Kenny Perry produced a near flawless final round to win the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, by two shots and jump to fifth in the American Ryder Cup standings.
Perry carded a three-under-par 69 in gusty winds at Muirfield Village to collect his 10th victory on the PGA Tour. He finished at eight-under 280, two strokes ahead of Canadian Mike Weir (71), Briton Justin Rose (71), American Jerry Kelly (71) and Australian Mathew Goggin (74).
Goggin took a three-shot lead in the final round on Sunday, but surrendered it with two bogeys in the first four holes before settling down to play solidly the rest of the way.
Perry charged to the front with a brilliant front nine, picking up three birdies, and he was never headed coming home, his only blemish a bogey at the par-four 17th, where he missed a five-foot putt.
"It was probably one of the greatest rounds I remember in a long time, playing in tough conditions," the 47-year-old told reporters after becoming only the second player after Tiger Woods to win the Jack Nicklaus-hosted event three times.
"I shot three-under on the front nine, and it could have been six-under. I had it close on every hole. My iron shots were precise.
"I've had an unbelievable month. I'm hitting my driver terrific, my irons are on the money and I've got great touch with the putter."
Perry, who collected US$1,080,000 to vault to fifth on the PGA Tour money list, has an extra incentive to make the Ryder Cup team for the September showdown against Europe, because it will be played in his home state of Kentucky.
In Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Seon Hwa Lee didn't expect she'd be accepting the Ginn Tribute trophy from tournament host Annika Sorenstam on Sunday.
Lee, though, took advantage of a stunning collapse from Sophie Gustafson, and watched Hall of Famer Karrie Webb miss a short par putt in the playoff. The result was Lee's third US LPGA Tour title and one of the richest paydays, US$390,000 in women's golf.
The comeback was the second-largest in US LPGA Tour history, surpassed only by 10-stroke rallies from all-time greats Mickey Wright in 1964 and Sorenstam in 2001. Lee shot a 67 to finish at 14-under 274. In the playoff at No. 18, Lee two-putted for par from about 45 feet before Webb's crucial error.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily June 3, 2008)