Ireland’s Lowry has tour card after win

With no mistakes and two great escapes from the trees, Shane Lowry of Ireland introduced himself on a world stage Sunday by winning the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Lowry locked up victory in the World Golf Championship event with a shot through the trees from left of the 18th fairway that descended over a bunker and settled just over 10 feet away for one final birdie and a 4-under 66. He won by two shots over Bubba Watson, who also shot 66.

Lowry finished at 11-under 269 and earned $1.57 million, along with a PGA Tour card for the next three years. He had been a special temporary member. He won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, and he picked up another European Tour victory in 2012 in Portugal.

In the final round at Firestone against a trio of major champions, Lowry produced a flawless card of no bogeys and plenty of emotional fist pumps to celebrate the biggest win of his career. He is the first non-PGA Tour member to win a WGC since Martin Kaymer at the 2011 HSBC Champions.

Jim Furyk and Justin Rose, who shared the 54-hole lead, couldn’t keep up. Both closed with a 72 to tie for third, four shots behind.

Lowry had a one-shot lead when Furyk made his second bogey on the front nine, but the 28-year-old Irishman appeared to be in trouble with a wild hook off the 10th tee. Instead, he powered a wedge as high as he could. It plopped down and rolled to within tap-in range for a birdie that gave him control.

PGA Tour

J.J. Henry won the Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nevada, for the second time in four years, beating Kyle Reifers with a 15-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the second hole of a playoff.

After Henry holed the left-to-right breaking putt on the par-5 18th, Reifers missed a 10-footer.

Reifers had three back-nine eagles in a 22-point round to match Henry at 47 points at Montreux Golf and Country Club in the PGA Tour’s only modified Stableford event. The 40-year-old Henry, also the 2012 winner, closed with a birdie for a six-point round.

Players received eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.

Spokane native Alex Prugh had nine points on the final day for a total of 27 that left him tied for 37th place. He stands at No. 132 in FedEx Cup points. He needs to finish in the top 125 to qualify for the four tournaments -– beginning with The Barclays Aug. 27-30 – that make up the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Champions Tour

Jeff Maggert won the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta, for his third Champions Tour title of year, birdieing five of the last six holes on the front nine in a four-stroke victory.

The 51-year-old Texan, two strokes behind playing partners Miguel Angel Jimenez and Colin Montgomerie entering the round, closed with a 6-under 64 at Canyon Meadows to finish at 16-under 194.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett tied for 12th at 202 after shooting a 68.