Scott Staves Off Howell for Victory

Adam Scott held off a challenge from Charles Howell III and took a four-shot victory Sunday at the Booz Allen Classic at Potomac, Md.

“I was getting a little nervy there on the back nine,” the 23-year-old Australian said.

Scott closed with a 68 for a 21-under-par 263 total, tying the tournament and TPC at Avenel course record set by Billy Andrade and Jeff Sluman in 1991, when Andrade won in a playoff.

But Howell made it close, for a while. Trailing by seven shots after six holes, he made five birdies in a row starting at No. 11. Meanwhile, Scott was in trouble when his tee shot at No. 13 landed on a cart path.

Scott recovered to save par, followed with successive birdies and then saved another par with a tough 11-foot putt at the 16th to avoid tying Greg Norman and three others for the biggest final-day collapse in PGA Tour history.

“It’s nice to be able to respond to a little bit of pressure,” said Scott, who started the day with a six-shot lead over Olin Browne.

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Craig Stadler shot an eight-under 64 to win the Bank of America Championship at Concord, Mass., giving him a Champions Tour victory on the same day his son Kevin won on the minor league Nationwide Tour.

Stadler was getting updates on Kevin’s round throughout the day. After sinking a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 15-under 201, Craig Stadler went into the scorer’s trailer and watched as Kevin won the Lake Erie Charity Classic on the fourth playoff hole.

“A good day,” he said as he signed autographs. “He waited just long enough until I got to the trailer and I got to watch him win. Made my day.”

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Kim Saiki won for the first time in her 12 years on the LPGA Tour, shooting a final-round 71 for a 14-under 274 total to beat Rosie Jones by four strokes at the Rochester LPGA at Pittsford, N.Y.

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Tseng Ya-Ni of Taiwan made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 36th hole, capping a dramatic comeback to beat Michelle Wie and win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at Williamsburg, Va.

Wie, the 14-year-old defending champion, led four-up early in the match and one-up heading to the 34th tee. But she missed a six-foot putt, allowing Tseng to pull even, and left a long putt on the last hole on the edge.

Tseng, 15, then rolled hers in to complete the upset.

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Miscellany

Marion Jones finished second in the long jump at the IAAF Norwich Union Grand Prix meet at Gateshead, England.

Jones, being investigated for possible doping violations, had a top jump of 22 feet 2 1/2 inches, far shorter than the 22-9 she recorded at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., last week. World indoor champ Tatyana Lebedeva won with a leap of 22-6 1/2.

Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis won the 100 meters, and Ana Guevara of Mexico, another reigning world champion, continued her domination in the 400, winning in 50.16.

USC and Long Beach State had two players named to the U.S. national baseball team, which will be coached by Loyola Marymount’s Frank Cruz. Pitcher Ian Kennedy and catcher Jeff Clement were selected from USC, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher Cesar Ramos were chosen from Long Beach. UC Santa Barbara infielder Chris Valaika and Cal State Fullerton pitcher Ricky Romero were also chosen.