GOLF ROUNDUP Els outlasts Bjorn by one stroke for World title

Ernie Els won $1.2 million for firm control of the European tour money list.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
THOMASTOWN, Ireland -- The majors over, Ernie Els got a consolation prize Sunday by capturing his first World Golf Championship.
Els outlasted Thomas Bjorn in a duel at Mount Juliet, making a 6-foot birdie on the 17th hole and closing with a 3-under 69 to win the American Express Championship by one shot.
The victory, his fourth of the year, allowed the 34-year-old South African to move past Tiger Woods to No. 2 in the world ranking, and gave Els another chance to reach No. 1 by the end of the year.
Bjorn closed with a 4-under 68 and was within one shot of Els on three occasions. The 33-year-old Dane had a 70-foot eagle putt on the 17th hole, but ran it 10 feet by and missed the birdie putt coming back.
Els was short of the green, but pitched to 6 feet and made the putt.
He found the bunker on the 18th and blasted out to 15 feet, but Bjorn missed his birdie putt from 40 feet.
Els finished at 18-under 270 and earned $1.2 million, giving him firm control of the European tour money list.
David Howell, playing in the final threesome, had a 71 and finished third. Darren Clarke shot 68 to tie for fourth with Sergio Garcia (70). Woods (70) finished ninth, and slipped to No. 3 in the world for the first time since May 1999.
Southern Farm Bureau Classic
MADISON, Miss. -- Fred Funk birdied the final hole to finish off a final-round 6-under 66 and win the Southern Farm Bureau Classic by a stroke, his first PGA Tour victory in six years.
The 48-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup player tied a course record at Annandale Golf Club with a 22-under 266 to win for the first time since he won here in 1998.
After he left his 75-foot eagle putt short on 18, he sank a 4-foot putt to win it.
Funk, who had seven birdies and a bogey, held off Ryan Palmer (64) in the final round for his sixth tour victory. Palmer had a chance to go to 22-under on 18, but he left his 49-foot eagle putt 5 inches short and tapped in for birdie.
Glenn Day (63), Loren Roberts (65), J.J. Henry (65) and Kevin Na (64) were two strokes back at 268.
Champions Tour
HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- Wayne Levi won his second Champions Tour event, shooting a 4-under 68 for a two-stroke victory at the Constellation Energy Classic.
Levi finished at 16-under 200 and held off late charges by several players, including Hale Irwin, Rodger Davis and Jim Thorpe.
Irwin, along with Thorpe, matched the tournament record with a final-round 64, finishing alone in second at 14 under. He drained a 93-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 fifth and finished with eight birdies, including five straight on the back nine.
Davis shot 31 on the front nine but finished third with a 67. Thorpe, who started the round tied for 24th, had eight birdies -- including five on the back nine -- to finish fourth.