John Daly wins again after nine years

John Daly birdied the first playoff hole on Sunday to edge out Chris Riley and Britain's Luke Donald at the $4.5 million Buick Invitational and seize his first PGA Tour victory for nearly nine years.

All three competitors finished 72 holes on 10-under-par 278. Riley (69) and Donald (69) birdied the 18th in regulation play while Daly could only muster a par as he carded a closing three-over 75.

The trio then played the 18th again in the playoff and Daly came out on top when he splashed out to six inches from a greenside bunker and tapped in for a birdie four. Donald missed his birdie putt while Riley's attempt at a four lipped out.

Daly, 37, earned $864,000 for his first PGA Tour win since the 1995 British Open. It is since that year golf's oldest major championship has been regarded as a PGA Tour event.

Phil Mickelson, Bo Van Pelt, Duffy Waldorf, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, Shigeki Maruyama of Japan and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn finished in a tie for fourth place on 279.

World number one and defending champion Tiger Woods was in a group of six players back on 280.

Woods was in contention when he reached nine-under through 10 holes but he gave a shot back and eventually tied for 10th, his worst finish in seven appearances in this event.

"It's a wonderful feeling to win again," Daly told reporters. "...It was just the sweetest victory.

"It is because it's been a long, long time. I've won two majors, nothing can take that away, but I've never won a tournament that Tiger has been in the field.

"That feels good. And this field this week was one of the strongest fields we can have."

Daly had history on his side going into the final round. When leading after 54 holes, he had won three of four tournaments.

But after his tee shot on the par-three third found a hazard, Daly trailed Stewart Cink by one stroke.

"I just tried to hit a little draw in there," Daly said. "I thought it was going to be laying on the up-slope and would be fine.

"I told (caddie) Peter (Van Der Riet), I said, 'we can still win', when I made the five, when I made the putt.

"That was a crucial, crucial putt. I know it was for double bogey but it kept me going."

He regained the lead as Cink bogeyed three of the next four holes and Daly produced his only birdie of the round at the sixth.

"This golf course played hard today," Daly said. "I'm sitting there thinking, 'it's one of those days', everything was so in between clubs.

"It was just a weird day. You couldn't go at any of the flags. There weren't a lot of birdie holes out there, I thought."

The most dramatic stroke of the day came when faced with a 96-foot bunker shot on the playoff hole, Daly nestled the ball to within six inches of the cup.

Donald and Riley missed six-footers for birdie that would have continued the playoff.

"Any time you win a tournament, you win with your short game," Daly said. "Whether it's chipping or putting, you win tournaments with your short game.

"I won the British Open with my short game. I won the (1991 U.S.) PGA with my short game."

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