Golf: Bogey drives Sutton to Houston victory

Hal Sutton shot a three-under 69 in windy conditions yesterday for a three-stroke victory over Joe Durant and Lee Janzen in the Houston Open golf tournament.

Sutton started the final round two strokes behind Durant, who was trying to join Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year.

Sutton, who earned $US612,000 ($1.5 million) for his 14th PGA Tour victory, finished with a 10-under total of 278. Janzen shot a 73 and Durant had a 74.

John Cook (69) and Justin Leonard (69) were another stroke back at 282.

Sutton avoided big trouble when he hit his second shot in the water on No 7, but had a long-range putt to get a bogey.

"That [bogey] was the turning point for me," the 42-year-old said. "I could have come away with my confidence damaged, but I felt great."

He birdied No 8 and made a 4.5m birdie putt on 10 for a two-shot lead over Durant.

Sutton bogeyed the par-five 15th hole, leaving him with a one-shot advantage after Durant missed a 2.5m birdie putt. Durant bogeyed 16, and Sutton pounced on the chance with a birdie at 17.

It was Sutton's first PGA Tour victory of the year and his first in the Houston event, after finishing second in 1994 and 1999.

* Sweden's Robert Karlsson relaunched his Ryder Cup campaign when he took the Spanish Open yesterday by two strokes.

Karlsson hit a closing two-under 70 for a four-round total of 11-under 277, holding off a storming challenge by Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy, who carded 66 for an aggregate 279.

Britain's Darren Clarke, joint leader with Karlsson going into the final round, disappeared from contention with a 10 on the 15th hole. He finished with a 79 for a total of 286.

The $US180,000 ($445,654) first prize lifted Karlsson to eighth place on Europe's Ryder Cup table as he notched his second win in Valencia and his fourth European Tour title.

Although birdies on the first and fifth enabled Karlsson to draw away from Clarke from the start, the Northern Irishman made the Swede's passage down the closing stretch that much easier with a quintuple-bogey after hitting into bushes.

Karlsson's remaining threat was Remesy, who was waiting in the clubhouse for the Swede to falter in an increasing wind.

New Zealand's Stephen Scahill finished ninth equal, six strokes behind Karlsson with a final total of 283 (70, 68, 74, 71).

* South Korea's Se Ri Pak stretched the season-long winless streak for American players on the US LPGA Tour to 10 events with victory in the $NZ1.97 million Longs Challenge golf tournament in California yesterday.

Pak fired a one-under 71 to finish at eight-under 208, two strokes from American Laura Diaz.

The event was shortened to 54 holes after a thunderstorm wiped out play on the opening day.

Diaz rallied from five strokes down and led by one before Pak birdied the 16th hole. Diaz bogeyed the 18th and Pak birdied the 17th for a two-shot swing that decided the tournament.

Pak, who won the season-opening event in Florida, claimed her 10th career title and the 10th by an international player in as many LPGA events this year.

Sweden's Annika Sorenstam won the previous four titles and was trying to become the first to claim five consecutively scheduled tournaments, but fired a final-round 75 and settled for a share of 42nd, 12 strokes off the pace.

New Zealand's Marnie McGuire had a disappointing final round of 76 for a total of 221, finishing in a share of 51st at five-over.

- AGENCIES