Crane Wins CIMB Asia Pacific Classic

American Ben Crane won the inaugural CIMB Asia Pacific Classic on Sunday, eagling the par-4 15th and making an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat England's Brian Davis by a stroke.

Crane closed with a 2-under 69 at The Mines to finish at 18 under and earn $1 million in the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia.

Davis shot a 66, finishing birdie-eagle-birdie.

Scotland's Martin Laird (66) and England's Luke Donald (67) tied for third at 16 under, and Robert Allenby (64),Ernie Els (66), Rickie Fowler (67), D.J. Trahan (68), Ryan Moore (69) and Mardan Mamat (69) followed at 14 under.

After making three straight bogeys to fall a stroke behind Laird, Crane drove the green on the 15th and holed his 8-foot eagle putt to regain the lead. Davis pulled even with his closing birdie, but Crane avoided a playoff with his winning birdie.

The slow-playing Crane won the Farmers Insurance Open in January at Torrey Pines for his third official career PGA TOUR victory.

The Asian Tour also sanctioned the 40-man event.

CIMB Asia Pacific Classic leader board

Crane Flies in Malaysia

Ben Crane of the USA holds a two-shot lead after the third round of the $6 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia on Saturday after carding birdies on three of his closing four holes for a five-under-par 66 and a 16-under-par total at The MINES Resort and Golf Club..

Carl Pettersson of Sweden is two shots adrift in second place - on 14 under - following  a 66 of his own.

Singapore's veteran Mardan Mamat, produced a superb 65 for a share of third place, four shots back. 

England's duo of Brian Davis andLuke Donald -  along US pair of  Ryan Moore and Ricky Barnes - are a tied for third on 12 under par.

One of the surprises at the inaugural CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA TOUR, was Bangladeshi Siddikur, who returned a flawless 65 for a share of eighth place, with amongst others, joint overnight leader Pariya Junhasavasdikul of Thailand, who battled to a 71.

A one-hour weather delay in the afternoon caused by a thunderstorm brought only good fortune for Crane, the joint overnight leader and a three-time PGA TOUR winner, as it sparked a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th to 17th holes upon the resumption of play.

"I'm pretty excited with where my game is at. I've been working hard on getting my mind in the right place. That's what this game is all about. I'm just trying to play freely and trying to play like when I was playing like a kid," said Crane, who won the Farmers Insurance Open in January.

"I haven't been in this position a lot. But I'm thrilled to be here. Obviously there's no position I'd rather be in but certainly, I'll pray tonight for peace and relaxation and come out tomorrow to enjoy this experience. It's really fun to be playing well here. The Malaysian people have welcomed us with open arms. Everything has been fantastic."

Pettersson, a four-time winner on TOUR including the RBC Canadian Open in July, was also hot on the back nine with five birdies after touring the front nine in even par. "It wasn't a great start. But I made some good birdies and played a good back nine to get myself back into the tournament. It was a fun finish," said the Swede.

He rifled a five iron to within four feet of the flag for birdie on No. 10 and then chipped in for another birdie on 14.

"I've been playing well all week, nothing really spectacular," Pettersson said. "I'm hitting it straight and hitting my irons nice enough."

Sticking to the mantra of hitting one shot at a time, a patient Mardan showed his steel with two closing birdies after a bogey on No. 16 threatened to spoil his card. With one round to go, he knows a special round on Sunday could land him the cool $1 million top prize.

"I told myself that it would be nice to finish with two birdies and I did just that," said the Singaporean, who is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. "I remained patient and just enjoyed my game. I didn't have high expectations of how I would do this week and told myself to enjoy my game and take it one step at a time."

Siddikur was over the moon to feature on the leaderboard and will enter the last round five shots off the pace at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia. The 26-year-old, who grew up in a poor family in Dhaka and built a first club with a broken seven iron head stuck on a metal rod, brilliantly sank six birdies and outscored playing partner Heath Slocum, winner on the PGA Tour two weeks ago, by six shots.

"I think it was a great day. It was absolutely good today ... drive, irons, chipping and putting were absolutely good," smiled Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour with his win in the Brunei Open in August.

"It's a big tournament in my life and I'm enjoying playing with the PGA TOUR players. I'm learning something from them."

It could yet be a long shot for him to upset the odds and land the million dollar prize money on Sunday but after coming out of poverty with hard work and determination, he refused to stop dreaming.

"Just dreaming about the big money for me and for Bangladesh. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, need another good round," he said. "I'm just playing golf. I'm not scared as I've been playing for so long. I'm playing like when I'm playing with friends."

Thai Star Leads in Malaysia

Thai star Pariya Junhasavasdikul shared the lead with American Ben Crane at the $6 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia after Friday's second round signing for a 6-under-par 65 to lead at 11-under-par with Crane, a three-time PGA TOUR winner who fired the day's best round, a 64. 

Overnight leader Ricky Barnes and Ryan Moore, from the United States, were a stroke back while World No. 8 Luke Donald of England and Australian Adam Scott climbed into contention with a 67 and 65 respectively to finish Friday three behind the leaders. 

Three-time major winner Ernie Els of South Africa warned his rivals he was capable of going low this weekend after ending the second round in ninth place following a second-round 68 in the inaugural event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA TOUR. 

Pariya said he felt more nervous having his coach, Shane Wilding, watching his every shot than playing alongside many of the world's leading stars. 

Scott, who has won titles in China and Singapore previously, showed he was back to his best form after a month-long break in Australia. After making two bogeys in his first four holes, the Australian fired six birdies and an eagle from 25 feet on the 17th to move into contention. 

Donald, a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team earlier this month, made six birdies against two bogeys despite not producing his best golf. 

Els, chasing a third TOUR title this season and fresh off his triumph at the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda last week, is counting on his putter to find the range in the weekend rounds to make a title charge. 

"I played well and hit a lot of greens. If I can get my putter a little hotter, I can have a chance," said the man nicknamed the "Big Easy." 

"I know where to go now. I know how the greens react. I'm looking forward to a better weekend. I think I can have a low round. I'm playing good enough."

Donald Plays in Malaysia

Most of the big names in the 40-player field at this week's CIMB Asia Pacific Classic have traveled a long way to play 72 holes of golf. But they realize the significance of participating in the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia.

"Golf is a global game now. People want to see the U.S. players playing in Malaysia, China or Japan. New events like this tend to increase fan support for the game and create awareness that there are great places around the world to play golf in," said Englishman Luke Donald, who is ranked No. 8 in the world, the highest among the players at the Mines Resort and Golf Club.

The European Ryder Cup stalwart will be joined by a stellar cast that includes South Africans Ernie Els, a three-time major champion; two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen and Tim Clark, who won THE PLAYERS Championship in May. The event is sanctioned by the PGA TOUR, Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Association of Malaysia.

The Americans in the field are Rickie Fowler, Ryan Moore, Kevin Na, Ben Crane, Ricky Barnes, J.B. Holmes, Ryan Palmer, Heath Slocum, Tom Gillis,Kevin Streelman, D.J. Trahan and Bill Haas, who has won two TOUR events this year.

Clark won his first PGA TOUR title at TPC Sawgrass and has continued to sparkle with six other top-10 finishes. He is eyeing more success this week.

"I think this is a very important stretch for us to come over here," he said. "We certainly don't want to travel all the way here and not have our 'A' game. It is something I'm geared for and getting my game in good shape to play well."

Clark lauded the development of golf in Asia in recent years.

"I've seen the growth down here. With the amount of Asian players we see in the majors and world golf events, it shows the game is growing," he said. "If you get onto the computer and the television, you can see the Asian Tour or Japanese Tour events. There's no question the game is growing down here and I think it is fantastic."

Els, who came from behind to win the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bemuda last week, had never been to Malaysia prior to this week.

"As much as I've traveled in my 20 years as a professional golfer, this will be my first visit to this particular part of the world," Els said in his weekly blog on PGATOUR.COM. "And this week's CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, a new tournament on the schedule, is the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event in this region.

"It's going to be quite a week and I'm really looking forward to it. ... From what I've heard the architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. has done a pretty amazing job (with the course). I saw some photos on-line last week and it looks quite impressive, with many of the holes adjacent to a huge lake."

Three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand; Korea's teen titan Noh Seung-yul, the current No. 1 on the Asian Tour; and fellow countryman K.J. Choi will be among the local favorites.

Also in the field is Korean Y.E. Yang, who delivered Asia's first major victory when he won the 2009 PGA Championship. He plans to end his year with a big bang to make up for a relatively quiet season in the United States.

Yang arrived at the impressive Mines Resort and Golf Club, built on a former tin mine, on Monday and instantly found a liking for the course.

"It's going to be fun. It looks like a fun course," said Yang, who is an honorary member of the Asian Tour. "It seems like a lot of birdies will come out. The key is to play well on the greens which are fast and undulating."

Yang hopes this week's event will spark other Asian countries to follow suit and establish lucrative tournaments as well.

"It's always good to have the Asian Tour bring in new ideas. This is definitely a good idea and to have the PGA TOUR partner with the Asian Tour and the Asian Tour partner the PGA TOUR, it reflects how the Asian Tour has made big strides for golf in Asia," Yang said.

"Hopefully the organizers and sponsors can sustain this effort for many years. This, being a benchmark event, hopefully the same type of events can spread and proliferate themselves around Asia."

Noh, Yang's Korean countryman, looks forward to testing his skills against some of golf's top names. He'll be paired in the opening round with Donald.

"It's great that this big event is being held and a lot of Asians are offered the opportunity to play. It's a good opportunity not only for the PGA TOUR players to showcase their talents but also good for the Asian Tour players to showcase our talents and hopefully, and probably, one of us can do well this week," he said.

Hole in One Wins Play Off for Byrd

In a swift and shocking finish, Jonathan Byrd won a three-man playoff Sunday with a hole-in-one on the fourth extra hole in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Moments earlier, Byrd stood on the 18th green with Martin Laird and Cameron Percy as they discussed whether there was enough light to continue. They agreed to play one more hole -- the 204-yard 17th at the TPC Summerlin.

And the playoff essentially ended with one swing.

It was too dark for Byrd to see his ball land about 10 feet short of the flag and roll into the cup, and even the cheers from a smattering of fans around the green weren't convincing.

"Did that go in?" Byrd asked his caddie.

Almost as stunning was that Byrd remained in the playoff. On the third playoff hole, the par-4 18th, Byrd's approach tumbled over the green and was one hop away from going into the water. Instead, it settled in a clump of grass, he chipped up to 7 feet and made the par putt just to stay alive.

One swing later, he only had to wait for Laird and Percy to hit their shots -- and they both hit into the water -- to come up with his first win of the year.

"I'm in shock," Byrd said, certainly speaking for everyone watching another Fall Series thriller.

Only a week ago, Rocco Mediate won the Frys.com Open at CordeValle by holing a wedge for eagle on the 17th hole of the final round, right after Alex Prugh came within inches of holing out from the tee box with a driver.

This one was even more incredible, and it came at just the right time. Byrd was No. 117 on the money list going into Las Vegas, and his fourth career victory gives him a two-year exemption.

Players have made an eagle with a full swing on the final hole to win tournaments -- Isao Aoki in the Hawaiian Open -- but a walk-off ace is among the rarest moments in golf.

Byrd closed with a 68, and he had to watch four times -- once in regulation, three times in a playoff -- as Laird stood over a birdie putt with a chance to win. That sequence started in regulation, when Laird had a 30-foot birdie try. Laird, the defending champion, shot 69.

Percy, the Australian rookie who needed to win to keep his job on the PGA TOUR, earlier holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 67 that allowed him to get into the playoff. They finished at 21-under 263.

Byrd won $774,000 for his first win since the 2007 John Deere Classic.

Webb Simpson was at 22 under and had a one-shot lead until he pulled his tee shot into the water on the 17th and made double bogey. He finished with a 68 and wound up one shot out of the playoff, along with Spencer Levin, who had a 66.

Nick Watney, who lives in Las Vegas and was playing his final tournament before his wedding, had a 66 and tied for sixth with Cameron Beckman, who had a 67.

For those chasing a PGA TOUR card, they now wait two weeks before the final tournament at Disney.

Jonathan Byrd Wins With Hole in One

Scotland's Laird Leads on Day Three

Martin Laird of Scotland has put together two great rounds at TPC Summerlin, following a second-round 62 with a 63 leaving the Scottish golfer trying to follow his breakthrough victory with a successful title defense.

Laird eagled the 310-yard, par-4 15th -- driving the green and holing an 8-foot putt -- and closed with three pars to take a one-stroke lead over Jonathan Byrd on Saturday in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open.

"I really left myself the easiest putt on the green," Laird said. "It was a right edge, up the hill putt. That's the one most of us would want if we had 6 feet for eagle."

Last year, Laird won the event for his first PGA TOUR title, beating George McNeill with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff. Chad Campbell was eliminated on the second extra hole.

"It's completely different because last year it was probably the best chance I've had to date to win a tournament and I was 134th or something on the money list," said Laird, 43rd on the money list this season. "So there was a lot more pressure on me last year than this year. It's definitely a little more relaxed week than last year, knowing that I've had a good year so far, and I don't have to worry about playing to keep my card."

Laird, a playoff loser to Matt Kuchar in The Barclays this year, had a 19-under 194 total on the rain-softened course in the fourth of five Fall Series events.

"It's been a good three days and, even after only shooting 2 under the first day, I was pretty confident that I could post three low ones in a row to get back in contention," Laird said. "I maybe didn't think I'd post 17 under the next two rounds, but I'm pleased obviously where I am and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

"Any time you shoot 62 you've got to feel pretty good after it. I was just pleased to finally make some putts because I hit it just as good on Thursday as I did on Friday, just made nothing, so it was nice to see the ball go in the hole. I've started to get a little more comfortable with the speed of the greens as the week has gone on and putted nicely again today." '

Byrd shot a 66. Australia's Cameron Percy had a career-best 62, making eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey, to join Webb Simpson (64) at 17 under. Simpson had 10 birdies and two bogeys.

"I was 1 over through five," Simpson said. "But I told myself to stay patient and I knew birdies would come. I knew I was playing well enough to make a lot of birdies, and they came.

"I birdied six through nine and then 11 through 13 and then 15 and 16. I don't know if I've ever had 10 birdies in a round out here on TOUR, but it felt good."

Percy, a 36-year-old rookie from Australia, is 185th on the money list with the final top 125 earning full status for next year.

Cameron Beckman (64) and Spencer Levin (66) were tied for fifth at 15 under.

Byrd Leads in Las Vegas

Jonathan Byrd shot an 8-under 63 on Friday at rain-softened TPC Summerlin to take the second-round lead at 13 under in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open.

Byrd, seeking his fourth PGA TOUR title, had nine birdies and a bogey in perfect scoring conditions in the fourth of five Fall Series events.

"This golf course, when it's not firm, it takes a lot of teeth out of the golf course," Byrd said. "And the hole location and the way the greens are shaped and everything. But the ball is not going quite as far. I've hit it very well the last two days. I've given myself a lot of options, and I've putted well."

Ryuji Imada was a stroke back after a 62. He had an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey.

"It helps me to have softer greens, because I'm not a longer hitter," Imada said. "And you know, it usually helps me quite a bit."

Defending champion Martin Laird (62), Alex Prugh (64), John Senden (67), George McNeill (66) and Nicholas Thompson (66) were two strokes back at 11 under. Ryder Cup player Rickie Fowler (64) topped a group at 10 under, and U.S. teammate Hunter Mahan was 7 under after a 68.

"Obviously, making the cut is kind of the first step to winning a tournament," Fowler said. "So, we're in good position going into the weekend. It would have been nice to play the par 5s a little bit better today but, all in all, a good run."

Byrd, 117th on the money list, was upset about his bogey on the par-4 11th.

"I let it get to me just for a minute," Byrd said. "I pulled it a little bit (off the tee) and I had a pretty easy shot; just kind of bumped -- run it up from 100 yards on the green. I hit it over the green, bad chip, bad putt to make a bogey. And I came back with a great birdie on the next hole.

"I was starting to think, `Man, I gave one back.' But then I came back with a birdie on the next hole and kind of got rid of that. That helped a lot."

Imada, the 2008 AT&T Classic winner, is 101st on the money list, with the top 125 after the Children's Miracle Network Classic next month in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., earning full status next year.

"I've been working hard to get my second PGA TOUR victory, and you never know when that next chance comes around," Imada said. "And this looks like it, so I'm going to give it my best shot."

Laird, from Scotland, won in a playoff last year, beating George McNeill with a birdie on the third extra hole after Chad Campbell was eliminated on the second hole.

"It's definitely the type of tournament you just have to keep firing, and even when you're 5, 6 under par, you know that's not good enough," Laird said. "You've got to keep going at pins, and that's what I did."

The cut was at 4 under 138.

Round 1 - Shriners Hospitals

Robert Garrigus, Will MacKenzie, Michael Letzig, John Senden and rookie Cameron Tringale shot 7-under 64s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, the fourth of five PGA TOUR Fall Series events.


George McNeill, Nicholas Thompson, Ryan Palmer, Vaughn Taylor and Martin Floresopened with 65s, and John Daly and Davis Love III topped a group at 66.

Hunter Mahan shot a 67 in his first round since the Ryder Cup, and U.S. teammateRickie Fowler had a 68.

MacKenzie, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, birdied his first three holes -- Nos. 1, 2 and 3 -- and made up for a bogey on No. 8 with a birdie on the ninth. He birdied Nos. 12-14 and 16 on the back nine.

"I got off to such a great start," MacKenzie said. "I hit a beautiful 5-iron into 6 or 8 feet and made it (on the par-4 third hole). Of course, I started thinking, `It's about time for me to shoot a real low one.'"

Letzig was 3 under on his last two holes, birdieing the par-3 eighth and closing with an eagle on the par-5 ninth, after playing his first nine holes in 6-under 30.

"Got off to an unbelievable start, 6 under through seven," Letzig said. "Just fell asleep in the middle of the round, played really sloppy. Missed a couple greens with wedges in my hand and just kind of got mad at myself. (But I) had a great finish. Birdie-eagle saved the round."

Senden birdied three of his last four holes on the front nine to close out his first round.

"There are half a dozen holes you really feel you have a good chance of birdieing them," Senden said. "And you feel a little bit disappointed when you walk off with a par after hitting the ball well.

"This golf course, if you're driving the ball well, you can shoot some real low numbers."

"On a couple of the long putts, where my ball didn't hit any spike marks, ball marks, the ball rolled right in the hole," Garrigus said. "It's also nice to roll a couple in early and get some confidence.

"I left a couple out there. No. 9, I made par because I had to go to the bathroom so bad, I couldn't even walk. I was walking down the fairway and I was thinking, `I really need a restroom right now.'

"But I didn't know if I was going to be tested or not today. Whenever I go to the bathroom on the golf course, they test me. I was worried about being tested after the round. Once you go to the bathroom on the golf course, it's going to take me three hours to go to the bathroom again."

Pure golf, pure agony annually at q-school

David Duval

PGATOUR.COM - Sips of Maginnes: Pure golf, pure agony annually at q-school

Furyk Disqualified from The Barclays

World number six Jim Furyk has been disqualified from the first of the FedEx Cup play-offs in America - a day before it has even started.


Furyk was barred from The Barclays tournament in New Jersey because he overslept and missed his 7.30am tee-off time in the curtain-raising pro-am.

The Ryder Cup star, who will win his seventh cap against Europe at Celtic Manor in October, was third in the play-off standings, but will now have to wait and see how much his blunder affects him in the four-tournament series.

Furyk set a wake-up call on his mobile phone, but the power ran out during the night.

It has been a policy of the US Tour - and the women's circuit in America - that anyone failing to show for the pro-am will be disqualified from the event except when it is an injury or a family emergency.

The PGA Tour website reported Furyk as saying: 'I'm kicking myself. I have a way of climbing into situations that are all my fault. I've got no one to blame but myself.'

Slugger White, the circuit's vice president of rules and competition, commented: 'When things like that happen sometimes you think the worst ... worried some stuff happened on the road.

'Thank goodness that wasn't what it was. We kept looking and kept trying to call. It is unfortunate. Knowing Jim as I do and we all do, he handled it extremely professionally and put all of the blame on himself.

'He is a fan favourite and everybody likes him. He is a really good guy, but my hands are tied. I am sure he will recover quite nicely next week and jump right in there again.'

European interest will centre on the performances of Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Justin Rose.

All four have elected to stay in the States rather than cross the Atlantic for the final Ryder Cup qualifying event in Scotland.

They will all know by now not to leave their best until last on this occasion - the final round will be in progress when European captain Colin Montgomerie names his three wild cards.

There is Ryder Cup importance too in how Tiger Woods plays. A bad week could knock the world number one out of the play-offs.

That would give American captain Corey Pavin no more opportunity to evaluate Woods before he names his four wild cards on Tuesday week.

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