0
SILVIS (Illinois), July 17: Australia's John Senden recorded his first USPGA Tour win on Sunday at the John Deere Classic and clinched a berth in the British Open.
Senden moved atop the leaderboard for good with a birdie on the 17th hole and parred the 18th after an impressive bunker shot to win the four million dollar event.
An Australian who entered the tournament with three international victories, Senden carded a three-under-par 68 at the Deere Run course to finish at 19-under 265 and edge America's J.P. Hayes by one stroke.
Senden led all day until Hayes – playing a group ahead of him – birdied the par-5 17th to move to move into a tie at 18-under.
But Senden matched Hayes' birdie to move to 19-under, then delivered his clutch bunker shot on the final hole, setting up an easy par putt to clinch his first PGA Tour title and a spot in the British Open at Royal Liverpool.
The Australian entered this week with eight top-10 finishes in 138 PGA starts. His best career finish was fifth in the last two Bob Hope Classics.
German Alex Cejka and American Heath Slocum finished in a tie for third at 16-under.
Hayes, who won here in 2002 for his second and last PGA Tour title, recorded seven birdies and a bogey en route to a closing 65.
Leading final round scores:
265 – John Senden (Australia) 64, 69, 64, 68.
266 – J.P. Hayes (US) 64, 71, 66, 65.
268 – Alex Cejka (Germany) 69, 68, 64, 67; Heath Slocum (US) 69, 65, 66, 68.
269 – John Riegger (US) 67, 69, 69, 64; B.J. Staten (US) 66, 70, 66, 67.
270 – Kent Jones (US) 71, 65, 68, 66; Billy Mayfair (US) 70, 70, 63, 67; Patrick Sheehan (US) 68, 66, 66, 70.
271 – Bubba Dickerson (US) 68, 68, 70, 65; Jeff Overton (US) 68, 69, 68, 66; Todd Hamilton (US) 68, 69, 67, 67; Jason Gore (US) 67, 69, 67, 68; Joe Ogilvie (US) 65, 67, 69, 70; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 64, 69, 68, 70; Daisuke Maruyama (Japan) 66, 70, 66, 69.
272 – Bill Haas (US) 70, 66, 69, 67; Bubba Watson (US) 67, 70, 68, 67; Steve Elkington (Australia) 70, 66, 68, 68; Stephen Leaney (Australia) 68, 67, 68, 69; Dan Forsman (US) 68, 67, 68, 69; Michael Connell (US) 66, 70, 67, 69; Steve Jones (US) 67, 68, 66, 71.
LOCH LOMOND: Swede Johan Edfors, fired up by a third-round horror show, launched a spectacular run of birdies to win the Scottish Open with a closing eight-under-par 63 on Sunday.The 30-year-old became the first triple winner in Europe this season after finishing with a 13-under total of 271.
Sharing second place on 273 in the last event in Europe before Thursday's British Open at Hoylake were Briton Luke Donald (66), Argentina's Andres Romero (69) and South African Charl Schwartzel (67).
Overnight leaders Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn finished joint fifth after both carded 72s along with Benn Barham (70) and last year's winner Tim Clark (69).
Edfors, who started the round six shots off the pace, reeled off six birdies in a sizzling outward half of 30. He maintained his charge with a birdie hat-trick from the 12th before dropping his only shot of the day at the 17th.
Leading final round scores:
271 – Johan Edfors (Sweden) 65, 69, 74, 63.
273 – Luke Donald (Britain) 68, 69, 70, 66; Andres Romero (Argentina) 72, 64, 68, 69; Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 68, 66, 72, 67.
274 – Benn Barham (Britain) 71, 68, 65, 70; Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 72, 64, 66, 72; Tim Clark (South Africa) 69, 67, 69, 69; Darren Clarke (Britain) 66, 65, 71, 72.
275 – Ernie Els (South Africa) 70, 69, 67, 69; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 71, 67, 69, 68; Raphael Jacquelin (France) 68, 72, 65, 70.
276 – Kenneth Ferrie (Britain) 71, 69, 71, 65; Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 72, 69, 66, 69.—Agencies
