PORTLAND, Ore. - Suzann Pettersen won the Safeway Classic for the second time in three years Sunday, taking advantage of playing partner Yani Tseng’s final-round collapse at Columbia Edgewater.
Three strokes behind leader Tseng entering the round, the third-ranked Pettersen closed with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over second-ranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks).
Pettersen finished at 20-under 268 for her 12th LPGA Tour victory. The 32-yearold Norwegian also won the LPGA Lotte in Hawaii in April and won a Ladies European Tour event in March in China. She won the 2011 tournament at Pumpkin Ridge.
Tseng followed her third round 63 with a 78 to tie for ninth at 12 under. The Taiwanese star, a 15-time winner on the tour who had a 109-week run at No. 1 in the world ranking, is winless in 37 events since the Kia Classic in March 2012.
Lewis, a three-time winner this year, shot a 68. Lizette Salas was third at 17 under after a 69, and 2008 champion Cristie Kerr was another stroke back after a 69.
After a double bogey on the par-3 second hole, Pettersen birdied five of the next six holes and eight of 11. The European Solheim Cup player made an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-3 eighth to overtake Lewis for the lead, curled in a 5-footer for birdie on the par-5 10th and made a 25-footer from off the green on the par-4 11th.
Pettersen opened up a four-stroke lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th. She ran into trouble at the 175-yard, par-3 16th, following a short tee shot with a poor chip. But she minimized the damage when her next chip rolled within 3 feet to set up a bogey-saving putt. She then closed with two pars.
PGA TOUR
Garcia leads by two
NORTON, Mass. - Sergio Garcia was doing everything right. He had the lead going into the third round. He kept bogeys off his card and made two birdies on the front nine.
And he was losing ground Sunday in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Garcia regained control on the back nine of the rain-softened TPC Boston, making five birdies for a 6-under 65 that gave him a two-shot lead over Henrik Stenson. Garcia hit 4-iron from 218 yards onto the 18th green for a two-putt birdie as darkness settled over New England on this longest of days.
Stenson had a 66.
Tee times have been moved up this morning because of the threat of more rain.
Garcia was at 19-under 194, though the Spaniard isn’t great at protecting the 54-hole lead. His record is 3-7 when he has at least a share of the lead going into the last day.
About the only ones who couldn’t keep up were the star attractions at the start of the week - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Mickelson had his second consecutive 71 and wound up 12 shots behind. and Woods was 13strokes back after a 72.
Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 4-under 67 and is tied with 11 others in 29th place.
WEB.COM TOUR
Immelman gets card
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Trevor Immelman rallied to win the Hotel Fitness Championship at Sycamore Hills to lock up a PGA Tour card in the Web.com Tour Finals opener.
Immelman, the South African who won the 2008 Masters, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 6-under 66 and a one-stroke victory over Patrick Cantlay.
Cantlay, three strokesahead entering the round, had a chance to force a playoff, but missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th. He finished with a 72.
The top 25 on the Web.com Tour money list last week after the Cox Classic are assured PGA Tour cards for the 2013-14 season, while Nos. 26-75 are fighting with Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings for 25 additional cards in the four-event Web.com Tour Finals series. With the $180,000 first-place check, Immelman - 143rd in the FedEx Cup standings - is guaranteed to get one of those cards.
Immelman had a 20-under268 total.
Scott Gardiner (Farmington) shot a 4-under 68, finishing in third place, two strokes behind, and won $58,000.
Glen Day (Little Rock) finished in a tie for 52nd after shooting an even-par 72 and won $3,350.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Mediate has no problem
CALGARY, Alberta - Rocco Mediate ran away with the inaugural Shaw Charity Classic for his second victory in 17 starts in his first Champions Tour season.
The 50-year-old Mediate, the Allianz Championship winner in February in his first Champions Tour start, closed with a 7-under 64 at tree-lined Canyon Meadows for a seven-stroke victory.
Mediate opened with a 63 and had a 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round. The six-time PGA Tour winner finished at 22-under 191, playing the back nine in 18 under, to tie the tour record for lowest total score in a 54-hole event.
Tom Byrum had a 64 to finish second. Duffy Waldorf and Kirk Triplett tied for third at 14 under. Waldorf had a 65, and Triplett shot 67.
EUROPEAN TOUR Bourdy gets on birdie run
NEWP ORT, Wales - France’s Gregory Bourdy birdied the last three holes for a 4-under 67 and a two-stroke victory over American Peter Uihlein in the Wales Open.
Bourdy won his fourth European Tour title and first since the 2009 Hong Kong Open. He finished at 8-under 276 on Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Course, the site of the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Uihlein closed with a 72. The former Oklahoma State star and 2010 U.S. Amateur champion won the Madeira Islands Open in May.
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/02/2013