Woosnam Secures Champions Tour Maiden


Ian Woosnam birdied the first sudden-death playoff hole to win the Insperity Invitational. The $2.05 million, 54-hole Champions Tour event took place at The Woodlands Country Club in Texas.

The 56-year-old Welshman closed with a 4-under 68 to tie Tom Lehman (69) and Kenny Perry (66) in regulation at 11-under 205. On the first playoff hole, the water-guarded par-4 18th, Woosnam found the green with his approach, while Perry ended up on the back fringe and Lehman pushed his second into the lake guarding the green.

After Lehman took a penalty drop and found the putting surface with his fourth shot, Perry put his birdie attempt to 6 feet short of the cup. Woosnam then stepped up and rolled in his 35-foot putt for the winning birdie.

Woosnam was playing the tournament on a sponsor's exemption. The victory, his first on the over-50 circuit, was worth $307,500 and a 12-month exemption on the Champions Tour.

At greenside, an emotional Woosnam said of the victory, "It means I can come over here (the U.S.) and play more often. I have something to prove, really."

Woosnam, a 29-time European Tour winner and the 1991 Masters' champion, also moved to third place in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race. He finished tied for second in last week's Legends of Golf in Missouri.

Ending up a stroke out of the playoff was 36-hole leader Michael Allen, who closed with a 72, and Joe Durant (71). The 56-year-old Allen, who opened with rounds of 66 and 68, had three birdies and a bogey through 11 holes and was in still in charge of the tournament.

But the seven-time Champions Tour winner was warned by officials for slow play and, trying to speed up, bogeyed the 11th and 13th holes before closing with five pars to fall back into a tie for fourth at 206 on a windy day at The Woodlands.

In sixth at 207 was Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty (69), while Jeff Maggert (71) was another stroke back. Tied for ninth at 209 were Canada's Stephen Ames (69) and Americans Russ Cochran (69), Woody Austin (73), Scott Dunlap (73) and Wes Short, Jr. (69).

Defending Insperity Invitational champion Bernhard Langer closed with a 75 to drop into a tie for 21st at 212.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/champions/leaderboard.html.