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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, September 25, 2006

Axley wins Texas Open by three

Associated Press

Axley

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SAN ANTONIO — Tennessee left-hander Eric Axley won the Texas Open for his first PGA Tour title yesterday, closing with a 1-over 71 for a three-stroke victory.

He led by four shots to start the day, and built a six-shot lead heading into the back nine. But the double bogey on 14 after he drove into the trees cut it briefly to two. It's a 543-yard, par 5 reachable in two shots.

"I didn't stick to my game plan. I got aggressive, and I paid for it," Axley said. "It was just a bad decision. It wasn't a driver hole for me today. I just wanted to play one shot at a time and keep it in the fairway."

The 32-year-old Axley had a stretch of 53 consecutive holes without a bogey or worse on the par-70 Resort Course at LaCantera Golf Club. The string ended on the 14th and he went on to finish at 15-under 265.

Three players finished at 12 under, including 21-year-old Anthony Kim. Playing in his first PGA Tour event with a sponsor's exemption, Kim shot a 65 to tie for second with Hawai'i's Dean Wilson (69) and first-round co-leader Justin Rose (68).

ELSEWHERE

LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge: Annika Sorenstam gave Karrie Webb a bit of a scare in the final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge at Danville, Calif.

Starting the day with a five-stroke lead, Webb parred the final five holes yesterday for a 2-under 70 and one-stroke victory over Sorenstam, who made things interesting with a 65.

Webb won her LPGA Tour-leading fourth title of the year and pushed her career total to 35. The resurgent Australian star, inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, had a 15-under 273 total on Blackhawk Country Club's hilly Lakeside Course.

Nationwide Oregon Classic: Cliff Kresge won the Oregon Classic at Junction City, Ore., for his third career Nationwide Tour victory yesterday, beating former U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes with a par on the third hole of a playoff.

Barnes forced the playoff, birdieing the par-5 18th to match Kresge at 17-under 271 on the Shadow Hills Country Club course. Kresge closed with his third straight 5-under 67, while Barnes finished with his third 68 in a row.