Golf

Donald's 8-under 64 eclipses six-stroke deficit

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Luke Donald has one win in four years on the PGA Tour, but he came up with a big one Sunday that only counts in his bank account - shooting 8-under 64 to come from six shots back to beat Darren Clarke in the Target World Challenge.

Donald, 28, matched the record for best closing round by a winner in the seven-year history of the event. Tournament host Tiger Woods in 2001 and Davis Love in 2000 also shot 64 to win, although they only came from four shots behind.

Clarke, the leader by one entering the final round, fell apart down the stretch with bogey on the par-5 16th. Needing birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, he pulled his approach, and hit his 45-foot birdie putt so badly he dropped his putter and put hands on hips a few moments after the ball left his blade.

He wound up with a three-putt bogey for 72, leaving him two back.

"Bogeying two of the last three holes was not really the way I wanted to finish. I should have went out last night," said Clarke, who usually treats the event as occasion to celebrate every night, although he swore off the parties after opening with 65.

Donald finished at 16-under 272 and won $1.3-million, the largest paycheck of his career.

"Luckily, I played great today," he said. "Fortunately for me, the guys in the top two groups didn't play their best and let me have this one a little bit. This has been a year of "nearlys.' Luckily, I got the last one. It will make Christmas a little better."

Woods shot 73 to tie for 14th at 286.

AUSTRALIAN MASTERS: Robert Allenby became the first to win the Australian Open, PGA and Masters in the same season, beating American Bubba Watson with par on the first playoff hole in Melbourne. Allenby, 10-0 in playoffs in his pro career, closed with 4-under 68 to match Watson (67) at 17-under 271.

DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP: Ernie Els won by three in Nelspruit, South Africa, his second tournament since returning from a 41/2-month layoff after knee surgery. The two-time U.S. Open champion shot 68-274 and finished ahead of defending champion Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, who each shot 70.

LEXUS CUP: Annika Sorenstam beat Grace Park 2 and 1 and Paula Creamer routed Birdie Kim 7 and 5 to help the International team win eight of 12 singles matches for a 16-8 victory over Asia in Singapore.

ARGENTINE OPEN: Kevin Stadler won in Buenos Aires, closing with 2-over 72 for 6-under 274 and a two-stroke victory over Angel Cabrera (71). Craig Stadler, the winner's father and 1992 champion, shot 72 to tie for 18th at 7 over. They are the only father-son winners in the history of the event.

[Last modified December 12, 2005, 01:11:08]