Golf Roundup: Senden takes John Deere

SILVIS, Ill. — John Senden grinned and hugged his coach. He was elated, relieved and, most importantly, a winner on the PGA Tour.

The Australian birdied the 17th hole and saved par on No. 18 Sunday to hold off J.P. Hayes and win the John Deere Classic, earning his first PGA Tour victory and qualifying for this week's British Open.

Making his 139th Tour start, Senden shot a 3-under 68 to finish at 19-under 265 and beat Hayes (65) by a stroke.

"It was a feeling of relief that you can get it done," said the 35-year-old Senden, who earned $720,000.

Hayes nearly took it away from him.

Seeking his third Tour victory and second in the John Deere, Hayes put himself in position for an eagle and the lead on the 17th hole but settled for a birdie instead. He drove his tee shot 335 yards and hit a 5-iron to about 6 feet. His eagle putt rolled to the right of the cup. After a tap-in, he was tied for the lead.

But Senden was alone in front when he birdied the 17th, tapping in from inside 2 feet.

Things got interesting when Senden's second shot on the 18th landed in a bunker. He thought the ball would stay on the green, but he wasn't upset. Senden saw a good angle, and his chip shot stopped 5 inches from the hole for an easy tap-in for a par and the victory.

"My lie in the bunker was a beautiful lie," he said.

Alex Cejka (67) and Heath Slocum (68) tied for third at 16 under.

Senden's best previous finish was a tie for fifth at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January.

"I always thought I could do it and probably had to be a matter of time, because I was playing well the last couple of years," said Senden, the fifth Australian to win on the Tour this year.

Ryan Moore (71) of Puyallup tied for 27th place at 274. Kirk Triplett (75), a Pullman High School graduate, tied for 69th at 282.

Kim beats Gulbis

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Natalie Gulbis has waited 4 ½ years for her first LPGA Tour victory. Mi Hyun Kim made her wait at least a little longer.

Kim rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to beat Gulbis and win the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Kim earned $180,000 for her second victory of the year and seventh in seven seasons on the Tour.

Gulbis, who often models for magazines and calendars, had not finished better than a tie for third on Tour.

The three top finishers each closed with 6-under 65s, with Kim and Gulbis completing regulation at 18-under 266. Paula Creamer missed a 12-footer on No. 18 that would have put her in the playoff.

Other tournaments

• Sweden's Johan Edfors shot an 8-under 63 to beat England's Luke Donald (66), South Africa's Charl Schwartzel (67) and Argentina's Andres Romero (69) by two strokes in the Scottish Open in Luss. Edfors finished with a 13-under 271 total.

• Brandt Snedeker beat Jeff Quinney on the second hole of a playoff to take the Scholarship America Showdown, a Nationwide Tour event in Byron, Minn. Snedeker was at 16-under 272 for 72 holes and earned $99,000.

• Actor Jack Wagner made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to shoot an even-par 72 and win the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Stateline, Nev.

Wagner, the first nonprofessional athlete to win the event in its 17-year history at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, finished with 70 points in the modified Stableford scoring system. He earned $100,000. Former NFL quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver had 69 points. Chris Chandler, ex-UW Huskies and NFL quarterback, was sixth with 56 points. Former Seahawks QB Trent Dilfer tied for 14th with 47 points.