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Golf
Unknown outshines Big Five
By wire services
Published May 16, 2005
IRVING, Texas - Heartbroken by two close calls last year, Ted Purdy had a birdie putt on every hole and closed with 5-under 65 Sunday to win the Byron Nelson Championship for his first PGA Tour victory.
The tournament began with hype over the Big Five - Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els - playing together for only the third time this year. The trophy went to Purdy, ranked No. 173 in the world, who played methodically for a one-shot victory over Sean O'Hair.
"It's just euphoric," said Purdy, 31, who toiled for six years on the Asian tour. "Under the circumstances, it's the best round of golf I ever played."
Purdy, who earned $1.16-million, totaled 15-under 265.
O'Hair, 22, who started the day with a one-shot lead, birdied two of the last three holes for 68 and earned $669,600, assuring the qualifying school grad his card for next year.
Purdy built a three-shot lead with a two-putt birdie on No. 16, too much ground for O'Hair to make up. His 65 matched the lowest final round by a winner at the Byron Nelson since it moved to Las Colinas in 1986.
Woods and Goosen missed the cut but Singh finished strong, including an ace on the 195-yard 17th hole with a 7-iron and a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for 65. He tied for third. Els birdied four of his last five holes for 66 to tie for 10th, and Mickelson shot 67 and tied for 14th.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Jim Thorpe and Morris Hatalsky parred the first hole of a playoff before play was suspended because of darkness at the Blue Angels Classic in Milton. They were to resume this morning. Thorpe, the leader by one Saturday, forced the playoff with a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation. He closed with 3-under 67 and Hatalsky had 66 for 16-under 194.
EUROPEAN PGA: Denmark's Thomas Bjorn won the British Masters for his first tour title since 2002, beating England's David Howell with par on the second hole of a playoff in Meriden, England. Bjorn closed with 4-under 68 to match Howell (69) and England's Brian Davis (69) at 6-under 282. Davis was eliminated on the first extra hole. New Zealand's Michael Campbell, the third-round leader by three, shot 73-283.
NATIONWIDE TOUR: Former Florida Gator Chris Couch won the Rheem Classic, matching the course record with 10-under 60 for a five-stroke victory. Couch, who began the round five behind third-round leader Camilo Villegas, also a former Gator, totaled 15-under 265 at Fort Smith, Ark. The 32-year-old had 11 birdies and one bogey. He played both nines in 5 under, including a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18. Villegas shot 71-271.
ASIAN TOUR: Wang Ter-chang of Chinese Taipei won the Macau Open by a stroke, ending his six-year winless streak. The 42-year-old shot 68 for 14-under 270. Americans Jason Knutzon (70-274) and Edward Loar (71-274) were fourth and Fred Couples was 12th (70-279).
[Last modified May 16, 2005, 01:22:06]
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