Lewis Learns in Recent Loss

J.L. Lewis’ loss to Vijay Singh in the John Deere Classic put him in the right frame of mind to win the 84 Lumber Classic at Farmington, Pa.

Of course, shooting a career-best and Mystic Rock course-record 10-under-par 62 in the final round Sunday didn’t hurt.

“I learned a lot last week,” he said of his second-place finish behind Singh. “I led the [John Deere] tournament every day, and in the fourth round, I didn’t play as well as I’m capable, but I learned a lot.”

Lewis finished 22 under, the best ever at the tournament. Robert Allenby won with a 19-under 269 in 2001 when the tournament was known as the Marconi Pennsylvania Classic.

Lewis said he took careful note of Singh’s demeanor when he won by four strokes last week.

“Nobody put any heat on him,” Lewis said, “but what I noticed the most was that he didn’t put any heat on himself.”

There was no real heat on Lewis on Sunday. He was far back heading into a day when the field had to play 36 holes because the remnants of Hurricane Isabel pushed Friday’s second round back to Saturday.

Lewis began the day -- not the round -- at eight-under 136. He shot a third-round 68 on the rain-softened Mystic Rock course and was at 12 under, seven shots behind Cameron Beckman, who was one of three players to tie the old course record with a 64 in the third round.

Stuart Appleby also shot a 64 in the third round, and finished with a 67. He tied for second place with Frank Lickliter and Tim Petrovic at 20-under 268.

Lickliter was 13 under for the day, shooting a 65 and a 66.

Petrovic said he wasn’t shocked by the low scores, given the wide fairways, coupled with the lift, clean and place rules in effect because of the rain-soaked course.

“Any time you put a ball in a PGA Tour player’s hands and let them tee it up in the fairway, and the greens are softer, you are going to be seeing a lot of low scores and birdies,” Petrovic said.

It was Lewis’ first victory this season and second of his career, the other being the 1999 John Deere Classic. With the $720,000 winner’s share of the $4-million purse, Lewis has earned $1,909,754 this year on the strength of six top-10 finishes. He is 17th on the tour money list.

*

D.A. Weibring wasn’t sure he could finish the SAS Championship at Cary, N.C., let alone win it.

But Weibring fought off flu-like symptoms and used an eagle-birdie finish to spoil Tom Kite’s rally on the Champions Tour.

Weibring got a major boost from caddie Russ Craver, who demanded that the player take a cart as he began to wither on the fourth hole.

“I felt uncomfortable using the cart, but it saved me,” Weibring said.

Kite shot a career-low 61, rallying from 11 shots back to take the lead at 12 under midway through the final round.

But Weibring, who began the round trailing by five shots, made a nine-foot putt on No. 17 and sealed his first victory in his 10th senior start by making a birdie from 14 feet to cap a six-under-par 66.

“I couldn’t have hit it any better if I stood there all my life,” Weibring said of his clinching putt.

Weibring’s 54-hole total of 13-under 203 beat Kite and Bobby Wadkins by one shot.

Wadkins made two birdies down the stretch to pull to 12 under, but his errant approach shot to No. 17 cost him a chance at birdie. His drive on the final hole landed on the edge of a bunker and his long putt to tie missed to the right.

*

K.J. Choi of South Korea made two eagles and shot a five-under 67 for a two-stroke victory in the German Masters at Pulheim.

Choi, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour last year, finished at 26-under 262 and earned $560,000.

*

Miscellany

Top-seeded Elena Dementieva defeated Chanda Rubin, 6-3, 7-6 (6), to win the Shanghai Open tennis tournament.

Paula Radcliffe of Britain recorded the fastest time for a woman in a half marathon, winning the Great North Run at Newcastle, England, in 1 hour 5 minutes 40 seconds, four seconds faster than the mark of 1:05.44 set two years ago in Portugal by Susan Chepkemei of Kenya.

The time will not be recognized as an official world best by track and field’s governing body because of the course’s hilly layout.

Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa won the men’s race in 1:00.01.

Kenyans ruled the Philadelphia Distance Run, with Laban Kipkemboi covering the 13.1-mile course in 1:01.29 to win the men’s division, and Leah Malot finishing in 1:11.20 to win the women’s division.

Five of the first six men to finish and four of first 10 women were from Kenya.