Blackmar Is Familiar With a Playoff Payoff

Phil Blackmar made a triumphant return from golf oblivion and did it the way he seems to know best: by working overtime.

After a double-bogey on No. 17 backed him up to the rest of the Houston Open field Sunday, Blackmar birdied the first hole of a playoff with Kevin Sutherland to win the Houston Open.

Both players, who were tied at 10 under par heading into the final round, shot two-under 70s on Sunday to finish at 12-under 276.

It was Blackmar’s first tournament victory since 1988 and his third on the PGA Tour, all in playoffs. He had played so poorly since his last win, he lost his tour card in 1994.

“Because I’ve come from so far down, it’s a dream come true to win again,” Blackmar said. “I had doubts, but I knew somewhere inside I had a lot of game left.”

In the playoff, at No. 18, Blackmar put his second shot within three feet of the pin, and Sutherland was about 15 feet away. His birdie putt was short and Blackmar’s went into the heart of the cup.

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Tammie Green struggled everywhere but on the greens in carding an even-par 72 to finish at 274 for a two-shot victory over fast-closing Annika Sorenstam in the Sprint Titleholders Championship on the LPGA Tour at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Green, who broke a three-year victory drought, hit only two greens on the front nine of her final round but putted well enough to card an even-par 36. She finished the round with only 24 putts to hold off Sorenstam, who carded a 66.

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Jay Sigel blew away Hale Irwin and everybody else, shooting a two-under-par 70 to finish at 11-under-par 205 and win the PGA Senior Tour’s Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Hoover, Ala.

Irwin was going for his third consecutive title and fifth overall this year.

Sigel opened with a par, eagled the second hole and won by three shots over Gil Morgan, five over Isao Aoki. Irwin shot a 75.