Woods Thrives on Pressure and Wins

It appears no one can beat Tiger Woods when the pressure is on.

With his lead cut to one stroke Sunday, Woods buried a eight-foot birdie putt on No. 8 and all that was left for his second Western Open title at Lemont, Ill., was to engrave the trophy. He added two birdies on the back nine as he finished with a one-under 71, giving him a 15-under 273 for the tournament and a three-stroke victory over runner-up Mike Weir.

“I love feeling the pressure, I love it,” Woods said. “I was telling my Dad last night, ‘There’s no better position than being up front.’ Everyone is looking at you and you get all the pressure in the world. You can go nothing but down.”

Woods regained the No. 1 ranking with the victory, his third on the PGA Tour victory this season and his third win in four starts, including a tournament in Germany. He earned $450,000 for the victory, giving him $2,545,990 in winnings this year.

When Woods won two years ago, fans broke through security and followed him up the 18th fairway. They were calmer this year, giving Woods a standing ovation from behind the ropes. Woods waved and tipped his black baseball cap as he walked to the last green.

Weir, who had three birdies on the first seven holes to threaten Woods, ran into trouble on the back nine. He bogeyed 10, 13 and 14 for a 70 and finished three strokes back at 276.

Brent Geiberger, who made a late charge with a 69 Sunday, was third at 277. Stuart Appleby, who shared the lead with Woods after the second round, shot a 77 and finished tied for 13th with a 283.

Garland Dempsey, John Maginnes’ 51-year-old caddie, had his condition upgraded from critical to fair one day after collapsing during the third round. Dempsey’s heart stopped when he collapsed on the 15th hole and he was taken to a nearby hospital.

*

A year after running away with the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic, Se Ri Pak rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole at Sylvania, Ohio, to win the most crowded playoff in LPGA history.

Pak, a winner by nine shots a year ago, was the last of six players to putt on the first playoff hole. She rolled the ball into the cup from below the hole to collect the $135,000 first-place check and her second victory of the season.

Pak was joined by Karrie Webb, Mardi Lunn, Sherri Steinhauer, Carin Koch and Kelli Kuehne in the playoff. They played hole No. 18, a 532-yard, par-five.

First Koch and then Kuehne barely missed their birdie putts before Pak hit hers to the roars of a large gallery.

There have been three previous five-player playoffs, the last in 1981.

Pak shot a final-round of even-par 71 to make the playoff at 8-under 276. The round was played in high humidity and temperatures approaching 100 degrees.

*

Irishman Christy O’Connor, a longtime European star playing on a sponsor’s exemption, posted his first victory in the United States, holding off Bruce Fleisher for a one-stroke win in the State Farm Senior Classic at Columbia, Md.

O’Connor shot a five-under 67 for a 54-hole total of 18-under 198. When his final putt fell at 18, O’Connor thrust his arms upward and stared at the sky before hugging his caddie. He then held back tears upon accepting the trophy, telling tournament officials that he was dedicating the victory to his son Daren, 17, who died in a car accident last September.

*

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, 19, won his first professional title, closing with a seven-under-par 64 for a three-stroke victory at the Irish Open in Dublin. Garcia was playing in his sixth pro event since finishing as the top amateur in the Masters.

John Daly, who had a final-round 74 and finished next to last, said that he will skip this year’s British Open. “I’m tired, I have no confidence and I just don’t feel it’s fair to take the spot of somebody who is playing real good. I played pretty good this week, but I just can’t score. It’s been like that all year.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Final Scores

MOTOROLA WESTERN OPEN-Par 72

Tiger Woods: 71-273 (-15)--$450,000

Mike Weir: 70--276 (-12)--$270,000

Brent Geiberger: 69--277 (-11)--$170,000

Vijay Singh: 70--278 (-10)--$120,000

Dicky Pride: 70--279 (-9)--$100,000

John Maginnes: 70--280 (-8)--$90,000

JAMIE FARR KROGER CLASSIC--Par 71

x-Se Ri Pak: 71--276 (-8)--$135,000

Kelli Kuehne: 66--276 (-8)--$52,534

Carin Koch: 69--276 (-8)--$52,534

Sherri Steinhauer: 70--276 (-8)--$52,534

Karrie Webb: 70--276 (-8)--$52,534

Mardi Lunn: 70--276 (-8)--$52,534

x--Won playoff on first extra hole.

STATE FARM SENIOR CLASSIC--Par 72

Christy O’Connor: 67--198 (-18)--$195,000

Bruce Fleisher: 65--199 (-17)--$114,400

Dana Quigley: 68--207 (-9)--$93,600

Terry Dill: 69--208 (-8)--$70,200

Hubert Green: 72--208 (-8)--$70,200