Golf-Furyk wins Tampa Bay for first title since 2007 (Reuters)
March 22, 2010
* Furyk’s final-round 69 gives him edge over Choi
* First victory since 2007 Canadian Open (adds details, quotes)
TAMPA, Florida, March 21 (Reuters) – Jim Furyk’s nearthree-year wait for a 14th PGA Tour title was extended throughfour hours of weather delays before he finally clinched theTampa Bay Championship by one stroke on Sunday.
In a final round disrupted by thunderstorms, the formerU.S. Open champion shot a two-under-par 69 for a 13-undertournament total and his first PGA Tour win in 59 starts sincethe 2007 Canadian Open.
The 39-year-old American scrambled to make bogey at thelast after driving into the trees, needing to two-putt from 30feet to claim victory over South Korea’s K.J. Choi in secondplace.
“I have a habit of making it tough on myself. I always makeit interesting and starting on 17 the nerves got to me a littlebit,” Furyk, who will rise from ninth to seventh in the worldon the back of the victory, told the Golf Channel.
Bubba Watson (68) finished at 11-under in third, while hisfellow-American Nick Watney (67) was fourth on nine-under-par.
Choi, who began the round three strokes behind Furyk,pulled level with the American on 12-under after four birdiesover his first six holes but his charge faltered and he posteda 67.
“All I can say is I tried my best today. My shots feltgreat,” Choi, twice a winner of the event on the CopperheadCourse, told reporters.
“You know, my hat is off to Jim, because he just playedfantastic. I tried to put some pressure early in the round withsome birdies, but he was patient enough to hang in there andplay well.”
Ireland’s three-time major champion Padraig Harrington shota disappointing one-over 72 for the second day in a row tofinish in a group of five players on six-under and tied foreighth.
(Writing by Larry Fine in New York; editing by NickMulvenney.
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