Andrade Takes Odd Route in Winning Canadian Open

Billy Andrade won the Bell Canadian Open on Sunday by purposely playing into the bunker and saving par to defeat Bob Friend on the first playoff hole at Oakville, Canada.

The victory ended a seven-year drought for Andrade. He has won three times on the PGA Tour and has trailed going into the final round in all three.

“When you don’t win for awhile, you don’t know if you’re ever going to win again,” said Andrade, who finished at 13-under 275 and won $396,000. “But I had a funny feeling about this week.”

In the playoff, Andrade and Friend returned to the 18th hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club and took the same route as on the final hole of regulation play--a drive to the fairway, and an approach shot that wound up in the amphitheater surrounding the 18th.

Friend, playing first, tried using his sand wedge to get over the bunker, but the ball rolled through the green and into the water.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Friend said, putting his hand up.

Andrade hit his chip shot into the bunker, then blasted out to 5 feet and made the par-saving putt.

Andrade was so shook up by the whirlwind finish that he nearly forgot to replace his ball mark before making the winning putt.

“That last hole probably aged me 10 years,” he said.

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Annika Sorenstam won her fourth tournament title of the year, shooting a four-under-par 68 for a five-stroke victory over Patty Sheehan and Laura Davies in the Safeco Classic at Kent, Wash. . . . Hugh Baiocchi’s five-under-par 67 gave him a two-stroke victory over Bruce Summerhays and a tournament-record 20-under 196 total at the Senior PGA Tour event at Indianapolis. . . .Colin Montgomerie shot a three-under-par 69 to win the British Masters by one stroke at Coventry, England.

Soccer

Oscar Draguicevich, a second-half substitute, scored two goals to lead the San Jose Clash to a 3-1 victory over the Burn in a Major League Soccer game at Dallas. . . . Forward Josh Wolff scored two goals and assisted on a third to lead the Chicago Fire to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Chicago. . . . Diego Serna and Paulinho McLaren each had two goals and an assist as the Miami Fusion improved its playoff chances by defeating D.C. United, 4-3, at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. . . . Mauricio Ramos scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute as Tampa Bay beat the New York-New Jersey MetroStars, 2-1.

American investment banker Solomon Smith Barney has been asked by a mystery client to speak with Manchester United’s financial advisors about the possibility of making a rival bid to take over the English soccer club. Last week Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB television made a bid of $1.050 billion to buy the team. The bid has the support of the Manchester United board. A bank spokesman would not confirm if it would make an offer.

Cycling

Spain’s Abraham Olano won the ninth-stage individual time trial to take the overall lead in the Tour of Spain at Alcudia, Balearic Islands. Olano covered the 24.5-mile flat run in 47 minutes 7 seconds. His closest rival, Melchor Mauri, was 41 seconds back.