GOLF ROUNDUP : Gamez’s 7-Iron Shot From 176 Yards Drops for Eagle--and a Win

Rookie Robert Gamez capped a final-round 66 with an 18th-hole eagle Sunday to pass Greg Norman and Larry Mize and win the $900,000 Bay Hill Invitational at Orlando, Fla.

Gamez, who won the Tucson Open in January, passed both Norman and Mize--playing behind him--when he hit a spectacular shot that gave him a one-stroke lead and the victory.

His 176-yard, seven-iron second shot on what is considered one of the toughest closing holes on the PGA Tour sailed right at the flag and went into the cup.

“I knew I had to make at least birdie to get in a playoff,” Gamez, 21, said. “As it was in the air, I thought, ‘This one is going to be close.’ ”

Norman barely missed a birdie on the 17th hole, then rolled another birdie opportunity past the cup on the 18th.

Gamez’s 72-hole total of 274 was 14 under par on the 7,114-yard Bay Hill course. Norman shot a final-round 68 for a 275 total. Mize also shot a 68 and finished at 276.

Gamez earned $162,000, giving him $354,905 in official winnings in his first 10 weeks on the tour. He was the first player to win his first start as a member of the PGA Tour since Ben Crenshaw won the Texas Open in 1973.

Pat Bradley became the first LPGA player to reach $3 million in career earnings with a one-stroke victory in a $500,000 tournament at Phoenix.

Bradley, with career earnings of $3,059,768, made a two-foot par putt on the final hole to beat Ayako Okamoto, birdied the 10th, 13th, 14th and 17th holes to tie Bradley at 12 under.

But on the 18th green, Okamoto three-putted from 40 feet, just missing a four-foot par putt that would have forced a sudden-death playoff. Okamoto finished with a 71 for a 281 total, 11 under par.

Bradley then tapped in her putt for a 71 to earn a $75,000 check and her second victory in the tournament. She also won in 1987.

Bob Charles of New Zealand shot a three-under-par 69 to win a $400,000 senior tournament at Kurimotoachi, Japan, for the third year in a row. Taiwan’s Hsu Chi-san finished second, two strokes back.