Sindelar's 14-year drought ends with a playoff victory

He defeated Aaron Oberholser on the second hole of a playoff Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Joey Sindelar's PGA Tour winless streak had lasted so long that his two sons began teasing him that the six trophies in his home were replicas from a sporting goods store.
"Now, we've got a real one to show them," Sindelar said.
Fourteen years removed from his last victory, Sindelar beat Arron Oberholser on the second hole of a playoff Sunday in the Wachovia Championship after they held off Tiger Woods by a stroke.
Biggest playday ever
Sindelar earned $1.08 million, more than he ever made in any of his previous 20 years on the PGA Tour. It was his first win since the 1990 Hardee's Classic.
Despite the long stretch without a win, the 46-year-old Sindelar said he never considered leaving the tour -- a decision that finally paid off Sunday.
"This is too good of a thing, and I don't have any other skills," he said. "So I had to keep plugging."
It seemed an unlikely tournament for Sindelar to snap his 370-tournament winless streak. The field was loaded with Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. In addition, temperatures approaching 90 degrees made the course even tougher.
Sindelar, who started the final round three shots behind, had reason to lose hope when he made a double bogey on the par-5 10th, a hole where most players were making birdie. And even after a birdie on the par-5 15th, he was still three shots behind and facing three of the toughest holes at Quail Hollow.
It proved to be no problem.
Sindelar made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th, then hit a 4-iron on the par-3 17th that caught a ridge and trickled past the cup to 3 feet. That sent him on his way to a 3-under 69, and eventually into the playoff.
Struggles at end
It was a disappointing finish for Oberholser, who appeared to have control of the tournament when his 5-wood into the 15th stopped 8 feet away to set up an eagle that gave him a two-shot lead.
But Oberholser bogeyed the next two holes and needed a spectacular shot out of the trees on the 18th to set up a par.
Fittingly, the playoff ended on the 16th hole, where Sindelar made his charge and Oberholser started losing strokes. Sindelar hit his approach to 30 feet, while Oberholser's 6-iron from the rough came out heavy and into a bunker. He blasted out to 10 feet, but missed the putt.
"I'm not going to beat myself up over this," Oberholser said. "It's going to happen. You've just go to be patient and enjoy the process. It's easy to get frustrated with the process."
Oberholser closed with a 72 to match Sindelar at 11-under 277.
Tiger ties for third
Woods gave himself a chance with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th and nearly chipped in for birdie on the 18th. He closed with a 68 to tie for third with Carlos Franco (70).
"At least I put myself in position," Woods said.
Mickelson had a bogey-free 67, the best round of the day, to tie for fifth at 9-under.
Singh held out hope for a third consecutive victory and got within one shot of the lead with an eagle on the 15th, but a bogey-double bogey finish dropped him four strokes behind.
Sindelar's victory drought was the second-longest on tour behind Ed Fiori, who went 409 starts between victories.