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MILWAUKEE (Wisconsin), July 25: Ben Crane, keeping his cool in searing heat, clinched his second PGA Tour title with a four-shot victory at the Milwaukee Open on Sunday.
The 29-year-old American, who began the final round at the Brown Deer Park Golf Club with a two-shot cushion, pulled away from his challengers with a one-under-par 69 to finish on 20-under 260.
Crane, who sealed his breakthrough win at the 2003 BellSouth Classic, held off the last-day threat of compatriot Scott Verplank as the temperatures hovered close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Verplank returned a 71 to secure second place at 16 under with Chad Campbell a further shot back in third after closing with a 65.
Leading final round scores (US unless stated):
260 — Ben Crane 62, 65, 64, 69.
264 — Scott Verplank 64, 65, 64, 71.
265 — Chad Campbell 66, 68, 66, 65.
266 — Jeff Sluman 64, 64, 70, 68.
267 — Steve Elkington (Australia) 65, 70, 64, 68; Chris Smith 64, 67, 65, 71.
268 — Lee Janzen 69, 66, 68, 65; Mark Calcavecchia 69, 65, 65, 69.
269 — Glen Day 67, 70, 66, 66; Brad Faxon 67, 64, 70, 68; Dean Wilson 66, 69, 66, 68; John Huston 68, 67, 65, 69; Kenny Perry 63, 69, 64, 73.
270 — Jason Bohn 67, 68, 70, 65; Richard Johnson (Sweden) 68, 70, 65, 67; Rocco Mediate 69, 68, 66, 67; Stephen Leaney (Australia) 65, 69, 68, 68; Jerry Kelly 64, 68, 69, 69; J.L. Lewis 68, 67, 66, 69; Briny Baird 66, 69, 65, 70; Fred Funk 69, 67, 64, 70; Bo Van Pelt 70, 65, 64, 71; Matt Davidson 67, 68, 64, 71.
271 — Olin Browne 71, 66, 65, 69; Tommy Armour III 66, 65, 68, 72.
272 — Bob Estes 67, 69, 71, 65; Matt Kuchar 68, 68, 66, 70; Arjun Atwal (India) 69, 67, 65, 71.
273 — Will MacKenzie 69; 68; 70; 66; Brian Bateman 65; 70; 69; 69; Mathias Groenberg (Sweden) 67, 70, 67, 69; Bradley Hughes (Australia) 69, 67, 68, 69; Brian Gay 68, 67, 69, 69; Kent Jones 69, 64, 70, 70; Brett Wetterich 69, 65, 68, 71; Steve Allan (Australia) 70, 67, 65, 71; Kevin Streelman 65, 70, 67, 71; Roland Thatcher 65, 69, 65, 74; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 66, 68, 65, 74.
PLAYOFF WIN FOR FASTH
GUT KADEN (Germany): Sweden’s Niclas Fasth won his second title of the season by edging out Argentine Angel Cabrera in a playoff after a marathon finish to the Players Championship of Europe on Sunday.
The tournament was forced into a 36-hole finale after Thursday’s play was washed out by heavy rain but Fasth and Cabrera could not be separated until the third extra hole, which the Swede won with a birdie three.
Cabrera was left to rue a bogey at the 72nd hole of regulation play before he signed for a five-under-par 67 and a four-round total of 14-under 274.
Fasth drew level with the Argentine by picking up three shots in the last five holes on his way to a closing 68 as the pair finished two shots ahead of their nearest challengers.
Both players parred the 18th twice in extra time before Fasth holed a nine-foot birdie putt there at the third attempt to earn the winner’s cheque for $660,000.
Leading final round scores (Britain unless stated):
274 — Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 68, 66, 72, 68; Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 69, 70, 68, 67 (Fasth wins play-off at the third extra hole).
276 — John Daly (US) 74, 64, 73, 65; Stephen Gallacher 68, 71, 68, 69.
277 — Bradley Dredge 66, 69, 69, 73; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 72, 68, 69, 68; Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 71, 65, 70, 71; Graeme Storm 70, 71, 69, 67.
278 — K.J. Choi (South Korea) 67, 71, 69, 71; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 65, 72, 69, 72; Richard Sterne (South Africa) 70, 70, 67, 71.
280 — Nick Dougherty 69, 70, 68, 73; Steven O’Hara 68, 70, 69, 73.
281 — Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 65, 71, 71, 74; Emanuele Canonica (Italy) 70, 69, 69, 73; Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 67, 73, 74, 67; Thomas Levet (France) 68, 74, 73, 66; Wade Ormsby (Australia) 66 73 69 73; Anthony Wall 71, 71, 68, 71.
282 — Marcel Siem (Germany) 67, 71, 72, 72.—Reuters
