Golf Roundup : Lyle Defeats Sluman in a Playoff for TPC Title

Sandy Lyle of Scotland made an eight-foot par putt on the third extra hole and defeated Jeff Sluman to win the $1-million Tournament Players Championship Sunday at Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Sluman, who never had finished higher than fifth in a regular PGA Tour event, missed a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole moments before Lyle, a former British Open champion, dropped the winner.

Lyle’s par was worth $180,000 in the annual championship of golf’s touring pros.

It also provided Lyle with a 10-year exemption for all American tour events.

Sluman, 29, who quietly won $254,000 over the last two years without really threatening for a title, took some consolation in a $108,000 second prize.

“I guess I can’t be too disappointed,” said Sluman, at 5 foot 7 inches and 135 pounds one of the smallest men on the tour.

After finishing the regulation 72 holes in a tie for the lead at 274, they matched pars over the first two playoff holes.

Sluman perhaps was distracted by a spectator who leaped into a pond moments before he stepped up to an eight-foot birdie putt that could have won it.

The dripping spectator was fished from the water, and Sluman regrouped. But his birdie attempt bent to the right.

They went to the par-4 18th, the third playoff hole, and both Lyle and Sluman got their approaches in the back right fringe.

Lyle chipped about eight feet beyond the cup. Sluman’s chip was short. Sluman missed, and Lyle holed.

Engaged in a four-way tie for the lead while playing the last hole of regulation, Lyle went in front alone with a 30-foot birdie putt. Sluman dropped a 12-footer right on top of it, finishing off a three-under-par 69 to tie Lyle, who had a closing 70.

Mark O’Meara and Scott Simpson, playing in the last group, were tied for the lead until Lyle and Sluman birdied the difficult 18th.

O’Meara and Simpson thus went to the 18th needing a birdie to join the playoff.

Simpson missed the green. His chip for a spot in the playoff slid by the cup, and he missed a six-footer coming back for a bogey. O’Meara’s long putt also missed.

O’Meara finished third at 275 after a 73. Simpson’s 74 dropped him back into a tie at 276 with Australian Greg Norman.

A struggling Pat Bradley birdied the 17th hole to close the door on Chris Johnson and win the $300,000 LPGA Turquoise tournament at Phoenix.

Bradley, 36, played erratically compared to her normal precision, making four birdies, three bogeys and an eagle, but still managed a three-under-par 70 on the 6,419-yard Moon Valley Country Club course to collect the $45,000 first prize. She finished 72 holes at 286, two shots ahead of Johnson.

Johnson birdied five holes on the back nine, finishing with a course-record-tying 67.

Lori Garbacz shot a 70 to finish third at 290. Penny Hammel was fourth at 291 after shooting a 73.