Golf: Last-hole par secures Lickliter's first title

POTOMAC - Frank Lickliter stumbled late in the final round but held on to win his first PGA Tour title in the rain-delayed $US3.5 million ($8.3 million) Kemper Open yesterday.

Lickliter led fellow American J. J. Henry by three strokes with three holes to play, but bogeys at the 16th and 17th left him needing a par at the last to win.

He duly delivered, securing his par by sinking a 12-footer to collect $US630,000 ($1,485,000) for his maiden US Tour victory at the age of 31.

Lickliter closed with a three-under 68 to finish at 16-under 268, while Henry carded a final-round 66 for 269.

Fifty-eight players returned yesterday to finish the weather-plagued tournament.

New Zealand's Frank Nobilo and Phil Tataurangi finished in a share of 17th place, 10 strokes behind Lickliter.

Nobilo closed with a round of 69 and Tataurangi signed for a 71.

Missing was Australian Greg Chalmers, who was disqualified after reporting a rules violation in the tournament.

Chalmers, who was on the final hole of the final round when play was halted on Monday, was expelled for an incident that happened during the first round.

According to US Tour tournament director Mark Russell, the violation happened after Chalmers had played a shot at a par-three hole. Another player's caddy tried to see what club Chalmers had hit, and Chalmers told him it had been a six-iron.

This breaks rule 8.1, which says in part "a player shall not give advice to anyone in the competition except his partner, and may ask for advice only from his partner or either of their caddies."

Asked why Chalmers brought up the incident three days later, Russell said: "He heard of something that happened similar on the Buy.com Tour and he wanted to have a clear conscience. It was very admirable of him."

Chalmers was nine under at the time of his disqualification. Had he parred the final hole he would have received about $US70,000 ($167,864).

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