McDowell wins Andalucia Masters

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell won the Andalucia Masters on Sunday at Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, closing with a 3-over 74 for a two-stroke victory.

McDowell, also the U.S. Open winner and Wales Open champion this year, finished at 3 under. Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin (76), Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (69) and Ireland’s Damien McGrane (72) tied for second.

German star Martin Kaymer needed a top-two finish to take the top spot from Tiger Woods in the world ranking, but closed with a 75 to tie for 21st.

PGA Tour

American Ben Crane won the inaugural Asia Pacific Classic, eagling the par-4 15th and making an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat England’s Brian Davis by a stroke in Selangor, Malaysia.

Crane closed with a 2-under 69 at The Mines to finish at 18 under and earn $1 million in the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia. Davis shot a 66, finishing birdie-eagle-birdie. Scotland’s Martin Laird (66) and England’s Luke Donald (67) tied for third at 16 under.

After making three straight bogeys to fall a stroke behind Laird, Crane drove the green on the 15th and holed his 8-foot eagle putt to regain the lead.

Davis pulled even with his closing birdie, but Crane avoided a playoff with his winning birdie.

South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi successfully defended her title in the LPGA Hana Bank Championship, shooting a 3-under 69 on Sunday in Incheon, South Korea, for a two-stroke victory over Vicky Hurst.

Choi finished at 10 under on Sky 72 Golf Club’s Ocean Course and earned $270,000 for her second LPGA Tour victory of the year and fourth in two years. In July, she won the Jamie Farr Classic in a four-way playoff.

Second-round leader Song-Hee Kim (73) was third at 7 under, and U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer (67), second-ranked Jiyai Shin (69) and Suzann Pettersen (70) followed at 6 under. Michelle Wie shot a 70 to tie for 12th at 3 under in a group that included top-ranked Cristie Kerr (71) and 50-year-old Juli Inkster (74).

Champions Tour

Monday qualifier Rod Spittle won the AT&T Championship in San Antonio for his first Champions Tour victory, beating Jeff Sluman with a par on the first hole of a playoff.

Spittle, a 55-year-old Canadian, and Sluman closed with 4-under 67s to finish at 12 under on the Oak Hills Country Club course. Spittle earned $262,500.

Sluman hit his tee shot into the front bunker on the playoff hole – the par-3 18th – and had a bogey putt left when Spittle won with a 4-foot par putt.

Brendan Steele won the Nationwide Tour Championship, beating Colt Knost on the fourth hole of a playoff in Charleston, S.C. But both players left feeling like champions as they finished among the top 25 money winners to earn PGA Tour cards.

Steele began the season-ending event 30th and Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur champion, was 36th.