Love proves himself
Davis Love III is finally getting over the disappointment of failing to qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team and being passed over as one of Tom Lehman’s two captain’s picks.
Love snapped out of a three-year slump and shook off those lingering Ryder Cup blues Sunday by winning in Greensboro, N.C., on the course he redesigned, shooting a 6-under 66 for his second victory in the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.
“I told Tom Lehman about a month before the PGA that I was going to play good before the end of the year. I just couldn’t promise him when it was going to be,” Love said. “He took that to heart, I guess, and I knew I was close. I knew when I got on the way that I would play well, and it took maybe some time off, some reflecting and getting my patience back.”
A native of Charlotte who played at North Carolina, the 42-year-old Love had three straight birdies late in the round to seal his 19th PGA Tour victory and first since 2003. He finished at 16-under 272 and earned $900,000.
Jason Bohn (66) finished two strokes back at 14 under, and Eric Axley (67) and Steve Flesch (68) were another shot behind.
Love had seven birdies and a bogey during his final round en route to his first victory since the 2003 International.
Bohn started the day at 8 under and had six birdies during his final round, including two straight on Nos. 13 and 14 to move to 14 under. He closed with four straight pars, but it was still his best finish of the year.
Axley had a three-stroke lead at 15 under with five holes to play, but made two late bogeys – one on the par-4 14th when he hit his tee shot into the trees, and another on the par-3 17th when he missed an 8-foot par putt.
LPGA
Mexican star Lorena Ochoa won her first LPGA Tour title in her home country, closing with a 4-under 69 to hold off Julieta Granada and Paula Creamer in the Corona Morelia Championship in Morelia, Mexico.
The 24-year-old Ochoa finished at 20-under 272 on the hilly, Jack Nicklaus-designed Tres Marias course, five strokes better than Granada.
Granada, the 19-year-old up-and-comer from Paraguay, shot a 71. The 20-year-old Creamer had Sunday’s best round, a 65 that left her third at 14 under.
South Korea’s Young-A Yang (69) finished fourth at 10 under, and Edwall, Wash., native Wendy Ward (71), Silvia Cavalleri (70), Kelli Kuehne (69), 18-year-old Morgan Pressel (71) and Becky Morgan (69) followed at 9 under. While Tracy Hanson (69), of Rathdrum, finished 5 under.
With her seventh victory in the last three seasons, Ochoa earned $150,000 to stay atop the LPGA Tour money list and raise her season total to $2,124,122.
Champions Tour
Tom Jenkins earned his seventh career Champions Tour title after soggy conditions forced the cancellation of the final round of the SAS Championship in Cary, N.C.
The 58-year-old finished at 10-under 134 for 36 holes, beating out Champions Tour money leader Loren Roberts and tour newcomer Chip Beck by one stroke.
Despite relatively clear skies in the morning, the ground at Prestonwood Country Club was too wet to play on following half an inch of overnight rain.
Mitch Adock finished third at 8 under, and Jay Haas was one stroke behind in fourth place. Jim Ahern and Andy Bean tied for fifth at 5 under.
Jenkins earned $300,000 for the victory.
European Tour
At St. Andrews, Scotland, Padraig Harrington won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for the second time, closing with a 4-under 68 on the Old Course for a five-stroke victory over Bradley Dredge, Anthony Wall and Edward Loar.