Davis Love III won on the course he
redesigned, shooting a 6-under 66 on Sunday for his second victory
in the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.
A native of Charlotte who played at North Carolina, the
42-year-old Love had three straight birdies late in the round to
seal his 19th PGA Tour victory and first since 2003. He finished at
16-under 272 and earned US$900,000.
Jason Bohn (66) finished two strokes back at 14 under, and Eric
Axley (67) and Steve Flesch (68) were another shot behind.
Love, a six-stroke winner in the 1992 tournament, redesigned the
Forest Oaks Country Club course three years ago to change and
lengthen the layout to 7,333 yards.
In recent years, any inside information he might've picked up
didn't seem to help. He missed the cut in 2003 and '04 and withdrew
last year.
This time, he began the final round sharing the lead at 10 under.
He opened his round with two birdies and overcame his lone bogey of
the day _ on the par-4 seventh _ with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15.
His last birdie gave him a two-stroke lead, and he then closed
the round with three consecutive pars. After tapping in his two-foot
putt on the par-4 18th, he hugged his caddie and tipped his cap to
his homestate crowd.
Love, passed over as a captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup
team, had seven birdies and a bogey Sunday en route to his first
victory since the 2003 International.
Bohn started the day at 8 under and had six birdies during his
final round, including two straight on Nos. 13 and 14 to move to 14
under. But he closed with four straight pars.
``It doesn't surprise me that one of the marquee players on the
tour is shooting good numbers,'' Bohn said.
Axley had a three-stroke lead at 15 under with five holes to
play, but made two late bogeys _ one on the par-4 14th when he hit
his tee shot into the trees, and another on the par-3 17th when he
missed an eight-foot par putt.
``I was trying to play aggressive and make some birdies, but I
didn't feel safe by any means at 15 under,'' Axley said.
© The Canadian Press, 2007