Golf: Sauers captures first title in 13 long years

SURREY - Gene Sauers seized his first victory on the US PGA Tour for 13 years when he posted a bogey-free 69 to win the US$3.5 million ($7.56 million) Air Canada championship by one stroke from fellow American Steve Lowery yesterday.

Sauers, 40, who had not won on the circuit since the 1989 Hawaiian Open, finished 15-under on 269 to hold off Lowery, who recorded a closing 68 for 270 at the Northview Golf and Country Club in British Columbia.

Fiji's Vijay Singh (65), Robert Allenby (70) of Australia and American Craig Barlow (68) were joint third on 271.

American Tom Scherrer (65) finished sixth on 272, one shot ahead of countryman David Gossett and Australia's Peter Lonard.

Frank Nobilo finished with a flourish to be the best of a strong New Zealand presence, carding a final-round 65 for a total of 275.

Michael Long and Grant Waite were a further six shots behind Nobilo on 281, while Phil Tataurangi finished on 283.

Sauers, who was the seventh alternate to get into the event, and Lowery were tied on 15-under before Lowery bogeyed the par-three 16th when he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

Sauers then parred the final three holes to notch his third Tour victory and claim a two-year exemption.

He lost his playing privileges several years ago and had not enjoyed a top-10 finish on the circuit since 1997.

"I've been hitting the ball really well the past couple of months," he said.

"Today, I just hit one shot at a time, trying to hit the fairways and greens and have opportunities for birdies."

Having held a one-stroke lead after 54 holes, Sauers began his final round with six pars in a row before birdying the par-five seventh. He saved par from the sand at the eighth and repeated the feat with a three-metre putt at No 9. His second birdie came at the par-five 12th.

After a bogey at the second, Lowery, who was also second behind Joel Edwards a year ago, hit back with five birdies between the seventh and 14th holes to pull even with Sauers at 15-under.

After his bogey at the par-three 16th, Lowery had one last opportunity to tie Sauers at the 18th, but narrowly missed his 2.4-metre birdie attempt.

* Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, 31, claimed his second BMW International title in three years with a confidence-boosting four-stroke success in Munich yesterday, a month before he plays in Europe's Ryder Cup team at The Belfry.

Bjorn's closing six-under 66 for a 24-under total of 264 left him four shots ahead of Belfry team-mate Bernhard Langer, of Germany, and Englishman John Bickerton.

Europe's team captain Sam Torrance will be delighted that two of his main men for the cup are in form. and there is every chance Bjorn and Langer could play together next month.

Langer's closing 68 was not enough to earn him the only German title he does not possess, but when he narrowed the overnight two-shot deficit to Bjorn with a birdie on the second, his adoring gallery was hopeful.

Bjorn instantly doubled the lead again, though, with a birdie of his own at the third. From there the issue was never again in doubt, although Bickerton, with a triple run of birdies from the fourth and three more around the turn, stepped in to offer the British challenge that had been present throughout the tournament.

He matched Bjorn's 66, but had to settle for his fifth career second place. Bjorn's comfortable win was his seventh on the European Tour and came 18 months after he had overcome Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic. His rounds in Munich were 68, 64, 66 and 66.

- AGENCIES