Mallon rallies to third crown

Her birdie putt on the final hole beat Se Ri Pak and Karen Stupples.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYLVANIA, Ohio -- Meg Mallon stood over the decisive putt and had to steady herself.
Then the U.S. Women's Open champion rolled the 10-foot birdie putt into the middle of the cup on the final hole to touch off a wild celebration, beating Karen Stupples and defending champion Se Ri Pak by a shot Sunday at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
"I was set over that putt and I was thinking, 'I've won the U.S. Open. I don't get nervous.' But I'll tell you what, I was nervous," Mallon said after closing with a 3-under 68 for a 7-under 277. "My hands were shaking, I was breathing hard. But that's exactly what you play for. For all that was going on, it's all about controlling your nerves."
Mallon's third victory of the year, worth $165,000, was the 18th of her career -- including 13 coming from behind in the final round. She was three strokes down heading into the last day of the U.S. Women's Open at Orchards Golf Club last month, and shot a closing 65 to win by two shots. A week later, she went wire-to-wire to win the Canadian Open.
Stupples and Pak narrowly missed birdie putts at the 18th that would have forced a playoff.
Stupples, coming off a win at the Women's British Open, had a 2-over 73, and Pak, trying to become the second LPGA player to win an event five times, closed with a 68.
"I really have no complaints," Stupples said. "If somebody had told me I'd tie for second at the start of the week I'd have jumped all over it. I gave it a good try today, but it just wasn't in me.
"Give more credit to Meg. She played superb, brought it to me and won the tournament."
Rachel Teske had a 68 and finished fourth at 279, and Lorie Kane closed with a 70 for a 280 total.
The International
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- Holeouts, eagles and strings of birdies typically decide The International.
Not this year. With the winds swirling and the pins tucked, Rod Pampling pulled off just enough good shots to win his first PGA Tour event.
Pampling curled in a 31-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the 17th hole to move past Alex Cejka and win The International.
"It was just a matter of hanging in there," said Pampling, the sixth first-time winner on the PGA Tour this year.
The difference, as usual, was the 492-yard, 17th hole.
Pampling stepped to the tee trailing Cejka by three points in the tournament's modified Stableford scoring system. After a big drive, Pampling hit a 7-iron onto the fringe just right of the flag. He then curled in the putt, pumping his fist as it dropped for five points.
Pampling closed with a par to finish with 31 points, taking home the $900,000 first-place check and some momentum heading into the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Not bad for a player best known for leading the first round of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie and missing the cut the next day.
"I just keep myself in the present," said Pampling, who won an Australasian event in 1999 for his only other professional victory. "I knew I could celebrate after I had finished my job."
Tom Pernice was third with 27 points, and Duffy Waldorf had 26 to finish fourth.
3M Championship
BLAINE, Minn. -- Tom Kite put his recent Sunday struggles behind him.
One week after squandering a late, final-round lead, Kite made three birdies over the last seven holes Sunday for a one-stroke victory at the 3M Championship and his first Champions Tour victory in 21 months.
"That was a long victory drought -- way too long," Kite said after closing with a 3-under 69. "I'm very proud of this win, especially after what's happened to me the last couple of weekends, and especially what happened to me last weekend in St. Louis."
That's a Sunday he'd rather forget.
Entering the final round of the U.S. Senior Open with a 2-stroke lead, Kite played the last four holes in 4 over -- including a double-bogey at the 18th. The previous Sunday, club pro Pete Oakley beat Kite by one stroke at the Senior British Open.
At the TPC of the Twin Cities, Kite moved ahead at No. 13 and secured the win by rolling a 60-foot eagle putt within 18 inches and tapping in for birdie at No. 18. He finished at 13-under 203, one stroke ahead of Craig Stadler, who missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole.