DUBLIN, Ohio, 7 June 2005 — American Bart Bryant outplayed a stellar field and made a sizzling par save at the final hole to capture the $5.25 million PGA Memorial by one stroke over veteran Fred Couples on Sunday.
The 42-year-old Bryant finished at 16-under-par 272, while gallery favorite Couples shot 69 for second place on 15-under 273.
“It’s a real honor to win here,” said Bryant, who sank a 15-footer on 18 for a four-under-par 68 in steamy heat at Muirfield Village.
On the 18th, Bryant got up-and-down from 173 yards after driving into a hazard to clinch his second victory on the PGA Tour.
Former Masters champion Couples had to birdie the last to force a playoff, but missed the green with his second shot and had to settle for par.
Tiger Woods was not at his best, but still shot 68 to tie for third with Jeff Sluman and Bo Van Pelt, four shots off the pace.
“I needed a couple more putts to go in and a couple less mistakes,” Woods said.
Woods fired eight birdies, enough to give him a chance to win the event for the fourth time.
But Woods posted a double bogey on the par-three eighth when his soft flop didn’t reach the green and he ringed a putt from four feet.
Bryant, who started the final round in a four-way tie for the lead, enjoyed his first tour victory at last year’s Texas Open, on the same day that Europe won the Ryder Cup, but Sunday’s win was in a different league against a stellar field.
“At the beginning of the day I had high hopes it would come to this, but there were so many good players up there,” he said.
“There were so many good players up there, I knew somebody would shoot 67 or 68 to win. I just didn’t know it would be me.”
Aussie Richard Green was part of a group of a half dozen players who had at least a share of the lead at one point. Green drove into a creek on the par-five 15th and splashed it out into the rough. He ended up with a double bogey.
Green, who has a reputation for lacking self-belief, denied that he was particularly nervous playing with the lead.
Sorenstam Sizzles to Win ShopRite Classic
In Galloway Township, New Jersey, Annika Sorenstam closed with a seven-under-par 64 for a final total of 17-under 196 to post a four-shot victory Sunday over Juli Inkster at the $1.4 million LPGA ShopRite Classic.
“It’s great. I can’t believe the finish,” Sorenstam said. “I played really well on the back nine. The back nine has been my nine this week.”
With a bogey-free round on Sunday that included five birdies and a closing eagle putt from the fringe, Sorenstam won for the fifth time in seven events this season.
She also established herself as the heavy favourite at next week’s LPGA Championship, the second major of the season.
“I don’t know if you can really put it into perspective. I would say I’m overwhelmed,” Sorenstam said.
“When you look at all the stats, it’s just something. Obviously it’s something I’m very proud of, but not something I walk around thinking about.”
Inkster entered the round tied for the lead with Sorenstam and played a solid round but was unable to keep up with the streaking Swede. Inkster had four birdies, three on the back nine, and one bogey for a 68 and a solo second place finish at 13-under 200.
“She doesn’t make any mistakes,” Inkster said of Sorenstam. “She’s just very consistent. She doesn’t have too many off days.”
“She doesn’t struggle very much. But she’s beatable, it’s just you can’t three putt from six feet, you’ve got to make a few more putts.”
Laura Davies followed a course-record nine-under 62 on Saturday with a 68 and finished tied for third with Catriona Matthew, who shot a sizzling 64 on the 6,071-yard Seaview Resort Bay Course.
But no matter how hot anyone got or how low anyone went, they were not catching Sorenstam, who posted career victory number 61 to move into third on the LPGA all-time wins list.
She carded her first bogey-free round of the tournament, starting with a pair of birdies on the front nine.
Sorenstam, who took home a first prize of $ 210,000, started the back side with a birdie at the 10th and added birdies at 13 and 17.
On her finishing hole, the par-five 18th, Sorenstam was just short of the green in two and decided to putt from about three feet off the green.
Her long putt rolled in for a 30 on the back nine, which allowed her to tie her own tournament scoring record of 17-under.
“It was a long putt, but I can tell you the break of it, it was right to left,” Sorenstam said.
