By Compiled from Times wires
Published May 19, 2003
ALVESLOHE, Germany - Tiger Woods failed to mount a final-round comeback at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open on Sunday as Padraig Harrington beat Thomas Bjorn on the first hole of a playoff for his seventh career title.
Woods, trying to win the event for the third straight year, was never in contention. He was nine strokes back after a 4-under 68 in the final round and finished tied for 29th at 10-under 278, his worst finish in a stroke-play event since placing 29th at the 2001 PGA Championship.
Harrington made a 5-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to beat Bjorn. Harrington rolled in a 12-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation to force the playoff.
Harrington (70) and Bjorn (63) finished tied at 19-under 269.
"I was satisfied, maybe, more than jubilant," said Harrington, who was coming off a runner-up finish at the Benson and Hedges and has finished second 19 times in his career. "I walked away thinking I've proved it to myself."
Woods was pleased with his play in his first tournament since the Masters a month ago.
"I played well. I only had three bogeys the entire week," he said. "I hit good putts but they just didn't go in. Overall, I'm pleased with the way I played."
Woods blamed some of his putting troubles on the ragged greens, infected by a fungus called Fusarium.
"It's nothing to do with the break I took," he said. "If you can't make any putts, you can't get any momentum. If you look at the greens, they are not the smoothest in the world."
Woods began his final round in a steady rain, and appeared ready to make a run at the leaders after opening with two birdies.
The charge ended at No. 3 when Woods' second shot landed in a bunker with a bad line to the hole, prompting Woods to throw his club into the rough in anger.
The Deutsche Bank, which Woods won in 1999, 2001 and 2002, is one of two events he will play before the U.S. Open on June 12.
BAYER ADVANTAGE CELEBRITY PRO-AM: Jay Sigel sank a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Mike McCullough in Parkville, Mo.
Sigel, 59, shot 7-under 65 in the final round to become the oldest player to win on the Champions Tour this year. He finished at 11-under 205 to hold off the 58-year-old McCullough, who had pulled into a tie with three straight birdies on the final nine holes.
Sigel said some special exercises helped his aching back and a few encouraging words from Tom Watson put him in the right frame of mind.
About an hour before he teed off, Sigel ran into Watson, who designed the 6,955-yard course at the National Golf Club of Kansas City. "I told him it was a great event," Sigel said. "He told me, "Well, go low.' "
Vicente Fernandez, who started the round with a two-stroke lead over Sigel and McCullough, shot 69 and finished 7 under.
