Tom Watson made a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Jeld-Wen Tradition–the final major this season on the Champions Tour–by one stroke in Aloha, Ore.
Watson, Tom Kite, Gil Morgan and third-round leader Jim Ahern were tied for the lead at 14 under par after 17 holes.
After Morgan shot par on the hole, Watson’s third shot from the bunker on the par-5 18th at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club bounced right toward the hole.
He made his winning putt, wrapping the day up with a 3-under 69 for a 15-under 273.
Ahern missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish with a par 72 and a 14-under 274. Kite missed a 5-footer that would have forced the playoff, ending the day with a 5-under 67.
It was Watson’s second major this season on the Champions Tour; he also won the Senior British Open.
– Candie Kung won her second straight tournament and third of the year when she was declared the winner of the rain-shortened LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield.
Kung, who won last week’s Wachovia Classic and the Takefuji Classic earlier this season, finished at 14-under 202 after 54 holes. Laura Davies was one stroke back and Hee-Won Han was third at 12 under.
Tour officials said the unplayable course and a forecast for more rain Monday forced the cancellation. It was the first time since the Chick-fil-A Championship in 1997 that the final round of an LPGA event was washed out.
– Australian Adam Scott settled for a 4-under 67 and a three-shot lead over Jonathan Kaye going into the final round of the Deutsche Bank Classic in Norton, Mass.
Scott was at 15-under 198 after finishing with a birdie on the final hole–but only after missing a 12-foot eagle putt. He missed five birdie chances from about that range, some shorter.
Tiger Woods finished strong for a 67 but was eight strokes behind. Woods has never won a PGA Tour event from more than five shots back.
– In Nord-Eichenried, Germany, Lee Westwood birdied six of his last eight holes for a 6-under 66 and a three-stroke victory at the BMW Open.
