Zach Johnson won the Colonial for his first victory since also winning at Hogan’s Alley two years ago, pulling ahead Sunday when Jason Dufner finally faltered.MELBOURNE, Australia – Jessica Korda broke out her father’s trademark scissor-kick celebration Sunday when she won the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne for her first LPGA Tour title.
She decided against the cartwheels that her father, Petr, did when he won the 1998 Australian Open tennis title. Maybe she was still dizzy following a topsy-turvy final day of the tournament.
After losing the lead with a late bogey run, the 18-year-old American fought back to take the last spot in an improbable six-player playoff, then won with a 25-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole.
“It is a really special place for my family,” Korda said. “For my first win, I honestly could not have thought of a better place.”
What did her father say when they spoke by phone after the victory?
“That he was, ‘So proud of me and we’ll talk about the three-putts after,’ ” she said.
She closed with a 1-over 74 to finish at 3-under 289 in the first women’s professional event at Royal Melbourne.
Former Fort Wayne resident Amanda Blumenherst tied for 61st place after shooting a final-round 81.
Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Julieta Granada, So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo also were in the playoff that matched the largest in LPGA Tour history.
Ryu and Seo topped the leader board at 4 under going into the final hole of regulation, but made bogeys to set up the big playoff.
Lewis finished with a 70, Lincicome and Granada shot 71, and Ryu and Seo 73.
CHAMPIONS: Corey Pavin made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Peter Senior and win the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla., for his first Champions Tour title.
Both players shot a final-round 71 to finish tied at 11-under 205. Senior forced the playoff with a birdie on the last hole of regulation, but his birdie try in the playoff stopped an inch short of the cup.
EUROPEAN: In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Rafael Cabrera-Bello won the Dubai Desert Classic, shooting a 4-under 68 to beat Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher by one shot for his second European Tour victory.
