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Watney Rallies To Win Buick

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2009

SAN DIEGO - Nick Watney appeared to be along for the ride Sunday until making two birdies in the final three holes to take advantage of a late collapse by John Rollins and win the Buick Invitational.

Watney knocked in a 40-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 16th, then completed his five-shot rally with a two-putt birdie on the 18th hole. He closed with a 4-under 68 for his second career victory, earning a trip to the Masters.

Rollins let this one get away.

He had a three-shot lead with five holes to play until making a bogey with a poor chip on the 14th, another bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker on the 16th, and failing to hit the green on the par-5 18th, leading to a par. He shot a 74.

Watney finished at 11-under 277 - the same total Tampa's Ryuji Imada had last year when he was runner-up by eight shots to Tiger Woods.

Lucas Glover and Camilo Villegas also had their chances.

Glover briefly was within one shot of the lead and was still in the mix until he pulled his tee shot on the 17th into rough so thick he had to hit out short of the green and missed a 7-foot par putt. He birdied the last hole for a 68 and tied for third, two shots behind.

Villegas was within one shot until a three-putt from 10 feet on the par-5 sixth. But he hit out of the rough and over the green at the 17th to make a bogey, and his 40-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole stopped a few inches above the hole. He closed with a 72.

AUSTRALIAN LADIES MASTERS: Australia's Katherine Hull won, closing with a 4-under 68 for a five-stroke win. The 26-year-old had a 16-under 272 on the Royal Pines course. Australia's Tamie Durdin (70) and South Korea's Ryu So-yeon (67) tied for second.

OBITUARY: Betty Jameson, one of the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour in 1950 and a member of the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf, died Saturday, the tour said. She was 89. The tour did not give the cause of death.

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