Burns gains first PGA Tour win

Bob Burns became the 16th player to win his first PGA Tour event this year at the Disney World Golf Classic on Sunday, although he distinguished himself in one significant way.

None of the other first-time winners had to hold off Tiger Woods.

Playing with the poise of a proven winner, Burns made consecutive birdies on the back nine to seize control and was solid the rest of the way, closing with a 7-under 65 for a one-stroke victory over Chris DiMarco.

Woods, trying to stage his greatest final-round comeback on the PGA Tour, made up a six-stroke deficit over 10 holes and finished with a 63. He missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole that ended his chances. He finished third, two strokes behind.

It was the second time in three years at Disney that Woods has finished at 23-under 265 and had only a third-place finish to show for it.

Burns came to Disney World with hopes of having a good enough week to finish in the top 125 on the money list and keep his card. He was 118th, but that's no longer a problem.

Burns, who finished at 25-under 263, earned $666,000 and now has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

"I was pretty nervous until hitting my tee shot on 17," Burns said. "Once I got over the water, I thought I could get it to the house."

He and Woods think alike.

Woods watched Burns play the 15th hole - another par - from the ABC television booth, then came out to putting green and sat in a plastic lawn chair to watch the final few holes on the big screen TV, waiting to see if there was any reason for him to stick around.

"This is the tournament here," Woods said as he watched Burns tee off on No. 17.

As Burns' tee shot easily cleared the water and trees on the dogleg left, Woods grinned watching him bend over to snatch his tee from the ground.

"Oh, he pured it. Good for him," Woods said.

It was the first victory for Burns since he won the Buy.com Tour Championship four years ago to clinch player of the year honors on the developmental tour.

In some respects, it was overdue.

Burns had an excellent chance to win earlier this year at the Kemper Open, especially after making an ace in the final round. But his approach to the 16th took a bizarre kick that led to a double bogey and cost him a chance at winning.

That wasn't the case Sunday across the street from the Magic Kingdom.

The final round developed into a shootout everyone expected, and Burns was up to the task. He took the outright lead with a 10-foot birdie on the 11th hole, but the turning point came later.

With Woods, David Toms and DiMarco still on his heels, Burns holed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 13, followed by a 30-footer on the par-5 14th to open a two-stroke margin.

He never backed off, which was a little surprising.

As Woods walked toward the 18th green, Kultida Woods was asked if her son's performance would be good enough for another victory.

"Has Burns ever won?" she asked.

Told that he hadn't, she pursed her lips. "It might be tough if he sees Tiger up there."

Burns' strategy was not to look at a leaderboard until he reached 24-under par. That came after the 13th hole, and all he did was add the decisive birdie.

"Thankfully, it was only 72 holes," Burns said. "Give him (Woods) nine more holes, and he would have had it."

Not this time.

Woods has been able to work his magic on some of the tour's top players. It's the unheralded players who seem to do the best holding up under pressure - Rich Beem at the PGA Championship, Billy Mayfair in a playoff at Los Angeles and Duffy Waldorf two years ago at Disney.

There was no time for anyone to get nervous, not with so many birdies to be made on the Magnolia course at Disney.

"I felt like if I can get to 10 under for the day, I'd have a pretty good chance," Woods said. "As it ended up, it probably wouldn't have been good enough."

He was right.

Woods made five birdies on the first nine holes, a score that could have been lower considering he twice narrowly missed eagle putts inside 18 feet. Still, he was poised to make a move by hitting out of the rough to 4 feet on No. 13 for birdie, then knocking in a 35-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 14.

Woods figured he needed birdies on the last two holes for any chance, and he almost got it done. He hit a 9-iron to 3 feet on No. 17, then a 7-iron to 6 feet on the last hole.

But he pulled the putt, walking immediately after he struck the ball. He cursed and slapped the head of his putter, knowing his only hope of winning was gone.

DiMarco tied the 36-hole record with opening rounds of 64 and 63, but was only 7 under on the weekend.

"My hat's off to him," DiMarco said of Burns. "He came out and beat me today, and that's what it's all about out here."

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