Hoch collects second Champions Tour title
Scott Hoch came through with birdies on five of the final eight holes for a one-shot victory Sunday in the Allianz Championship at Boca Raton, Fla.
Hoch, who fell three shots off the lead after a bogey on the 10th hole, finished with birdies on No. 17 and No. 18 for a 4-under 68 and a win over Brad Bryant and Bruce Lietzke.
Trailing by one shot when the final round started, Hoch also had birdies at Nos. 11, 12 and 15 for his second title since joining the Champions Tour in 2006.
Hoch finished the tournament with a 14-under 202 total.
Lietzke also held the lead briefly, but needed birdies at Nos. 16 and 18 to finish off a 4-under 68 to tie with Bryant at 203.
Eduardo Romero, who was tied for the lead until bogeying the 15th, tied with Bobby Wadkins at 12-under 204.
Keith Fergus, who eagled the first hole to get into contention, tied with Jay Haas and John Cook at 205.
Pate and Tom Kite were next at 206.
Defending champion Mark James finished eight shots behind Hoch after shooting a 74 on Sunday.
Australian Ladies Masters
At Gold Coast, Australia, England’s Lisa Hall won the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters when Shin Hyun-ju missed a 3-foot par putt on the final hole.
Hall shot a 6-under 66 in her final round for a 13-under total of 203 at Royal Pines.
She was tied with South Korea’s Shin for most of the closing holes, after Karrie Webb had led early in the round.
Shin, who had a share of the lead all day, three-putted the 18th from about 45 feet for bogey, missing her 3-footer to the left when it appeared both players were heading for a playoff.
Shin, who will start her fourth season on the Japanese tour this season, finished with a 68 and was alone in second.
Another English golfer, 20-year-old Felicity Johnson, had the round of the day – a 65 – to finish tied for third with Sweden’s Louise Stahle (67), two strokes back.
Shin Ji-yai, no relation to the other Shin and who lost in a playoff to Webb last week in the Australian Open at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath, finished tied for sixth with Sweden’s Karin Sjodin, both with 68s.
Three-time former Masters champion Laura Davies shot a 69 and finished eighth. Japan’s Ai Miyazato (71) was seven back.
European/Asian PGA Tour
At New Delhi, former caddie Shiv Chowrasia of India clinched the Indian Masters title with a 5-under-67 at the Delhi Golf Club.
The 29-year-old had a bogey-free final round to win his maiden European Tour title. He finished at 9-under 279, two strokes ahead of Ireland’s Damien McGrane.
World No. 4 and two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els shot a 71 and finished in a five-way tie for the sixth.