0
GREENSBORO (North Carolina), Oct 3: Boosted by a flying start, South Korea’s K.J. Choi won his first PGA Tour title in three years with a two-shot victory at the Greensboro Classic on Sunday.
The 35-year-old Korean, co-leader overnight with American D.J. Trahan, fired a six-under-par 66 to finish on 22-under 266 at the Forest Oaks Country Club.
Choi birdied the first four holes and then forged three strokes clear with a holed bunker shot at the par-three 12th before clinching his third PGA Tour career title, and first since the 2002 Tampa Bay Classic.
Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama, the 2003 champion, shot a 67 to secure second place with Americans Charles Warren (65), Brandt Jobe (67) and Jason Bohn (70) a further three strokes back in a share of third.
Britain’s Justin Rose was among a group of five players tied for sixth at 15-under 273 after returning a 71.
Leading final round scores:
266 — K.J. Choi (South Korea) 64, 69, 67, 66.
268 — Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 70, 65, 66, 67.
271 — Charles Warren (US) 62, 74, 70, 65; Brandt Jobe (US) 72, 65, 67, 67; Jason Bohn (US) 71, 65, 65, 70.
273 — J.L. Lewis (US) 72, 68, 67, 66; Tim Clark (South Africa) 66, 69, 70, 68; Jerry Kelly (US) 70, 68, 67, 68; Justin Rose (Britain) 69, 65, 68, 71; Tim Herron (US) 70, 66, 67, 70.
274 — Kent Jones (US) 70, 71, 67, 66; Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 69, 67, 69, 69.
275 — Wes Short Jr (US) 68, 70, 69, 68; Scott Gutschewski (US) 67, 74, 66, 68; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 69, 69, 66, 71; D.J. Trahan (US) 65, 69, 66, 75.
276 — Dudley Hart (US) 70, 67, 70, 69; John Huston (US) 66, 66, 74, 70; Darron Stiles (US) 69, 69, 68, 70; Olin Browne (US) 68, 72, 65, 71.
277 — Lucas Glover (US) 70, 71, 70, 66; J.J. Henry (US) 66, 72, 72, 67; Chris Smith (US) 72, 65, 72, 68; Cameron Beckman (US) 70, 69, 70, 68; D.A. Points (US) 72, 66, 70, 69; Brian Bateman (US) 70, 71, 67, 69; Duffy Waldorf (US) 69, 71, 67, 70.
278 — Jonathan Byrd (US) 67, 73, 70, 68; Hank Kuehne (US) 71, 67, 71, 69; Steve Elkington (Australia) 70, 70, 69, 69; Tim Petrovic (US) 70, 69, 70, 69; John Rollins (US) 67, 68, 71, 72; Robert Gamez (US) 72, 69, 63, 74.
279 — Ryan Moore (US) 72, 69, 70, 68; Brian Gay (US) 69, 66, 73, 71; Marco Dawson (US) 72, 68, 68, 71; Charles Howell III (US) 69, 71, 68, 71; Neal Lancaster (US) 71, 70, 67, 71; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 67, 69, 71, 72; Paul Azinger (US) 69, 71, 66, 73.
280 — Gavin Coles (Australia) 68, 70, 73, 69; Jeff Maggert (US) 69, 71, 70, 70; Steve Lowery (US) 74, 67, 68, 71; Steve Allan (Australia) 72, 68, 68, 72.
CARNOUSTIE (Scotland): Colin Montgomerie came from five strokes behind to win the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday by a stroke, his first victory in 19 months.
Montgomerie’s one-under-par 71 in an error-strewn final round, for a nine-under-par 279 total, left him a shot better than overnight leader Kenneth Ferrie, who crashed to a 77.
Leading final round scores:
279 — Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 70, 65, 73, 71.
280 — Kenneth Ferrie (Britain) 68, 68, 67, 77.
281 — Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70, 74, 69, 68; Anders Hansen (Denmark) 69, 71, 72, 69; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 70, 70, 71, 70; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69, 74, 65, 73.
282 — Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 74, 73, 67, 68; Titch Moore (South Africa) 72, 68, 73, 69; Darren Clarke (Britain) 68, 75, 69, 70; Lee Westwood (Britain) 71, 71, 69, 71; Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 71, 66, 72, 73; Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 69, 68, 71, 74.
283 — Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 72, 70, 73, 68; Miles Tunnicliff (Britain) 71, 71, 72, 69; Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 70, 72, 69, 72.
284 — Simon Khan (Britain) 69, 72, 74, 69; Raymond Russell (Britain) 73, 70, 72, 69; Paul Broadhurst (Britain) 70, 71, 73, 70.—Agencies
