Q-school champ quickly wins at FBR

When J.B. Holmes reached the third grade, he was good enough to play on the high school golf team. Four tournaments into his PGA Tour career, he again showed he can play with the big boys.

The rookie gained five shots on his nearest competitor on the 15th hole and walked away with a seven-stroke victory Sunday in the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The hard-driving 23-year-old from Kentucky shot a 5-under 66 in the final round -- 5-under 31 on the back nine -- to finish at 21-under 263 and win $936,000. Combined with the $127,500 he won for a 10th-place tie at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Holmes became the fastest to win $1 million on the tour. It took Retief Goosen five tournaments to reach $1 million in 2001.

"It was one of my goals to win out here. It happened real quickly," Holmes said. "I didn't expect it so soon. I knew I had the ability. Every tournament I played, I just got more confidence and more confidence. It's just been a whirlwind right now."

Ryan Palmer, who made the turn with a one-shot lead, hit the water twice for a triple bogey on the par-5, 552-yard 15th, while Holmes, his playing partner, sank a 14-footer for eagle. Holmes' one-shot lead expanded to six, and the tournament was decided.

Palmer (72) tied for second with Steve Lowery (67), J.J Henry (72), Camilo Villegas (69) and Scott Verplank (68) at 14-under 270. Defending champion Phil Mickelson (66) birdied five of his last six holes, including the last four in a row, to join Justin Leonard (71) and Jonathan Byrd (68) at 13 under.

Holmes displayed a calm demeanor that stemmed from his days as a third-grader playing on the high school team in Campbellsville, Ky.

"Playing with older people, you learn not to be intimidated as much," he said.

The top finisher in last year's PGA Tour qualifying tournament, Holmes is the first rookie to win a tournament since Sean O'Hair in the John Deere Classic last July. O'Hair was the only rookie to win last year.

On the 17th, Holmes got a surprise when he saw his father, who had flown in for the final round.

"He always said he'd be at my first one," Holmes said.

On the 15th, Holmes reached the green easily in two with a 263-yard 4-iron shot over the water, then sank the 14-footer to go to 20 under. Palmer, meanwhile, twice hit the water and got a triple-bogey, tumbling from 17 under to 14 under.

Dubai Desert Classic

Tiger Woods won a playoff for the second straight week, beating Ernie Els in the Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Two shots behind with two holes to play, Woods drove the green on the 359-yard 17th to set up a birdie-birdie finish that got him into the playoff, where he defeated Els with a par on the first extra hole Sunday.

Els also birdied the last hole with a 6-foot putt. But on the par-5 18th hole in the playoff, he pulled his tee shot into the sandy grove of palms, and his approach came up about a yard short into the water. He took a drop and pitched 20 feet beyond the hole, missing his par putt. Woods, who went just over the back of the green in the playoff, chipped to 6 feet and two-putted for par.

Last week in San Diego, Woods won the Buick Invitational in his first start of the season, beating Jose Maria Olazabal with a par on the second hole of a playoff. Woods has won his first two starts for the first time since his record-setting year in 2000.

Woods closed with a 3-under 69 to match Els (67) at 19-under 269 on the Emirates Golf Club course. Australia's Richard Green (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff. Els has finished second to Woods seven times, three in playoffs.

ANZ Ladies Masters

South Korean teen Amy Yang became the first amateur to win a major women's professional golf tournament in Australia, beating American Catherine Cartwright in a playoff in the ANZ Australian Ladies in Gold Coast, Australia.

The 16-year-old Yang made a 23-foot birdie putt to win on the first playoff hole after she bogeyed the final hole in regulation to tie Cartwright at 13-under 275 on the Royal Pines course. Yang attends nearby Robina High School on the Gold Coast.

Yang shot a 70, and Cartwright had a 68.

With amateurs taking three of the top four positions, Cartwright picked up the first-place winner's check of $90,000. Defending champion Karrie Webb tied for 33rd.

-- From wire reports