Turnesa earns first tour win

Marc Turnesa completed a wire-to-wire victory for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a four-under-par 68 on Sunday to hold off Matt Kuchar by a stroke in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.

The fourth rookie to win on the PGA Tour this season, Turnesa opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 69 at TPC Summerlin en route to a tournament-record 25-under 263 total. He earned a career-best $738,000 to jump from 138th to 75th on the money list.

Turnesa birdied Nos. 9, 11, 12 and 14 to reach 25 under on the mostly sunny, breezy day. He also birdied the par-three 17th, but dropped a stroke on the par-four 18th.

“I only won by a shot, so obviously every birdie I made was important,” said Turnesa, the 30-year-old former North Carolina State star who broke the event mark of 264 set last year by George McNeill. Kuchar had a final-round 67 for a 264 total.

Former Nevada Las Vegas star Chad Campbell shot a 67 to tie for third at 22 under with John Mallinger (68) and 49-year-old Michael Allen (70).

Tim Herron (62) and Davis Love III (67) followed at 21 under in the Fall Series event.

Kuchar, the second-round co-leader who began the final round at 19 under, birdied the par-five 13th and par-three 14th to take the lead at 24 under, but finished with four straight pars to fall a stroke back.

“It started playing hard on the last couple holes,” Kuchar said. “The wind really started picking up. Fifteen and 16 are definitely birdie holes that I missed opportunities on.”

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Morgan Pressel birdied the final hole in the inaugural Kapalua LPGA Classic in Hawaii for her first victory of the season.

Kapalua’s tour pro, Pressel closed with a three-under 69 to edge Suzann Pettersen (69) by a stroke. Pressel finished at eight-under 280 and earned $225,000 for her second career win.

The 20-year-old Pressel birdied two of her final three holes and made a clutch 15-foot putt from the fringe near the front of the green to secure the victory.

She won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year to become the youngest player in tour history to win a major. Pettersen tied for second in that event in California after faltering down the stretch.

Conditions at the scenic and hilly Bay Course were balmy and slightly breezy. The trade winds were down considerably from the first three rounds.

Laura Diaz (70) finished third at six under. Angela Stanford (70) and Sun Young Yoo (72) tied for fourth at four under, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis, who closed with a 66, and Karin Koch (74).

Pressel was in tears after the win as she thanked her grandparents.

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Bernhard Langer won his second consecutive Administaff Small Business Classic title, shooting a 69 to finish at 12-under 204 at the Woodlands, Texas. Langer was two strokes better than Lonnie Nielsen despite taking a one-stroke penalty on No. 3, where he absent-mindedly picked up his ball after missing the green on a par-three hole.

After a week of rain before the tournament, wet conditions at the Woodlands Country Club course allowed for lift, clean and place the first two rounds but that courtesy was lifted for the final day.

Hal Sutton, playing in his first Champions Tour event, carded a 72 to finish three under and tied for 23rd.