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Ogilvy Gets First Tour Win

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From Associated Press

Geoff Ogilvy is back on the fast track.

The 27-year-old Australian sank an 18-foot downhill putt for birdie on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat Kevin Na and win the Chrysler Classic of Tucson for his first PGA Tour title.

Ogilvy, who had four top-10 finishes last season, won for the first time in 108 PGA Tour events.

“It feels like I’ve been waiting quite a while, so it is special,” said Ogilvy, whose $540,000 winner’s share was about 12 times more than his earnings this season ($47,316) after making the cut in two tournaments.

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He shouted for joy after making the difficult putt, and embraced his wife, Juli, on the green after Na missed an eight-footer that would have extended the playoff.

Ogilvy started his PGA Tour career at Tucson, finishing third in 2001. He had second-place finishes over his next three seasons before finally breaking through Sunday.

At a tournament known for producing first-time winners -- five of the last six and 14 in all -- Ogilvy and the 21-year-old Na fared better than 44-year-old Mark Calcavecchia.

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Calcavecchia, who has won 11 titles, was 15 under after 36 holes and closed with a three-under 69 to tie Na and Ogilvy (71) at 19-under 269 and get into the playoff. But Calcavecchia made a double bogey on the first extra hole after needing two shots to blast out of a bunker.

Na, who wept before doing interviews, saved his bid for his first championship twice en route to a final-round 71. He got in by making a 28-foot uphill birdie putt on the tough 18th, regarded as one of the most difficult finishing holes on tour.

Replaying the 440-yard 18th again in the playoff, Na sliced his approach shot, and it settled next to the greenside grandstand.

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His chip rolled back into a trough, but he still saved par with a 20-foot putt.

On the second playoff hole, the 501-yard, par-five 10th, Na and Ogilvy drove through the fairway and behind trees. Ogilvy had a far more difficult lie, but he punched his second shot into the fairway for a clear approach that stopped 18 feet above the hole.

Na cleared the trees with his second shot, and the ball landed just beyond the fringe at the back of the green. He chipped eight feet past, giving Ogilvy the opening he needed for a dramatic ending.

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Morris Hatalsky finished off a second-round four-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin in the rain-shortened Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at Lutz, Fla.

The scheduled 54-hole event was reduced to 36 on Saturday, but more than an inch of rain left puddles on the greens and tees and pushed back completion of the Champions Tour event until today.

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