For Tiger, the Price About Right

Tiger Woods didn’t win the B.C. Open at Endicott, N.Y.--that went to Fred Funk--but he continued his run toward the earnings total needed for a full-time spot on the PGA Tour next year.

Final-round play was suspended because of rain Sunday with Woods on the eighth hole and never resumed. The tournament was declared a 54-hole event and Funk and Pete Jordan--the third-round leaders at 16-under-par--went to a one-hole playoff, which Funk won with a birdie on the first hole.

Woods, who started the day at 13-under along with Patrick Burke, tied for third with Burke and earned $58,000.

That gave Woods $140,194 in only four tournaments and put him at 128 on the money list--on the brink of earning enough money to finish in the top 125 and earn a full-time PGA Tour card for 1997. If he wins about $20,000--and he has four tournaments in which to do so--he should be a lock.

It’s all academic, actually. Woods was well past the 150th spot on the money list last week--$103,404--and anyone in the top 150 can accept an unlimited number of sponsor exemptions, guaranteeing that Woods will get into any PGA Tour event he wants next year.

The third-place money also made Woods eligible to play in the Disney Classic, the last regular event of the year, since he has surpassed the amount won by the 150th player last year.

For the second consecutive week, the 20-year-old went into the final round with a chance for his first professional victory. But Funk, 40, birdied four of the first six holes at En-Joie Golf Club to get to 20-under.

This was Funk’s fourth top-10 finish in his last six starts and the fourth title of his eight-year PGA career.

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The United States routed Europe, 10-2, in the singles to comfortably retain the Solheim Cup women’s team title at Chepstow, Wales.

Trailing, 9-7, overnight and needing to win seven points from the 12 singles matches, the Americans took heart from a 3-and-2 victory by Michelle McGann over the world’s No. 1 player, Laura Davies, to race to a 17-11 victory.

A crucial 30-yard pitch from deep rough into the 16th hole by Brandie Burton helped her to a one-hole victory over Briton Lisa Hackney for another key success.

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Jimmy Powell became the second-oldest winner in Senior PGA Tour history, closing with a six-under-par 66 for a one-stroke victory in the rain-shortened Brickyard Crossing Championship at Indianapolis.

Powell, 61, had a 10-under 134 total. John Jacobs also shot a 66 to finish second, and Bud Allin was two back after a 69.