KAPOLEI, Hawaii — Willie Wood took advantage of Bill Glasson’s back-nine collapse to win the inaugural Hawaii Championship on Sunday for his second Champions Tour victory in the last three events.
KAPOLEI, Hawaii — Willie Wood took advantage of Bill Glasson’s back-nine collapse to win the inaugural Hawaii Championship on Sunday for his second Champions Tour victory in the last three events.
The 51-year-old Wood birdied the last two holes for a 6-under 66 and won by a stroke when Glasson bogeyed the final hole. Wood played 54 holes without a bogey, finishing at 14-under 202 at Kapolei Golf Course.
“I had a great back nine,” Wood said. “I just hung in there and the putts kept continuing to fall, and I got a little bit lucky with the way Bill finished. … I knew Bill would have to help us out some.”
Five strokes behind Glasson entering the round, Wood chipped to 5 feet to set up his birdie on the par-5 17th and holed a 20-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th.
“I know how Bill feels,” Wood said “We all go through that.”
Wood also rallied to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open last month in New York, making a long birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and beating Michael Allen with a par on the first hole of a playoff. That was his first victory since he won the 1996 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic for his lone PGA Tour title.
“This week feels a little different than the one in New York because I’d won and there wasn’t nearly the pressure. I felt much more comfortable and it just fell into place,” he said.
Glasson, winless in 47 starts on the 50-and-over tour, shot a 72. He began the round with a four-stroke lead and increased his advantage to five, but he gave it away on the back nine. The seven-time PGA Tour winner had five bogeys and three birdies on the final eight holes.
“The last six or seven holes were a roller coaster,” Glasson said. “It got a little bit iffy between clubs out there, but you have to give Woody credit.”
Needing a birdie to win or a par to force a playoff, Glasson hit a sand wedge approach on the 18th that skidded down a bank between the green and a pond. He chipped to 10 feet and missed the putt.
“I hit that putt at 18 too hard. Couldn’t get the speed right,” Glasson said. “I need to work on some things. If I start missing greens, my short game isn’t good enough.”
Australia’s Peter Senior birdied the final four holes for a 69 to finish third at 12 under.
Charles Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman and David Frost tied for fourth at 11 under. Lehman closed with a 67, and Frost shot a 69.
Tied with Allen, Fred Couples and Roger Chapman for the tour victory lead, Wood earned $270,000 to jump from 22nd to 14th on the money list with $854,817 in 10 events. The top 30 will qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“I wish we had a tournament next week,” Wood said. “I’m confident now. It’s been so much fun playing well.”
Shin wins Women’s
British by 9 shots
HOYLAKE, England — Jiyai Shin avoided mistakes in miserable weather conditions Sunday to cruise to a record nine-stroke victory in the Women’s British Open.
In the 36-hole finish Sunday in the wind-delayed tournament, Shin took a three-shot lead into the final round after shooting a 1-under 71 in the morning. She stayed calm while strong wind and heavy showers sent scores soaring at Royal Liverpool in the afternoon, closing with a 73 to finish at 9-under 279.
“It was a long, very, very tough day out there,” Shin said. “But I kept my focus and concentrated on every shot, and when I made the winning putt, it was great.”
The 24-year-old South Korean player won the major championship for the second time in five years and also won for the second time in seven days on the LPGA Tour. Last Monday morning in Virginia, she finished off Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a playoff in the Kingsmill Championship.
“When I won at Sunningdale, it was a totally different kind of course, but I finally think I’ve got the right tempo with my swing for links golf,” Shin said.
The 10-time LPGA Tour winner entered the day with a five-stroke lead after shooting a 64 — the lowest competitive round ever at Hoylake — on Saturday. She broke the record for margin of victory of five set by Karen Stupples in 2004 at Sunningdale.
“My goal was 1-under par every single day. So my goal was 4 under. I think it was enough score,” Shin said. “So, I’m really surprised even from yesterday and then also today, I hit even par with 36 holes with this weather, so I’m really surprised and inspired by myself. Because really tough course here, so when I finished it today, I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can play good score any, any other course, I’m pretty sure of that.”
Shin completed an Asian sweep of the four majors. South Korea’s Sun Young Yoo won the Kraft Nabisco, China’s Shanshan Feng took the LPGA Championship, and South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi won the U.S. Women’s Open. Asian players have won nine of the last 12 majors.
Shin missed the LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open after having surgery on her left wrist.
“I think so many Asia players are playing at the moment on the LPGA Tour, so it makes a lot of chance to win,” Shin said. “Especially, I don’t know I don’t know how can I say, I didn’t play last two major tournaments, but I played in Nabisco and here. Well, I work so hard, I guess that’s why I get this trophy, but, I don’t know, I know all the other players doing their best and they work hard, too. So it makes it just happen.”
Shin is 2-for-2 working with new caddie Florian Rodriguez.
“I’m happy with my new work with my new caddie because he make me feel relaxed,” Shin said. “Actually, he’s one year younger than me, but he like tried to be relaxed on the golf course and I really appreciate my caddie.”
South Korea’s Inbee Park was second, shooting 72-76.
Creamer shot 72-72 to finish third at 1 over.
“I feel very close,” said Creamer, winless since 2010. “I hit the ball great. I cannot take away from my ball striking. That was definitely not the issue. It was my putting for sure. And a little bit speed related in some aspects, I’m going to take a couple weeks off and try and refresh. But I have to continue moving forward with everything that I’m doing because like I said, I feel really good about where I’m at. It’s just a couple things here and there.”
Japan’s Mika Miyazato was fourth at 2 over after rounds of 72 and 77. Australia’s Karrie Webb, a three-time winner in the event, pulled within three shots with a 68 in the morning, but finished with an 82 to tie for fifth with South Korea’s Se Yeon Ryu — 12 shots back. Ryu shot 71-76.
Play was abandoned Friday because of high wind, forcing the 36-hole finale Sunday. Play was suspended for a few minutes during the fourth round as the rain and wind pelted the course, but organizers decided to play on.
“It was like we were standing under a shower,” Creamer said.