Chris Kirk wins McGladrey Classic.
Chris Kirk survived a wild back nine Sunday to win the McGladrey Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga., 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 victory, 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 below 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 victory 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, 41, who now has six runner-up finishes since he first joined the PGA Tour in 1999. Kirk finished at 14-under 266.
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 in Gold Coast, Australia. 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.
France’s Victor Dubuisson won the inaugural Turkish Airlines Open in Antalaya, Turkey, 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.
Taiwan’s Teresa Lu won the Mizuno Classic in Shima, Japan, birdieing the last two holes and six of the final eight for a two-stroke victory. Lu, 25, 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 (Arkansas Razorbacks), the 2012 winner, tied for eighth at 7 under after a 70. Brittany Lincicome, a stroke behind the second-round leaders entering the day, had a 77 to tie for 29th at 2 under.
Laurie Rinker won the season-ending Legends Tour Open in Palm Harbor, Fla., on Sunday, parring the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Trish Johnson, Lorie Kane and Barb Mucha. After opening with a 6-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead, Rinker, 51, had a 74 on Sunday to finish at 5-under 141 on Innisbrook Resort’s Island Course. She earned $30,000. “It’s hard to play when your stomach is in your throat,” said Rinker, a twotime winner on the LPGA Tour. “I actually started out good on the front and was doing really well, but a couple holes before the turn I started choking up a little bit. I hit two poor shots that I can say were because I was nervous.” Mucha had a 69, and Johnson and Kane shot 72.