Holmes Win Caps Tough PGA Week

John Holmes played the best golf, but Bill Haas and Danny Ellis delivered the drama Monday, joining 29 others who survived the most grueling week on the PGA Tour to earn their cards for next year.

Holmes became the first player in 22 years to leave college and win the PGA Tour qualifying tournament, closing with a three-under-par 69 at Winter Garden, Fla., and beating Alex Cejka of Germany by three shots.

It was a great week at Orange County National for Holmes, the former Kentucky star who helped the United States win the Walker Cup last summer. He was the only player to shoot in the 60s all six rounds.

“I’m just glad it’s over,” said Holmes, who finished at 24-under 408.

“I made it pretty easy on myself this week. I just went out there and tried to play 18 holes every day and act like I was playing with my buddies,” he said. “It was a relief when that last putt went in on the last hole.”

Typical of the last day at Q-school, there were high-wire acts and train wrecks and tears of joy and disbelief.

Haas, who narrowly missed his card last year, was headed for more heartache on the Panther Lakes course when he bogeyed the 15th hole to fall to nine under, two shots below the projected cut line.

But with his father, Jay Haas, nervously watching, the rest of the round was pure clutch.

Bill Haas, 23, holed a 10-foot putt to save par on the 16th, birdied the 17th and teed off at the par-five 18th needing a birdie to get his card.

From 203 yards away in the left rough, he chased his approach onto the front of the green, lagged his 50-foot eagle putt to inside three feet and sneaked it in the right side for a 72.

“It was tough out there today,” Haas said. “I thought I was going the wrong way. Somehow, I snuck a putt in on the last hole. I was shaking. I was nervous.”

Ellis was even more spectacular at the end. He figured 10 under would be the number and wanted to get his chip close enough for a tap-in. He chipped in for eagle, which was a good thing when the cutoff moved to 11 under.

The best comeback of all belonged to John Engler, a former All-American at Clemson who was told he probably wouldn’t play golf again and might never walk properly after a car accident two years ago.

But he worked harder than ever, got through the first two stages of Q-school, then shot 67-68 over the final two days to earn his card with two shots to spare.

John Daly withdrew from the Target World Challenge because of a broken right hand, the second week in a row he has pulled out of a tournament.

Daly had received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the 16-man event held by Tiger Woods, which has a $5.5-million purse and pays $1.3 million to the winner. Daly was replaced by Fred Funk.

Vijay Singh and Angel Cabrera also withdrew and were replaced off the world rankings by David Howell and Tim Clark. Woods is the defending champion of his tournament, which starts Thursday at Sherwood Country Club.

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SOCCER

Debate on World Cup Seedings Begins

Five days before the draw for next year’s World Cup finals, the debate began on how seeding for the group phase will be determined.

The criteria used to set up the four pools from which the 32-country field will be divided into eight groups of four teams will be decided today.

Being selected for Pool 1 -- made up of the top eight teams -- will help the chances of the game’s powerhouses from avoiding another top country in the first round.

All that is certain is that Germany, as host, and Brazil, as defending champion, will be put in Pool 1 to head one of the groups.

Two-time World Cup champion Argentina is considered a top candidate for Pool 1. Italy, England, Mexico, Spain and France are also among the favorites.

The San Jose Earthquakes traded backup keeper Jon Conway to the MetroStars for a fourth-round draft pick in 2006.... Paul Gascoigne, the playmaker who helped England reach the 1990 World Cup semifinals, resigned as coach of Kettering Town.

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BOXING

Parra Retains WBA Flyweight Title

Undefeated Lorenzo Parra of Venezuela successfully defended his World Boxing Assn. flyweight title for the fifth time, unanimously outpointing Brahim Asloum of France to improve to 27-0.

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MISCELLANY

SuperSonics’ Lewis Charged With DUI

Seattle SuperSonic forward Rashard Lewis was charged with drunk driving, resulting from an arrest on Interstate 90 near Seattle in September.

Lewis, 26, was driving one of five cars speeding eastbound together about 3 a.m. on Sept. 30, Washington State Patrol Trooper Curt G. Boyle wrote in an investigation report filed in King County District Court. Boyle wrote that he tried to pull over all five vehicles, which were traveling at up to 84 mph, but only two stopped.

One was a 700-series BMW driven by Lewis, whose eyes were watery and speech was slurred, Boyle wrote. Lewis failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Mercer Island Police Department, where he registered a 0.132 and 0.122 on successive breath tests, Boyle said. The intoxication threshold in Washington is 0.08.

Lewis faces a maximum of a year in jail, $5,000 fine and 90-day license suspension if convicted as charged.

Tyquan Knox, an All-City receiver/defensive back from Los Angeles Crenshaw who hasn’t played since Oct. 21 after an off-field incident, is back practicing with the Cougars and is expected to play in Friday’s City championship game against unbeaten Woodland Hills Taft at the Coliseum, a Crenshaw assisant coach confirmed.