South African Els Completes Wire-to-Wire Run and Wins by Eight Strokes

Ernie Els, with no one able to get closer than five shots Sunday, cruised to a wire-to-wire, eight-stroke victory in the Buick Classic at Harrison, N.Y.

Els shot an even-par 71 in the final round for a 72-hole total of 13-under 271.

“I thought the guys would have come after me a little more.” Els said. “It’s quite surprising that nobody, really, on the leaderboard went under par.”

His victory margin was the largest on tour since Davis Love III won by eight strokes at the 1993 Las Vegas Invitational. It also tied the biggest winning margin at the Buick Classic, set by David Frost in 1992.

The South African native won his third PGA Tour title and first since the 1995 GTE Byron Nelson Classic. It was the first time that a player has gone wire-to-wire in a PGA Tour event since Tim Herron did it at the Honda Classic in March.

Steve Elkington, Tom Lehman, Jeff Maggert and Craig Parry tied for second at five-under 279. Fred Funk, Frost and Brad Faxon were at 280.

Counting the $216,000 he earned for winning the Buick, Els has collected $392,850 in prize money.

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Michelle McGann made an 18-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to win the LPGA Oldsmobile Classic over Lisolette Neumann at East Lansing, Mich.

McGann made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to cap a seven-under-par 65 and force the playoff with Neumann, who also shot 65.

“It’s kind of fun to make that putt and win,” said McGann, who earned $90,000.

After going 16-under with a birdie on 17, Neumann thought she may have won the tournament, but she watched McGann make her long birdie putt as she approached her second shot on the final hole.

“I played real solid today,” Neumann said. “I am pleased with the way I played. I was pleased even to get into the playoff.”

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Tom Weiskopf had a two-under-par 70 for a tournament-record 11-under 205 and a three-stroke victory in the Pittsburgh Senior Classic at Midway, Pa.

Weiskopf, who won $165,000, led from start to finish.

Weiskopf took two strokes off the record set by Bob Charles in 1993 in winning for the second time this year on the Senior PGA Tour.

Brian Barnes, who had a tournament-best 66 in the final round, and J.C. Snead, who closed with a 67, tied for second, one stroke in front of Bob Eastwood, who shot a 71 at Quicksilver Golf Club.

“I played very defensively,” said Weiskopf, who started the final round with a three-stroke lead.

“It’s tough to have fun when you’re playing that way. You just want to avoid any disaster. It’s fun in the respect that you are going to win, but it’s uncomfortable.”