Associated Press
Associated Press
SHENZHEN, China — Ian Poulter won the HSBC Champions on Sunday for his first victory of the season, overcoming a four-stroke deficit with a 7-under 65.
The English Ryder Cup star finished at 21-under 267 on Mission Hills’ Olazabal Course for a two-stroke victory. The victory was his second in World Golf Championship play, following the 2010 Accenture Match Play Championship.
“I’ve only been one season without a victory and I certainly didn’t want to go another one,” the 36-year-old said. “As well as I’ve played this year, it would have been a disappointment personally to have gone that year without winning.”
Phil Mickelson (68), Jason Dufner (64), Scott Piercy (65) and Ernie Els (67) tied for second. Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen, tied for the third-round lead, shot 72 to drop into a tie for sixth at 18 under.
CHARLES SCHWAB
CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tom Lehman won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship to become the first Champions Tour player to win the season points title two straight years.
After shooting 68-63-62 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round, Lehman birdied four of the last five holes for a 5-under 65 and a six-stroke victory.
He finished at 22-under 258 on Desert Mountain’s Cochise Course to break the tournament mark for lowest score and tie the record in relation to par set by John Cook in 2009 at Sonoma Golf Club in California.
Lehman received a $1 million annuity in the Charles Schwab Cup points competition and earned $440,000 for the tournament victory.
Jay Haas shot a 69 to finish second.
MIZUNO CLASSIC
SHIMA, Japan — Stacy Lewis rallied to win the Mizuno Classic for her LPGA Tour-leading fourth title of the year, birdieing the final three holes for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke victory.
The Texan, seven strokes behind South Korea’s Lee Bo-mee entering the round, had 10 birdies and two bogeys to finish at 11-under 205 at Kintetsu Kashikojima.
Trying to become the first American to win the player of the year award since Beth Daniel in 1994, Lewis moved 58 points ahead of South Korea’s Inbee Park in the player of the year standings with two events left. Each victory is worth 30 points.
Lewis made a 25-foot birdie putt on 16, then moved into a tie for the lead with a 12-footer on the 17th. She took sole possession of the lead with another 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole, then claimed the $180,000 winner’s prize when Lee’s long birdie putt on 18 went long. Lee shot a 72 to finish second.
Lewis also won the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in April, the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June and the Navistar LPGA Classic in September. She has five career victories, winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year.
ASIA-PACIFIC AMATEUR
BANGKOK — Guan Tianlang won the Asia-Pacific Championship, making the 14-year-old Chinese star the youngest player to qualify for the Masters.
Guan closed with a 1-under 71 at Amata Spring Country Club, needing a par on the 18th hole to beat Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung. Guan, an eighth-grader who weighs 125 pounds, couldn’t reach the par 4 in two shots. He chipped to 5 feet and made the putt.
Guan will be the youngest player at Augusta National in April. He easily surpasses the mark set by Italy’s Matteo Manassero, who was about to turn 17 when he played in 2010. It’s the second straight year a 14-year-old from China will play in a major. Andy Zhang qualified for the U.S. Open last summer.