ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA. (AP) - Chris Kirk survived a wild back nine Sunday to win the McGladrey Classic, thanks to one big mistake by Briny Baird that kept him winless in 365 starts on the PGA Tour.
Kirk closed with a 4-under 66 for his second career win, though he received plenty of help from Baird. They were tied for the lead playing the 18th hole at Sea Island when Baird drove into a fairway bunker, the ball blow his feet. He topped a 4-iron that went about 90 yards and into a hazard.
Kirk only had to make par for a one-shot win over Baird (67) and Tim Clark (62).
The victory sends Kirk to the Masters for the first time. He had been living at Sea Island for the last six years until moving back to Atlanta. It was a crushing loss for Baird, who now has six runner-up finishes since the 41-year-old first joined the PGA Tour in 1999.
Kirk finished at 14-under 266.
AUSTRALIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) _ Masters champion Adam Scott won the storm-delayed Australian PGA in his first home event since winning at Augusta National, beating American Rickie Fowler by four strokes.
Scott finished with a 4-under 67 at Royal Pines for a 14-under 270 total. Fowler shot 68.
Scott and Fowler marked their balls on the 12th fairway after a severe storm warning suspended play with Scott holding a one-shot lead. When Scott returned, his iron shot from the fairway nearly holed out for an albatross and he made the 1-foot eagle putt.
Scott moves on to Royal Melbourne next week to defend his Australian Masters title. He will play with Jason Day on the Australian team at the World Cup, also at Royal Melbourne, then play at the Australian Open at Royal Sydney a week later.
TURKISH AIRLINES OPEN
ANTALAYA, Turkey (AP) _ France’s Victor Dubuisson won the inaugural Turkish Airlines Open for his first European Tour title, beating Wales’ Jamie Donaldson by two strokes.
Dubuisson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 24-under 264. Donaldson had a hole-in-one at the 16th in a 63.
Tiger Woods and Justin Rose tied for third, four shots back. Woods, who won’t play again until the World Challenge on Dec. 5 in Thousand Oaks, Calif., shot 67. Rose had a 65.
MIZUNO CLASSIC
SHIMA, Japan (AP) _ Taiwan’s Teresa Lu won the Mizuno Classic, birdieing the last two holes and six of the final eight for a two-stroke victory.
The 25-year-old Lu, a regular on the Japan LPGA Tour after giving up her LPGA Tour membership in 2010, shot an 8-under 64 in windy, wet conditions at Kintetsu Kashikojima. She finished at 14-under 202 and earned $180,000 for her first professional title.
South Korea’s Chella Choi, tied with Lu with two holes to play, had a 66 to finish second.
American Stacy Lewis, the 2012 winner, tied for eighth at 7 under after a 70. Brittany Lincicome, a stroke behind second-round leaders Higa, Ichinose and Oyama entering the day, had a 77 to tie for 29th at 2 under.
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