Mickelson successfully defends Hartford title

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Phil Mickelson had good reason to feel comfortable standing over a 108-yard sand wedge shot on the 18th hole late Sunday afternoon in the Greater Hartford Open.

The left-hander simply thought back to the seventh hole, where three hours earlier he drew screams of "Tiger who?" by holing out for eagle from the same distance.

"Same shot as I had on No. 7," Mickelson said after following a 342-yard drive with the sand wedge approach to 5 feet to set up his winning birdie. "I had to take about 10 yards off with the sand wedge because it was a little downwind."

He became the first player to successfully defend his title in the 51-year history of the event, shooting a 6-under 64 for a 14-under 266 total and a one-stroke victory over Davis Love III and Jonathan Kaye.

"To be the first one to win it twice is something very special, but there's nothing greater than the feeling walking up 18 and feeling the support from the fans," Mickelson said of the 50,000 fans ringing the amphitheater hole on the TPC at River Highlands.

He overcame a five-stroke deficit in the final round, matching the largest comeback of the year on the PGA Tour after a sloppy Saturday finish that saw him drop three strokes on the final three holes for a 66.

"I fully expected to be in a playoff," said Mickelson, who earned $720,000 for his 21st tour title. "If you give Davis and Jonathan that 18th hole again, they're going to make birdie seven times out of 10."

Mickelson, second last week in the U.S. Open, was on the putting green with wife Amy and their two young daughters when Kaye pushed a 13-foot birdie try to the right on the par-4 18th hole.

"I didn't hit a good putt," said Kaye, the third-round leader. "It hopped up in the air right after I hit it."

Love missed a 25-footer on the final hole.

"I got better every day, and I just got a little unfortunate," Love said of his best finish of the year.

He closed with a 67, and Kaye shot a 70 that included an 89-yard sand wedge shot that spun back for eagle on the par-5 13th to briefly give him the lead at 14 under.

"I'm glad it hit the hole because it was trucking," said Kaye, winless in six full seasons on the tour. "I had plenty of opportunities, but couldn't shake a putt in when I needed to."

Scott Verplank (71) finished three strokes back, and Joel Edwards (63) and Jim Carter (68) were 10 under.

LPGA: Karrie Webb, trailing by three shots with three holes to play, beat faltering Mi Hyun Kim by one stroke when the young Korean bogeyed the final hole at the LPGA Rochester International at Pittsford, N.Y.

Webb finished with a 4-under-par 68 and a 12-under 276 total. She won $180,000 to push her career earnings past $8 million.

The 25-year-old Kim, who began the day with a five-shot lead, had a 74 and a 277 as she finished second for the second straight week.

Se Ri Pak had a closing 67 and finished alone in third at 281. Defending champion Laura Davies, who began the day alone in third at 7 under, wilted in the 90-degree heat to a 12-over 84 and dropped to a tie for 29th.

Senior PGA: J.C. Snead made a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole to avert a four-way playoff and win the Greater Baltimore Classic at Hunt Valley, Md., by one stroke, ending a record victory drought of almost seven years.

Snead never led in the final round until his last shot dropped into the cup, sealing his first victory since 1995 and earning him the winner's check of $217,500.

Snead, who started the day tied atop the leaderboard with Rodger Davis, shot a 2-under-par 70 for a 13-under 203 total. John Mahaffey, Doug Tewell and Bobby Wadkins finished one shot back.

A double bogey on 18 left Davis at 205, tied for fifth with Wayne Levi, Bruce Fleisher, Bob Charles and Jim Ahern.

Missouri Amateur: Fourth-seeded Michael Letzig won his first Missouri Amateur Championship with the most lopsided win in tournament history -- an 11 and 10 victory over second-seeded David Jenkins.

Letzig, of Richmond, won the first four holes of the scheduled 36-hole match at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield, and Jenkins, of Springfield, never recovered.

The match ended on No. 8 -- the day's 26th hole -- when Letzig birdied and Jenkins wound up with a bogey.

The previous largest margin of victory in a final had been Bob Cochran's 11 and 9 victory in 1958 over Tom Stephenson.

-- From wire reports