Immelman wins Western Open

Lemont, July 10 :

Trevor Immelman birdied the 18th hole and held off Tiger Woods and Matthew Goggin to win the Western Open for his first US PGA Tour victory on Sunday.

Immelman needed to par the 18th to win. Instead, he knocked in a 32-foot putt for a birdie, putting him at 13-under 271 — two strokes ahead of Woods and Goggin.

Vijay Singh, the leader through three rounds, and defending champion Jim Furyk finished at 9 under, along with Tim Clark, Stephen Leaney, Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson. Phil Mickelson shot 71 and finished 3 over.

Called the Western Open since 1899, the second-oldest tournament in the US will get a new name — the BMW Championship — and become part of the US PGA Tour’s season-ending series next year.

Immelman birdied the 15th and 16th holes to go to 13 under. He let out a grin after hitting a 10-foot putt on 16. The South African bogeyed 17 but made up for it on the 18th and finished at 4-under.

Woods bogeyed the first hole and was 1 over through nine. He was at 10 under and within a stroke of the lead after a birdie on the par-3 14th. His second shot at 15th sailed wide right into the crowd, but Woods managed to save par.

A chip shot from the rough rolled past the hole, and he made a 15-foot putt. Woods sank a 23-foot putt for birdie on No 16, putting him at 11 under. The crowd roared, and he pumped his right arm after the ball fell into the cup.