Ames Finally Secures First PGA Tour Victory

Stephen Ames earned the first PGA Tour victory of his career in the Western Open on Sunday at Lemont, Ill., shooting a one-under-par 70 to finish at 10-under 274 and beat Steve Lowery by two strokes.

Luke Donald (67) and Mark Hensby (73) were three strokes back. Stuart Appleby (72) and Mark Ogilvy (73) were four shots behind Ames in fifth.

Tiger Woods began the day with a chance to get his first stroke-play victory of the year, only four shots off the lead. But he couldn’t get his putts to fall, leaving several birdie chances within inches of the hole, and didn’t make his first birdie until the 15th hole. He shot a 71, and finished in a tie for seventh at 279.

Ames is the first touring pro from Trinidad and Tobago. He turned pro in 1987 and joined the tour in 1996, but the closest he had come to victory was a second-place finish at the Players Championship in 2002.

But Ames is having one of the best, most consistent years of anyone on the tour. He had eight top-10 finishes in 16 events, including six of his last seven starts.

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Jim Thorpe capped a three-under 67 with an 18-foot par putt and beat three players by one stroke in the Long Island Classic at East Meadow, N.Y., making him the first player this year on the Champions Tour to successfully defend a title.

Thorpe won for the second time this year and the ninth time on the tour. His nine-under 201 total was one shot better than Bobby Wadkins (70), Andy Bean (67) and Wayne Levi (68).

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U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen shot a four-under 68 to win the European Open at Straffan, England, pulling away for a five-stroke victory.

Goosen, who led by one shot after three rounds, finished at 13-under 275. Richard Green (66), Lee Westwood (71) and Peter O’Malley (70) were at 280.

Goosen is the first player to win his first start after winning a major since Woods in 2000 (PGA, NEC Invitational).