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Parnevik holds on for 5th PGA Tour win

Jesper Parnevik bogeyed the 18th hole but still managed to hold on for a one-shot victory over Mark Calcavecchia, Craig Perks and Geoff Ogilvy at the Honda Classic. Parnevik carded an even-par 72 on Sunday and finished at 18-under 270 for his fifth career win on the PGA Tour.

Joe Durant, who had won his previous two starts on tour, shared fifth with Joel Edwards at 15-under. Jim Furyk, Kaname Yokoo, Steve Flesch and Stuart Appleby tied for seventh at minus-14.

Parnevik, at 19-under, held a one-shot advantage over Calcavecchia as the players went to the 18th tee. He drove left into a fairway bunker while Calcavecchia played to the right side of the fairway.

The Swede had 184 yards to the flag and pulled his approach shot left of the green with a bunker in front of his shot. Calcavecchia played to the middle of the green but left himself about 60 feet for his birdie.

Parnevik's chip landed short of the hole but rolled 12 feet past and on the fringe. Calcavecchia's birdie putt, which had to run through a piece of the fringe, came up seven feet short.

A debate as to who was further away lead to Parnevik putting first and he left his par save short. Calcavecchia needed to drain his seven-footer to force a playoff but he pushed it right giving Parnevik the championship.

 

Fifth career win on the PGA Tour for Jesper Parnevik. Allsport.

"I'll take it anyway I can get it," said Parnevik, who won for the third time in five tries when he held a piece of the 54-hole lead. "It's more relief than happiness. You never want to win that way."

Parnevik dropped into a tie for the lead after his ninth hole. Ogilvy drained a 12-foot birdie putt at nine to go to 18-under and Parnevik fell to that score after he nailed his third shot from a bunker over the green and into another trap behind the green. He blasted out to 25 feet and failed to make the par save, tying the players at minus-18.

Ogilvy took sole possession of the lead at the 11th when he hit a nine-iron to four feet and rolled home the birdie putt. Parnevik, who played in the group behind Ogilvy, missed his tee shot right on 11, which left him 30 feet for birdie. He made the 30-footer and hopped back into a tie for the top spot.

At the 15th, Ogilvy's tee shot missed the green short and then he left himself five feet for par. His try for three missed right and he bogeyed the hole, which put him one behind Parnevik.

Ogilvy made a nice par save at 16 after he played his second shot into a hazard and then failed to get the ball up the hill, watching as his ball rolled back into the hazard. Parnevik had a four-footer for birdie and a two-shot edge at the same hole, but he missed it right.

Calcavecchia had moved up the leaderboard after a double-bogey at six with birdies at nine and 11. At 17, he drained a 12-foot birdie putt to get to 18-under and trail Parnevik by only one.

At the 18th, Ogilvy came up short of the green from 171 yards and could not get up and down. His nine-foot par save lipped out left and dropped him to minus-17.

The bogey by Ogilvy meant that Parnevik had only to contend with Calcavecchia at 18 to preserve the title.

"It was a struggle," said Parnevik, who pocketed $576,000 for the win. "I had no momentum. After the bogey at nine, I felt it wasn't going my way."

"I'm obviously pretty disappointed right now," said Calcavecchia, who broke his hat in anger after the round. "I goofed. I had my chances. I'm not going to say Jesper didn't deserve to win, but I blew it."

Calcavecchia finished with a 70 on Sunday while Perks posted a 66 and Ogilvy a 69.

Durant's bid for three-straight wins came up short but it did not seem to bother him.

"I'm not disappointed," said Durant, who remained the only multiple winner on tour this season. "I played great this week too but my putter didn't catch fire."

John Daly missed several short putts on Sunday and then double- bogeyed the last to finish with a 72. He tied for 11th at 13-under par.

Ty Tryon, the high-school sophomore who was within two of the lead on Friday, carded a four-under 68 on Sunday to end the tournament at 10-under.

"I can't believe it's over, but at least I had a great round today," said Tryon, whose 10-under was the lowest score in relation to par by an amateur in a PGA event since Phil Mickelson went 16-under in winning the 1991 Northern Telecom Open.

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