The Hindu : Sport / Football : Leonard slips, but hangs on

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Sport

Sport - Football

Leonard slips, but hangs on

MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Justin Leonard frittered away most of an eight-stroke lead, the largest on the PGA Tour this year, before pulling out a one-stroke victory over David Toms in the St. Jude Classic on Sunday.

Leonard closed with a 3-over 73 to finish at 14-under 266 and earn his second title of the year and 10th of his career.

It's the second time Leonard didn't record a birdie in his final round and still won, the last at 2002 in Hilton Head when he became the first tour winner to do that in seven years. He hit only five of 18 greens in regulation.

Toms, the two-time defending champion, surged in the final holes with a 63 that included four birdies, an eagle and a bogey on the back nine. He waited on the practice range and signed autographs while waiting to see if Leonard would slip enough to force a playoff.

But Leonard chipped within seven feet and sunk the putt for par on the par-4 17th, then hit into a fairway bunker then put his second shot 44 yards short of the green in the rough in front of the grandstands.

Leonard took relief with a drop, then chipped over a bunker within 34 feet and putted out from less than 4 feet for bogey and the victory. He picked his ball up out of the hole, then fell back onto the green in relief.

Winner of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic winner in January, Leonard joined some select company with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry as multiple winners on the tour this year. It's the first time Leonard has won two events in a year since 1997 when he took the Kemper Open and the British Open.

He earned the winner's purse of $882,000 by becoming only the third player lead from beginning to end in the 48-year history of the tournament, joining Bob Estes (2001) and Dave Hill (1967).

Fred Funk (68) was third at 271, while Davis Love III (68) and Heath Slocum (71) tied for fourth at 272.

Toms, who pulled off his own six-stroke victory last year, ran out of holes in trying to become the first player on tour to win the same event three straight years since Tiger Woods.

Toms birdied the par-4 10th to pull within seven strokes. Then he bounced his tee shot on the par-3 11th off the back of the island green and into the water for bogey.

He rebounded with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to get to 10-under, the only person other than Leonard to get double digits below par.

Toms then eagled the par-5, 519-yard 16th by sinking a 7-foot putt, and chipped in for birdie from 64 feet on No. 17.

Worst day

Meanwhile, Arjun Atwal had his worst day on the course this season, as he ended with a final round six-over 76 and ended tied 52nd.

Atwal, who has now made the cut in each of the eight starts he has had this season, made just over $11,000 for his effort after being in contention for a top-10 finish at one stage.

Atwal, who had three bogeys on three straight holes between fifth and seventh, had his awful stretch at the same juncture. He dropped shots on fourth, fifth and seventh and another one on eighth to be four-over in a space of five holes after parring the first three of the day.

Then he steadied for a series of pars, before a double bogey on the closing 18th. He had no birdies and needed 30 putts and even his driving was short, just over an average of 283 yards.

He had just five out of 18 greens in regulation. In terms of score in relation to par, at six-over it was his worst of the season in the U.S. — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport