GOLF ROUNDUP Woods' title defense stopped in Germany



Padraig Harrington captured the Deutsche Bank Open.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALVESLOHE, Germany (AP) -- Tiger Woods rarely finishes this far back.
While Padraig Harrington beat Thomas Bjorn in a one-hole playoff to win the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open on Sunday, Woods was never in contention and finished tied for 29th place -- his worst finish in a stroke-play event in two years.
Woods, trying for his third straight win in the event, was nine strokes back after a final-round 4-under 68 left him at 10-under 278.
Woods had his worst finish in an event since placing 29th at the 2001 PGA Championship, a string of 97 tournaments, excluding the WGC-Accenture Match Play and The International, a modified Stableford scoring event. His previous worst finish was a tie for 56th at the Bay Hill Invitational in 1999.
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Nonetheless, Woods was pleased with his play in his first tournament since tying for 15th at the Masters a month ago.
"I only had three bogeys the entire week," he said. "I hit good putts, but they just didn't go in. Overall, I'm pleased with the way I played."
Woods began his final round in a steady rain, and appeared ready to make a run at the leaders after opening with two birdies.
He hit his 9-iron approach at the first hole to within 2 feet, and his drive at No. 2, a short par-3, stopped 3 feet from the cup.
The charge ended at No. 3 when Woods' second shot landed in a bunker with a bad line to the hole, prompting Woods to throw his club into the rough in anger.
"I thought I could make a little bit of a run and finish in the top 10," Woods said.
The Deutsche Bank, which Woods won in 1999, 2001 and 2002, is one of two events he'll play before the U.S. Open starts June 12.
Harrington made a 5-foot par putt on the first playoff hole to beat Bjorn for his seventh career title. Harrington rolled in a 12-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation to force the playoff.
Harrington (70) and Bjorn (63) finished tied at 19-under 269.
Former U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen closed with a 6-under 66 and finished in third place at 18-under.
Champions Tour
PARKVILLE, Mo. -- Jay Sigel sank a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Mike McCullough in the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am.
Sigel, 59, shot a 7-under 65 in the final round to become the oldest player to win on the Champions Tour this year. He finished with an 11-under 205 to hold off the 58-year-old McCullough, who had pulled into a tie with three straight birdies on the final nine holes.
Vicente Fernandez, who started the day with a two-stroke lead over Sigel and McCullough, shot a 69 and finished 7-under for the tournament.