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Romero wins first tour title in New Orleans

Mexico's Lorena Ochoa hits her tee shot on the 15th hole during the final round of the Safeway International at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Superstition Mountain, Arizona, on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Argentina's Andres Romero became the sixth player in seven years to win his first US PGA title at the Zurich Classic, firing a four-under 68 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory.

The 26-year-old South American, making only his 12th start on the US tour, was among 46 players forced to finish his third round on Sunday because of severe thunderstorms, but fired two morning birdies to set the tone for the day.

In the final round, Romero birdied the second hole and answered his only bogey at the sixth with a birdie on the next hole. He birdied the 11th and 12th and another at 16, followed by par saves at the last two holes to put him on top.

Romero, among the early finishers, seized the clubhouse lead at 13-under 275, then ate lunch and called friends in his homeland while rivals tried to catch him.

After stumbling down the stretch at last year's British Open, Romero was listening to music on a portable computer rather than warming up for a possible playoff for the US$1.1 million top prize at the US$6.2 million event.

Australia's Peter Lonard, in the final group, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 13th hole and tapped in a five-footer at the 16th to match Romero for the lead.

But Lonard, seeking his second US PGA triumph after the 2005 Heritage Classic, left an eight-foot par putt short at the 17th and came to the 18th needing a birdie to match Romero.

Lonard found a bunker off the tee and wound up needing to sink a 40-foot birdie effort to equal Romero. The putt rolled right of the cup and three feet past the hole, and he tapped it in to finish second by a stroke.

US veteran Woody Austin, seeking his fourth PGA title, reached the 18th needing a birdie to match Romero for the lead, but took a double-bogey, finding the dense rough twice and the greenside water to end his hopes.

Nick Thompson, needing an eagle at 18 to match Romero, put his drive behind a small tree and slammed a ricochet shot off the trunk into the fairway, then went over the green and into the crowd.

New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson also needed an eagle at the 18th to equal Romero, but left his approach at the par-5 hole 15 feet short of the flag. Wilkinson finished third, two behind Romero.

■ ANDALUCIAN OPEN

AFP,MARBELLA, SPAIN

France's Thomas Levet ended a four-year title drought with victory in the Andalucian Open on Sunday and immediately dedicated the win to compatriot Raphael Jacquelin.

Former Ryder Cup player Levet clinched victory in a sudden-death play-off with English teenager Oliver Fisher.

Fisher, 19, was cruising to a shock victory when he was three ahead with just six holes left and would have become the fifth-youngest winner in European Tour history.

But his game imploded on the closing holes leaving Levet, 20 years his senior, to take the honors.

Fisher bogeyed the 13th and 14th then found the water off the tee on the 18th and hit a bogey five on the extra hole.

Levet dropped a shot on the 13th but sank three birdies in the following four holes to finish on 16-under 272 to take the tournament to a play-off after both players carded a final round 67.

On the play-off at the 18th, Fisher found the fairway bunker.

Having played out, his third shot flew over the putting surface and although he did well to pitch and putt for a second consecutive bogey five, Levet's regulation par four was good enough to give him his fourth European Tour title.

■ SAFEWAY INTERNATIONAL

AFP, SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN

Lorena Ochoa retained her Safeway International crown in dominant fashion on Sunday, posting a seven-stroke victory in the US$1.5 million LPGA event.

The world No. 1 from Mexico, who led by one at the start of the round, fired a six-under 66 for a 22-under total of 266 -- four strokes better than her winning total last year.

South Korean Lee Jee-young, who birdied 18 for a 72, finished second at 15-under 273 with Finland's Minea Blomqvist third at 14-under 274 after a 67.

Ochoa, 26, notched her 19th LPGA title and her second of the year. She opened her season with a victory in the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore earlier this month.
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