Tiger Makes a Run, but Finishes Third

Tiger Woods couldn’t quite make it two in a row, but he came close.

Woods shot a final-round 67 at the Texas Open to make a run at winner David Ogrin, but he finished two strokes back in third place Sunday at the La Cantera Golf Club in San Antonio.

Jay Haas finished second, one stroke behind Ogrin.

Woods, playing in only his sixth tournament since turning pro in August, again was impressive.

Woods, seven strokes back after the third round, started the final round by hitting his ball into a bush on the first hole, but saved par. He birdied the fifth and eighth, then attacked after the turn with an eagle on the par-five No. 10 to move to 10-under.

Woods birdied Nos. 14 and 15, and--unbeknownst to Ogrin at the time--made a run at the lead.

“I had no idea what the kid was doing,” Ogrin said. “So I had no idea that he was making a run.”

But Woods didn’t birdie again and bogeyed the 17th.

Woods said he didn’t hit the ball well or putt well. “It’s nice that you can still be around and in the hunt when you don’t have your A game,” he said.

The third-place finish did little to tarnish Woods’ growing reputation. He was 60th at the Greater Milwaukee Open, 11th at the Canadian Open, fifth at Quad City and third at the B.C. Open before winning last week at the Las Vegas Invitational.

Woods moved from 40th to 34th on the money list with earnings of $518,794.

For Orgin, the victory was worth $216,000 and left him with $533,457 in earnings this year. He is 32nd on the list.

Orgin, who lives near San Antonio and is a regular on the La Cantera course, shot an even-par 72 in the final round.

It was Ogrin’s first victory in 14 years on the PGA Tour.

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The United States defeated New Zealand, 2-1, to win its third Dunhill Cup at San Andrews, Scotland.

Steve Stricker, the only player to win all five matches in the competition, shot a five-under-par 67 to beat Grant Waite by six strokes and clinch the victory.

Phil Michelson earlier shot a 69 to beat Greg Turner by three strokes.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. team defeated Sweden, 2-1, in the semifinals of the $468,000 event, as Stricker and Mark O’Meara won their matches.

Stricker, who had rounds of 68, 75, 70, 70 and 67, erased some unpleasant memories of St. Andrews. At last year’s British Open, he was penalized four strokes in the qualifying round for having too many clubs in his bag and didn’t make the field.

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South African John Bland birdied the final two holes to beat Jim Colbert by a stroke at the $700,000 Transamerica Seniors at Napa, Calif., for his his fourth victory this year.

Bland, who began the day three strokes behind co-leaders Lee Trevino and Bobby Stroble, shot a 66.

Colbert had a hole-in-one on the par-three 15th at Silverado Country Club and closed with a 66.

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Annika Sorenstam pulled away from Laura Davies to win the inaugural Betsy King LPGA Classic at Kutztown, Pa., with an 18-under-par 270 total that tied the season low for a 72-hole tournament.

Sorenstam, who shot a four-under 68 for her second victory of the year, matched Trish Johnson’s total at last month’s Fieldcrest Cannon Classic.

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Tom Kite birdied the last hole and won the OKI Pro-Am in the rain and wind at Madrid for his first victory since 1993.

Kite closed with a two-under-par 70 for a 273 total. Argentina’s Angel Cabrera was a stroke back.