Golf Roundup : Strange Ties Peete, Wins Playoff

Curtis Strange, who started the final round of the $500,000 Houston Open three strokes behind, shot a 66 to force a sudden-death playoff with Calvin Peete, then sank a 20-foot putt on the third extra hole to win the $90,000 first prize Sunday at The Woodlands, Tex.

After Strange made his putt, Peete, who led or shared the lead through all four rounds, missed a 20-footer that would have forced a fourth extra hole.

Peete, who had a final-round 69, lost a playoff for the first time in his career. He earned $54,000.

Strange and Peete were deadlocked after regulation play at 14-under-par 274.

Both players parred the first two playoff holes, Peete’s 20-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole stopping at the lip.

Peete started the day tied with Tom Watson and Jay Haas.

Watson, who narrowly missed an eagle on 18 that would have put him in the playoff, finished with a one-under 71 and a 276 total. Haas finished with a 74 for 279.

Strange charged into contention after he angrily broke his putter on the 13th hole Thursday and had to finish a round of 72 putting with his pitching wedge.

Strange rallied for 68s Friday and Saturday. His 15-foot birdie putt on No. 17 Sunday pulled him even with Peete for the first time.

Pat Bradley sank a 25-foot birdie on the final hole to beat Janet Coles by a stroke in the $200,000 S&H; tournament at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Both players approached the par-5 18th tied at 15-under. Bradley’s chip left her 25 feet short after three shots while Coles chipped to within eight feet and appeared assured of at least a playoff.

Bradley thrust her right fist in the air after rolling in her pressure putt for a 65 to finish at 16-under 272, tying Alice Miller’s tournament record set last year.

Coles, who began the day at three shots ahead of Bradley, appeared shaken by Bradley’s long birdie. She missed her putt to the left to give Bradley her 18th career victory in 13 years on the Tour.

Bradley, who earned $30,000, is $3,079 away from becoming the LPGA’s first $2-million winner.

Don January and Gene Littler shot a final-round 64 to hold on for a two-stroke victory over Charlie Sifford and Jim Ferree in the $500,000 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf at Austin, Tex. Sifford and Ferree shot a final-round 62.

The winners split $100,000.

At Tempe, Ariz., Kim Lasken, Flori Prono and Stacy Colborne led the USC women’s golf team to the Western Collegiate Athletic Assn. team golf title. The Trojans, tied with Arizona State at the end of the competition, won on a tiebreaker system. UCLA finished third.

Kristal Parker of UCLA finished the 54-hole regulation tied for the individual lead but lost a playoff to Pam Wright of ASU.

Howard Clark of Britain won the $100,000 Madrid Open, the second European tournament counting for the PGA Tour, by a stroke over Severiano Ballesteros of Spain. Clark shot a three-under-par 69 in the final round for a 14-under-par 274. Ballesteros shot a 70 for a 275.