O’Hair nails down first victory
Sitting behind a trophy, his wife and in-laws in front of him, Sean O’Hair was very much a man at peace.
He’s having the success his father demanded, winning the John Deere Classic on Sunday at Silvis, Ill., for his first victory in just his 18th career PGA Tour start, a day before his 23rd birthday. But he’s found a way to win and be happy, a balance that didn’t seem possible when he was growing up.
O’Hair shot a 6-under 65 to finish at 16-under 268 total on the TPC at Deere Run. He earned $720,000 and a spot in the British Open.
Hank Kuehne (68) and Robert Damron (67) finished a stroke behind, and J.L Lewis (72), 2004 winner Mark Hensby (64) and Wes Short (66) were another shot back.
The tournament lost much of its buzz after Michelle Wie failed in her attempt to become the first woman to make a PGA Tour cut in 60 years, missing by two strokes. But some of the electricity was back Sunday thanks to O’Hair.
O’Hair may look like he’s still in high school, but his personality and game are well beyond his years, forged by a childhood that was anything but. His father, Marc, pushed him relentlessly, seemingly more interested in raising a pro golfer than a son.
O’Hair was up running every day at 5 a.m., and on the course from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For every bogey on his scorecard, his father made him run a mile. He was pushed to turn pro at 17, before he’d even graduated from high school.
O’Hair hasn’t spoken to his father since Dec. 28, 2002, O’Hair’s wedding day.
LPGA Tour
Heather Bowie won her first LPGA Tour title, parring the third hole of a playoff with Gloria Park in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic at Sylvania, Ohio.
Park made things easy for Bowie, hitting a low hook out of the rough and into a creek on the par-5 18th hole. After hitting clutch putts on the first two extra holes to extend the playoff, Park triple-bogeyed the last hole.
Bowie, who earned $180,000 and a three-year LPGA Tour exemption, closed with a 4-under 67 to match Park (66) at 10-under 274. The two-time NCAA champion at Texas won in her 138th start on the LPGA Tour.
Sung Ah Yim (68) and Hee-Won Han (73) tied for third at 9 under, and Paula Creamer (64) and Jeong Jang (72) followed at 8 under.
Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, closed with a 1-over 72 to finish at 6-over 290. She earned $2,646.
European PGA Tour
Tim Clark finally won outside his native South Africa, surviving seven lead changes in a wild scramble among five players, then pulling away for a 4-under 67 and a two-shot victory in the Scottish Open at Luss, Scotland.
Needing only two putts from 18 feet on the last hole, Clark made the birdie putt to finish at 19-under 265, tying the 72-hole scoring record at Loch Lomond set by Tom Lehman in 1997. Darren Clarke (66) and Maarten Lafeber (69) tied for second.
Nationwide Tour
U.S. Open fan favorite Jason Gore won the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic at Bridgeport, W. Va., closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Doug LaBelle II.
Gore won his fourth career Nationwide Tour title three weeks after shooting a 14-over 84 in the final round of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst to drop from a tie for second to a tie for 49th in the major championship.