Ogilvy caps unlikely match-play victory

Geoff Ogilvy never imagined himself winning the Match Play Championship. He was too busy looking for the exit.

Ogilvy had already removed his cap when Nick O'Hern stood over a 5-foot putt to win on the 20th hole. That was on Thursday, a lifetime ago. Then came Mike Weir, 4-up with four holes to play in the third round but unable to put away the ultimate survivor of a tournament that requires nothing less.

Ten times, Ogilvy was one putt away from going home.

"No one made one," he said, "which is pretty fortunate."

Ogilvy ended his long, improbable journey Sunday at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., by making short work of Davis Love III, pulling away with a magnificent 4-iron into 6 feet for a conceded eagle and not giving Love the chance everyone else gave him to capture the World Golf Championship.

"Unbelievable," Ogilvy said after his 3-and-2 victory. "It's such a hard tournament to believe you're going to keep going. I got lucky the first four days, and the last two games I played very well."

It was a week like no other at the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Ogilvy easily could have been on his way home after 17 holes in the first round, and wound up playing 129 holes for the week -- breaking Jeff Maggert's record by one hole -- and walking off with the $1.3 million prize.

Along the way, he rolled through a Grand Slam list of players who stood in his way -- Michael Campbell (U.S. Open), Weir (Masters), Tom Lehman (British Open) and Love (PGA Championship).

For Love, it was another opportunity he let slip away.

He lost to Tiger Woods two years ago, 3 and 2, and was soundly beaten by Woods in the semifinals in 2000. But even with Woods out in the third round, Love couldn't produce timely shots.

The victory came on the anniversary of Ogilvy's first PGA Tour trophy last year in Tucson, when Ogilvy was ranked outside the top 64 and not eligible for this event.

In the third-place match, Zach Johnson ended up beating Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman on the last hole.

PGA Tour

Kirk Triplett started the final round with five straight birdies and had four in a row on the back nine, shooting a 9-under 63 to win the Chrysler Classic of Tucson for his third career PGA Tour victory.

Triplett, who turns 44 next month, was close to missing the cut after opening rounds of 68 and 71 left him at 5 under. But he sizzled on the weekend, shooting a 64 on Saturday en route to a 22-under 266 total.

He made the turn at 18 under and raced into the lead with birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th, holing a 51-foot chip from the left fringe on No. 17.

Triplett won $540,00 from the $3 million purse.

Jerry Kelly shot a 65 to finish a stroke back. Duffy Waldorf, the second- and third-round leader who seemed poised for his first victory in six years, shot a 72 to match Bubba Watson (70) and Heath Slocum (68) at 19 under.

Champions Tour

Jerry Pate won a PGA Tour-sanctioned event for the first time in 24 years, birdieing the final hole for a 5-under 65 and a one-stroke victory over three players in the Champions Tour's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am inb Lutz, Fla.

Pate had an 11-under 202 total and earned $240,000 for his first victory since the PGA Tour's 1982 Tournament Players Championship. Pate celebrated the victory the same way he did in 1982 by jumping into a lake.

Pate broke a four-way tie with his 10-foot putt on the final hole, leaving Hale Irwin (68), Mark James (68) and Morris Hatalsky (64) a shot back.

-- From wire reports