Ames captures maiden PGA Tour title

Canada's Stephen Ames returned a steady one-under-par 70 to clinch his first PGA Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Western Open on Sunday.

The 40-year-old native of Trinidad and Tobago finished on 10-under 274 at a windy Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. He picked up $864,000 for his breakthrough triumph, lifting his earnings to $2,749,679 for the season.

American Steve Lowery secured second place with a matching 70 that left him on 276, one stroke ahead of Britain's Luke Donald (67) and Australia's Mark Hensby (73).

Two more Australians, Stuart Appleby (72) and Geoff Ogilvy (73), tied for fifth on 278.

World number one Tiger Woods could not reproduce his form of Saturday when he surged into third-round contention with a sparkling six-under-65.

The 28-year-old American, bidding for a fourth title at Cog Hill in eight years, managed only one birdie as he closed with a level-par 71.

That left him in a share of seventh place with Davis Love III, Sweden's Carl Pettersson and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk.

Ames was delighted with his win and said it had been tough over the closing holes to put the emotion of the occasion to one side.

"It was just a matter of time before it (victory) happened," Ames told reporters. "Coming down the stretch, it was kind of difficult to hold my emotions in check."

Ames, a twice winner on the European Tour in the 1990s, began the day tied for the lead with Hensby but dropped back as Lowery forged ahead with an outward nine of two-under 33.

Canadian Ames mixed eight pars with a bogey to reach the turn in one over but then drew level with Lowery when he birdied the par-three 12th after hitting his tee shot there to eight feet.

Lowery slipped back further after a hooked tee shot at the 13th led to a double-bogey six.

Hensby also found trouble on 13, running up a six after hitting his approach into a hazard left of the green.

Ogilvy got to one under for his round after birdies on six and eight but then fell away over the closing holes.

It was left to Donald, playing five groups ahead of Ames, to make a significant impression on the leaderboard on his way to a closing 67.

The 26-year-old picked up shots on one, three and 14 but spoiled his tilt at victory by failing to birdie the par-five 15th. He ran in a long birdie putt at the 17th to get to seven under overall before having to settle for a share of third.

Ames hit his second shot on to the green at the par-five 15th and two-putted for birdie. He then drained a 10-footer for par at the 16th before finishing with a pair of regulation figures.

The Canadian said he was thankful for the tough playing conditions caused by winds that gusted up to 22 miles per hour and swirled from different directions.

"I'm glad that the wind came up the way it did," said Ames. "That's what made it tough, it was definitely a patience day.

"Birdies were going to be hard to come by, and with me, it was just a matter of time of making a couple of birdies, which I did on 12, hitting a five-iron a couple of feet and then getting up on 15 in two and two-putting (form a birdie)."

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page