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SUN CITY - Defending champion Jim Furyk capped the most consistent year of his career with a two-stroke victory in the Sun City Challenge today.
Furyk began the final round three strokes ahead of Irishman Padraig Harrington, but no one made a run at the American even though he shot a two-over-par 74 on Monday to finish on 12-under-par 276.
Harrington made 75 to finish third on eight-under-par as Sweden's Henrik Stenson overtook him with a 69 to finish on 10-under-par.
South Africa's Ernie Els, a three-time champion at Sun City, ended up in fourth on seven-under-par after an even-par 72.
Furyk finished second on the US PGA Tour moneylist and Monday's check of $1.2 million pushes him to winnings of over $8.5 million worldwide in 2006.
His magical touch around the greens, especially with his sand wedge, kept him out of trouble on several occasions and he delivered the knockout blow to Harrington and Stenson's hopes when he birdied the par-five ninth to move six strokes ahead.
Harrington blew his chances on the par-four eighth when his first two shots were obscured by trees and he finished with a double-bogey.
Stenson fired six birdies, including two in the last three holes, but offset that with three bogeys and Furyk's victory was seldom in doubt.
"The course was set up very well for me to play fairway-to-green and it was tough not to drop shots or make a run at me," Furyk told reporters.
Furyk, who became the fifth golfer to win back-to-back titles at Sun City, dropped his first stroke the tournament when he found the greenside bunker on the third. He also bogeyed the eighth hole when he left his approach to the green short.
"I wasn't too worried about those bogeys because they were not such bad golf shots," the American said.
- REUTERS
