Sean O'Hair took advantage of a stunning collapse by Stewart Cink to win the PODS Championship, closing with a 2-under 69 to energize his young career and earn a trip to the Masters on Sunday.
O'Hair hadn't won since his rookie season in 2005 and felt as if he had been going nowhere over the last couple of seasons. But he turned it around on the back nine of Innisbrook with a 30-foot birdie and two par putts that were equally important, building such a margin that he could afford bogey on the last hole for a two-shot victory.
It was his first victory since the 2005 John Deere Classic, which got him into the British Open. This victory sends him to Augusta National next month, and he will move into the top 40 in the world to qualify for the World Golf Championship at Doral in two weeks.
PHOTO: AP
"This is not going to hurt my confidence," O'Hair said. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the year."
Cink suffered a loss perhaps even more devastating than the Accenture Match Play Championship final blowout against Tiger Woods. Cink had a four-shot lead after two holes on Sunday, still had control on the back nine, then dropped four shots in a four-hole stretch along the back nine of the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook.
"I'm a little shell-shocked and a little bit angry," Cink said. "I'm extremely frustrated after this. What happened to me -- what I allowed to happen to me -- is going to make me a better player in the future. But I've got some soul-searching to do."
Cink lost the outright lead when his tee shot rolled up against a tree on the par-5 14th, leading to bogey.
"I didn't feel like I made any real mistakes," Cink said. "When I saw my ball up against the tree on 14, I was starting to wonder if this wasn't my day. I was a little bit shocked. But I put myself in that position."
He made a 50-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that allowed him to join a six-way tie for second.
John Senden closed with a 67 and was a runner-up for the second straight year, both times finishing about an hour before the leaders. He tied for second with Cink, Ryuji Imada (68), George McNeill (69), Troy Matteson (69) and Billy Mayfair (72).
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
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