GOLF ROUNDUP : Woods Becomes Youngest to Win U.S. Junior Title

Despite a bogey on the first playoff hole, 15-year-old Tiger Woods of Cypress became the youngest winner in the 44-year history of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship Sunday at the Bay Hill course in Orlando, Fla.

Woods trailed 16-year-old Brad Zwetschke of Kankakee, Ill., by two holes after seven in the match-play format. But Woods took the next five holes before faltering at the end, losing a one-hole lead at the 18th.

Zwetschke had a double bogey on the playoff hole.

It wasn’t a U.S. Open, but it was still a pressure putt and when Billy Ray Brown made the 25-footer, he erased some self-doubts about his ability.

The putt came on the first playoff hole of the Greater Hartford Open and he beat Rick Fehr and Corey Pavin to claim his first PGA Tour victory.

A year ago he doubted his ability during the final round of the U.S. Open and it cost him a chance at the title.

He never waivered at the Tournament Players Club at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

“I just took my time and trusted myself,” he said. “At Medinah I let the pressure get to me. It was incredible. I had a chance to win the national title. I hadn’t won a tournament yet and I didn’t trust myself.”

The playoff birdie was Brown’s fifth of the day, as he finished with a 67 and 271 total.

The key to Brown’s tournament was his putter, which has been the worst part of his game.

In addition to the winning putt, he also sank a 40-foot putt on the fourth hole, and a 10-foot putt for par on the 18th hole.

Juli Inkster ended a two-year winless streak, sinking a three-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Caroline Keggi by one stroke at the LPGA Bay State Classic at Canton, Mass.

Inkster, who began the round one stroke behind co-leaders Keggi and Kay Cockerill, shot a five-under-par 67 for a 13-under 275 total and her 14th career victory.

Inkster never trailed after a birdie at the eighth hole tied her with Keggi at 10 under. Another birdie at the 187-yard 13th moved Inkster to 13 under, two strokes ahead of Keggi and Meg Mallon, winner of the LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open in the last month.

U.S. Open winner Payne Stewart took his first European PGA title with a final-round 70, romping to a nine-stroke victory in the Dutch Open at Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Stewart finished 21 under at 267. Tied for second were Per-Ulrik Johansson of Sweden and Bernhard Langer of Germany.