Crane picks up first PGA Tour victory

DULUTH, Ga. -- Ben Crane stood on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead, his first PGA Tour victory within reach.

He planned to play conservatively, but a 357-yard drive changed that strategy.

Crane made an eagle on the last hole Sunday and beat Bob Tway by four shots at the BellSouth Classic for his first victory in his 40th tour event.

"I am so thankful, I played great. I'm a little numb still," said Crane, the first first-time winner on the PGA Tour this year.

Crane's eagle at the 18th punctuated a 29 on the back nine, and his 63 tied the course record. His 127 total in the last two rounds is the lowest on tour this season.

At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Crane doesn't look like a big hitter. But his drive on the par-5 18th carried just over the top of a hill, then bounded down the fairway and through a gallery crossing path.

The drive wound up 190 yards from the green, and Crane felt he couldn't afford to lay up.

"When you hit it there, you've got to go," he said. "If you hit it on top of the hill, you have a one-shot lead, you lay up."

He hit a 7-iron 20 feet behind the hole, then high-fived his caddy. Crane chose to make the walk up to the green with playing partner Stewart Cink, who lives inside the gates of the TPC at Sugarloaf.

When Crane rolled in the eagle putt, he flipped his putter in the air, then pumped his fists several times before hugging Cink.

"I've been struggling with the mental part of allowing myself to play well, and Stewart has become a very good, close friend," said Crane, whose previous best finish was a tie for 10th.

He walked to the scorer's tent and hugged his wife, Heather, then accepted congratulations from Steve Jones, who had finished his round three groups earlier.

Tway, who trailed leader Lee Janzen by two shots entering the final round, held the top spot for most of the day until a three-putt bogey at No. 15. Up ahead at No. 16, Crane made a birdie to take the lead.

"I could have hit a few closer shots, and I could have made a couple of putts there, but Ben shot a fabulous round," said Tway, who hasn't won in eight years. "So I'm not going to kick myself in the rear, but I still have some improving to do."

Office Depot

LOS ANGELES -- Annika Sorenstam shot a 1-under-par 71 in the final round to win the Office Depot Championship by four strokes for her first victory of the year. She finished with a 5-under 211 total.

Defending champion Se Ri Pak, Pat Hurst and Heather Bowie finished tied for second. Pak shot 71, while Hurst had a 72 and Bowie a 73.

The win was the 43rd LPGA title for the 32-year-old Swedish star. She won 11 times last year on the way to her fifth LPGA player of the year award, but she was winless in her first two tournaments of 2003.

-- From wire reports