Tim Clark finally won outside his native South Africa, surviving seven lead changes in a wild scramble among five players, then pulling away for a 4-under 67 and a two-shot victory Sunday in the Scottish Open.
Needing only two putts from 18 feet on the last hole, Clark made the birdie putt to finish at 19-under 265, tying the 72-hole scoring record at Loch Lomond set by Tom Lehman in 1997.
Lehman was never threatened that year. That was hardly the case for Clark.
He was among five players who had at least a share of the lead on another calm day at Loch Lomond, then had to outlast Maarten Lafeber in a tense duel along the back nine.
"I can now look to win more tournaments," Clark said. "To know I can play under the pressure is quite pleasing."
Lafeber, a 30-year-old Dutchman with one European tour victory, had a one-shot lead until he failed to match Clark's birdie on the par-5 13th, lipping out from 5 feet. Lafeber lost the lead for good when he three-putted from long range on the 15th.
Clark held it together after that, getting up-and-down from behind the par-3 17th green, then finding the fairway on the 18th hole, which has a lake running down the left side. He hit his approach to 18 feet, and Lafeber failed to convert his 25-foot birdie putt from just off the green.
Sean O'Hair shot a 6-under-par 65, holding off J.L. Lewis and Hank Kuehne to win his first career US PGA Tour victory.
The rookie, who turns 23 today and was making only his 18th career start on the American tour, finished with a 16-under 268.
O'Hair recovered from trouble on the 18th when he nearly put his ball in the water. With the ball on the hazard line, O'Hair chipped within 10 feet to make par and then watched as his two closest challengers faded.
"[On] 18, especially a guy in my situation who never won before, you're definitely almost puking," O'Hair said, laughing. "My hands were so sweaty, I was more concerned about keeping my hands dry than anything."
Kuehne and Lewis were two holes behind him, and both were at 15 under after 17. Lewis put his second shot at 18 in the water and Kuehne left a 24-foot birdie putt about 2 feet short, sealing the win for O'Hair.
Heather Bowie won her first US LPGA Tour title, parring the third hole of a playoff with Gloria Park in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Park made things easy for Bowie, hitting a low hook out of the rough and into a creek on the par-5 18th hole. After hitting clutch putts on the first two extra holes to extend the playoff, Park triple-bogeyed the last hole.
Bowie earned US$180,000 and a three-year tour exemption. She closed with a 4-under 67 to match Park at 10-under 274.
Fighting back tears, the winner hugged and kissed her caddie after hitting a short putt to clinch the victory in her 138th start on the US circuit.
Park finished with a 66 to force the playoff, birdieing the 17th hole in regulation to pull into a four-way tie.
Peter Jacobsen birdied two of the last three holes and then watched as Hale Irwin missed birdie attempts on Nos. 17 and 18 to claim the US Senior Players Championship by one stroke.
The 51-year-old Jacobsen won his second senior major title in less than year, finishing with a 6-under 66 on the TPC of Michigan course.
The late misses left the 60-year-old Irwin just short of his eighth major senior tour victory.
Bernhard Langer and Fredrik Jacobson were added Monday to the British Open field when Japan's Shingo Katayama and the US' Jay Haas withdrew.
It will be a 27th Open for Langer, who tied for second in 1984 and 1981.
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