For Stricker, Cheers and Tears
It's His 1st Title Since '01; Ochoa Wins 3rd LPGA Event in Row

Associated Press
Monday, August 27, 2007

What looked like more heartache for Steve Stricker turned into the sweetest victory of his career.

After going 6 1/2 years and 146 tournaments without winning, Stricker birdied four of his last five holes yesterday at The Barclays for a stunning turnaround that gave him a 2-under-par 69 and a two-shot victory over K.J. Choi in Harrison, N.Y.

"It was hard, but it was fun," Stricker said, his voice choking as tears streamed down the side of his face. "I never knew if I was going to win again."

It sure wasn't easy. Not with 10 players -- five of them major champions -- separated by three shots. And not with Choi holing two birdie putts that were a combined 95 feet, making it look as if he were destined to win.

Stricker, who already let four chances of winning slip away this year, refused to buckle.

And when his final birdie from eight feet dropped into the cup, he raised his arms and hugged his caddie, Tom Mitchell, who first caddied for Stricker when he won the 2001 Match Play Championship in Australia.

Even without Tiger Woods, the inaugural PGA Tour playoffs got off to a rousing start.

Along with the fourth victory of his career, Stricker moved to the top of the FedEx Cup standings with 2,050-point lead over Choi, who closed with a 70. Rory Sabbatini, who had a share of the lead at the turn, closed with a 68 to finish another stroke back and moved up to No. 3 in the playoff race.

Woods skipped the first of four playoff events and tumbled to No. 4, nearly 5,000 points behind Stricker.

The next stop is the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston, which starts Friday. There are three tournaments remaining before someone captures the $10 million deferred bonus.

Stricker finished at 16-under 268 and earned $1.26 million.

� LPGA TOUR: Mexico's Lorena Ochoa won her third straight title with a five-stroke victory in the Safeway Classic in Portland, Ore. Ochoa shot a 71 in the final round for a 12-under 204 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club for her sixth victory of the season.

The last player to win three straight tournaments was Annika Sorenstam in 2005. Sorenstam won four straight in 2001, matching the LPGA Tour record.

In Bee Park (64), Christina Kim (69), Sophie Gustafson (75) and Mhairi McKay (72) all finished at 7-under 209.

The top-ranked Ochoa won the Canadian Women's Open in Edmonton, Alberta, last week, and before that the Women's British Open for her first major title.

Afterward U.S. captain Betsy King announced that Nicole Castrale and Laura Diaz will be the final two players for the Solheim Cup, to be played Sept. 14-16 in Sweden.

The rest of the U.S. team is Paula Creamer, the top points earner, Juli Inkster, Natalie Gulbis, Pat Hurst, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Prammanasudh, Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford and Sherri Steinhauer.

� CHAMPIONS TOUR: Denis Watson eagled the second hole of a seven-man playoff to win the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash.

Playing No. 18 for the third time in an hour, Watson hit a 3-wood to about 18 feet, then made the putt, giving an emphatic fist pump as the ball dropped to end the largest playoff in tour history.

Craig Stadler missed a long eagle putt from the front of the green, and R.W. Eaks missed his 12-footer for eagle. Gil Morgan, Joe Ozaki, Dana Quigley and David Eger also finished at 9 under for the tournament.

� U.S. AMATEUR: In Daly City, Calif., Colt Knost held off Michael Thompson, 2 and 1, to win both of the nation's biggest amateur golf events in two months.

Knost, who played at Southern Methodist, is only the second golfer to win both the Amateur and the U.S. Public Links titles in the same year. Ryan Moore did it in 2004.