Lowry a surprise winner in Bridgestone

AKRON, Ohio — With no mistakes and two great escapes from the trees, Shane Lowry of Ireland introduced himself on a world stage Sunday by winning the Bridgestone Invitational.

Lowry locked up the victory in the World Golf Championship event with a shot through the trees from left of the 18th fairway that descended over a bunker and settled just over 10 feet away for one final birdie and a 4-underpar 66. He won by two shots over Bubba Watson, who also shot 66.

Lowry finished at 11-under 269 and earned $1.57 million, along with a PGA Tour card for the next three years.

In a final round at Firestone against a trio of major champions, Lowry produced a flawless card of no bogeys and plenty of emotional fist pumps to celebrate the biggest win of his career. He is the first non-PGA Tour member to win a WGC since Martin Kaymer at the 2011 HSBC Champions.

Jim Furyk and Justin Rose, who shared the 54hole lead, could not keep up. Both closed with a 72 to tie for third, four shots behind. In other golf news: • Jeff Maggert won the Shaw Charity Classic for his third Champions Tour title of year, birdieing five of the last six holes on the front nine in a four-stroke victory. The 51-yearold Texan, two strokes behind playing partners Miguel Angel Jimenez and Colin Montgomerie entering the round, closed with a 6-under 64 at Calgary, Alberta, to finish at 16-under 194. Montgomerie was second after a 70. Fred Couples, the defending champion, finished with a 68 to tie for fifth at 10 under. Jimenez had a 74 to drop into a tie for 12th at 8 under.

• J.J. Henry won the Barracuda Championship at Reno, Nev., for the second time in four years, beating Kyle Reifers with a 15-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the second hole of a playoff. After Henry holed the left-to-right breaking putt on the par-5 18th, Reifers missed a 10-footer.