07 February 2005	Monday	27 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Feb 6: Australian Craig Parry captured his first home golf tournament for eight years at the fourth play-off hole in a tense climax to the 1.55 million US dollar Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne on Sunday.

Parry, who won the Ford Championship in Doral on the US PGA Tour last year with a spectacular eagle at the first play-off hole, downed compatriot Nick O'Hern in the sudden-death play-off.

It was Parry's 20th career tournament victory after left-hander O'Hern, using a broomstick putter, botched two chances to win on the first two play-off holes. But 'Popeye,' as Parry is known, nervelessly drilled home a 15-foot putt to deny O'Hern, whose birdie effort shaved the hole and handed victory to Parry.

South African world number three Ernie Els missed the chance to land his fourth consecutive Heineken Classic with a muddling round of four birdies and three bogeys for a one-under 70 and fifth place at 12-under 272.

It was 39-year-old Parry's first Australian victory since the 1997 Coolum Classic in Queensland, while O'Hern has not won since the same event in 1999.

Final-round scores:

270 - Nick O'Hern (AUS) 69-67-63-71, Craig Parry (AUS) 69-66-65-70 (Parry won at 4th play-off hole)

271 - Simon Dyson (ENG) 68-70-65-68, Jarrod Lyle (AUS) 68-66-66-71;

272 - Ernie Els (RSA) 72-64-66-70;

273 - Trevor Immelman (RSA) 65-69-70-69, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 69-66-68-70

274 - Simon Khan (ENG) 69-71-68-66, Peter Lonard (AUS) 65-68-70-71

275 - Camilo Villegas (COL) 66-71-68-70

276 - Gregory Havret (FRA) 72-66-71-67, Richard Bland (ENG) 70-67-71-68, Chris Hanell (SWE) 69-71-67-69, Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 68-65-72-71, Brett Rumford (AUS) 70-66-66-74

277 - Nobuhito Sato (JPN) 72-70-69-66, Steve Webster (ENG) 65-72-66-74

278 - David Smail (NZL) 69-67-75-67, Stuart Appleby (AUS) 72-67-71-68, Mark Foster (ENG) 68-73-68-69

Mickelson LEADS

SCOTTSDALE (Arizona): Masters champion Phil Mickelson made the most of young rival Kevin Na's lapses on Saturday, capping his third round with two birdies to take a four-shot lead in the Phoenix Open.

Na, 21, posted back-to-back bogeys late in the round to leave the door open for Mickelson, who followed up a sparkling second-round 60 with a 66 for a three-round total of 199.

Playing in the same group, Na and Mickelson were tied for the lead until the par-five 15th, where Na took bogey after hitting his second shot in the water and missing a short putt to save par.

The miss on 15 seemed to carry over to the par-three 16th, where Na dropped another stroke with his first three-putt of the week.

Leading third-round scores:

199 - Phil Mickelson 73-60-66

203 - Kevin Na 68-65-70

204 - K.J. Choi (KOR) 72-66-66, Harrison Frazar 73-65-66, Kenny Perry 70-67-67, Steve Flesch 70-67-67

205 - Mark Calcavecchia 74-66-65, David Toms 71-66-68

206 - Tim Herron 73-66-67, Charles Warren 69-68-69

207 - Scott McCarron 72-70-65, Scott Verplank 73-66-68 Stewart Cink 68-70-69, Shaun Micheel 70-67-70

208 - Matt Gogel 72-69-67, Brett Quigley 70-71-67, Joey Snyder 72-68-68, Cameron Beckman 73-68-67, Franklin Langham 70-70-68, Duffy Waldorf 69-70-69, Tom Pernice 72-68-68, Patrick Sheehan 72-66-70

209 - Jose Maria Olazabal (SPA) 72-69-68, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 71-72-66, Ryuji Imada (JPN) 72-65-72.- AFP