10 August 2004	Tuesday	23 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

CASTLE ROCK, Aug 9: Australia's Rod Pampling held off a strong challenge from Alex Cejka to win The International on Sunday after eagling the 17th hole to finish two points ahead of the German.

Pampling finished with 31 points to clinch his first victory on the PGA Tour, with Cejka second on 29 points. Tom Pernice Jr. was third with 27 points, with Duffy Waldorf fourth on 26 and Jay Hass fifth another point back.

The International uses a modified Stableford format that awards points for under-par scores and deducts points for scores over par. A double-eagle is worth eight points, an eagle five points and a birdie two points. A bogey subtracts one point and double-bogey three points. Pars are worth no points.

Cejka, seeking his first win in the United States, head birdied the par-five 17th to take a three-point lead over Pampling, who was playing in the group immediately behind.

After hitting the longest drive of the day at the 17th, 306 yards and in the middle of the fairway, Pampling hit his seven-iron approach pin high and on the fringe on the right-hand side of the green.

He putted the ball into the heart of the cup for a five-point eagle and a two-point lead. Cejka found the green at the 18th, but his bid for a tying birdie putt ran three feet past the hole.

Pampling again split the fairway at the 18th, then hit his approach to the middle of the green. Needing only to three-putt to win, the Australian instead took only two. Tim Petrovic, Stewart Cink and Chris DiMarco tied for sixth with 24 points, while European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, Sweden's Mathias Gronbert and Boby Tway tied for ninth on 23 points.

LEADING FINAL ROUND SCORES (THE TOURNAMENT USES A MODIFIED STABLEFORD SCORING FORMAT):

31 - Rod Pampling (Australia) 15, 7, 7, 2.

29 - Alex Cejka (Germany) 8, 9, 11, 1.

27 - Tom Pernice Jr (US) 5, 10, 11, 1.

26 - Duffy Waldorf (US) 8, 3, 7, 8.

25 - Jay Haas (US) 10, 3, 8, 4.

24 - Tim Petrovic (US) 9, 5, 8, 2; Stewart Cink (US) 6, 5, 11, 2; Chris DiMarco (US) 14, 17, -2, -5.

23 - Mathias Gronberg (Sweden) 2, 6, 9, 6; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 7, 7, 5, 4; Bob Tway (US) 9, 9, 8, -3.

22 - Kevin Sutherland (US) 5, 10, 4, 3; Todd Hamilton (US) 6, 8, 7, 1; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 11, 3, 9, -1.

21 - Justin Leonard (US) 6, 7, 1, 7; Corey Pavin (US) 4, 6, 8, 3; Davis Love III (US) 8, 8, 5, 0; Rocco Mediate (US) 7, 7, 7, 0.

20 - Notah Begay III (US) 1, 13, 0, 6; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 2, 6, 6, 6; Chad Campbell (US) 6, 3, 7, 4; Kevin Na (Korea) 5, 4, 8, 3; Justin Rose (Britain) 9, 2, 10, -1. -Reuters