Golf

Creamer cruises, wins Evian Masters

By wire services
Published July 24, 2005

EVIAN, France - Paula Creamer won her second LPGA title Saturday at the Evian Masters, beating fellow teenager Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa by eight shots.

The 18-year-old Creamer of Bradenton shot 1-under 71 to finish 15-under 273. Wie shot 68 and Ochoa 69 to tie for second.

The $375,000 prize boosted Creamer to second on the LPGA money list behind Annika Sorenstam, who finished 12 strokes back with 75.

Creamer, who won the Sybase Classic two months ago, shot rounds of 68-68-66 to take a seven-shot lead entering the final round and cruised to victory.

Asked about a rivalry with Wie, Creamer said Sorenstam is the player to beat.

"I don't really see it as a rivalry," Creamer said. "We're all just trying to find our games and play our best golf. I compare myself to the No. 1 player in the world, which is Annika Sorenstam, and I'm not quite there yet."

CHAMPIONS: Tom Watson matched the course record at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland set only hours earlier, 7-under 64 in mostly calm conditions that gave him a one-shot lead over Craig Stadler going into the final round of the Senior British Open.

Watson was at 3-under 210 and poised to win a British Open title on his fifth links course in Scotland. He won the British Open at Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Troon, and the British Open and Senior British Open at Turnberry.

Watson was 4 over and five behind Stadler, the leader by two, to start the third round, but picked up birdies on the third and fifth holes, then made eagle on the par-5 sixth - his first eagle of the year - and was on his way to the 54-hole lead.

Stadler didn't get as much out of his round, making birdie on the par-3 17th for 1-under 70 that put him at 211 and in the final group with Watson.

Greg Norman also had 70 and was at par 213 with Des Smyth, who had 68.

Derrick Cooper, a 50-year-old tournament director on the European senior tour, shot 64 earlier in the day that got him into contention. Despite 80 in the second round, Cooper was at 4-over 217 and tied with Loren Roberts, who shot 71.

PGA: Ben Crane shot 6-under 64 to lead the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee at 19 under par, two shots better than Scott Verplank (64-193). Kenny Perry (64) and Chris Smith (65) were five shots back. Crane is trying to become the first wire-to-wire winner in Milwaukee since Robert Gamez in 1991.

EUROPEAN PGA: Sweden's Niclas Fasth shot 6-under 66 to take the second-round lead at the Players' Championship of Europe in Alveslohe, Germany. Fasth was at 10 under, one shot ahead of Wales' Bradley Dredge. Two rounds will be played today after Thursday was rained out.

FUTURES: Bo Mi Suh shot 68 to take a two-stroke lead at the Laconia Savings Bank Classic in Concord, Mass. Jenny Gleason of Clearwater shot 69-141 and was in a group with first-round co-leaders Kristin Dufour and Cristina Baena, five back. Kelly Lagedrost of Brooksville shot 74-146.

JUNIOR BOYS: Kevin Tway, son of 1986 PGA champion Bob Tway, won four of the first nine holes, then held off Bradley Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., in the 36-hole final 5 and 3 to win the 58th U.S. Junior Amateur at Longmeadow (Mass.) Country Club.

JUNIOR GIRLS: In-Kyung Kim of Korea won her first attempt at the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur, beating 2002 champion In-Bee Park of Las Vegas 5 and 4 in Eagle, Idaho.

OBITUARY: Jackson T. "Jack" Stephens, a financier and philanthropist who served as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club for nine years, died at age 81 in Little Rock, Ark. Stephens served as Augusta National's fourth chairman from 1991-98.

[Last modified July 24, 2005, 00:51:05]