace. While O’Hair rose to the challenge of playing in the final group, Wetterich did not, ballooning to a 73 to fall six adrift.
Sorenstam Stretches Her Lead at LPGA Chick-Fil-A
In Atlanta, Georgia, Annika Sorenstam fired a five-under-par 67 Saturday to take a commanding 10-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA tour’s $1.6 million Chick-fil-A Charity Championship.
Sorenstam seems to have gone some way to putting behind her the disappointment of last week, when her LPGA record-tying streak of five consecutive victories came to an end at the Michelob Ultra Open.
The Swedish superstar followed a blistering 64 on Friday with another strong round to move to 18-under 198.
Seeking to launch a new winning streak, Sorenstam was 10 shots clear of Emilee Klen with a group of five golfers another shot back at seven-under. Sorenstam put to rest any thoughts of a letdown early on as she eagled the par-five second.Klein carded three birdies on the front side and one more on the back for a bogey-free 68. Italy’s Silvia Cavalleri, Wendy Ward, Candy Hannemann of Brazil, Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa and Heather Bowie were tied for third.
First-round leader Laura Davies of England bounced back from a 76 on Friday to shoot 69 that left her tied for 10th at five-under with South Korea’s Ju-Yun Kim, Cristie Kerr and Lorie Kane of Canada.
