CLIFTON, N.J.—Lorena Ochoa found a new way to win, grinding it out instead of running away from the field.

A day after leaving the retiring Annika Sorenstam in her wake, Ochoa overcame a balky putter to shoot a 1-under 71 for a one-stroke victory over five players Sunday for her third straight victory in the rain-shortened Sybase Classic.

The victory was Ochoa’s 23rd overall and 20th since April 2006. The $300,000 prize pushed her career earnings past the $12 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach that plateau.



PGA Tour

DULUTH, Ga.—Ryuji Imada watched someone else go in the water this time.

Imada claimed his first PGA Tour victory, beating Kenny Perry in a playoff at the AT&T Classic after losing the tournament a year ago on the 73rd hole.

The two finished regulation at 15-under 273, but Perry’s ball wound up in the water on the first playoff hole even though his second shot easily cleared the pond in front of the green. Unfortunately for Perry, he struck a pine tree behind the green about 10 feet up the trunk. The ball ricocheted straight back across the putting surface and didn’t stop rolling until it was in the water.

Imada, who had driven into the rough, played it safe with an iron on the par-5 hole and wound up two-putting for the winning par.

After taking a drop, Perry nearly spun back his wedge into the cup, then missed a 12-footer that would have forced another extra hole. Imada stepped up and calmly knocked his ball straight in from 4 feet for the victory.



Champions Tour

HOOVER, Ala.—Andy Bean hasn’t forgotten how to pull off a dramatic victory.

Bean managed to save par on No. 18 after hooking his drive left and bogeying the previous hole, holding on for a 2-under 70 and a one-stroke victory over Loren Roberts in the Champions Tour’s Regions Charity Classic.

It was only the second win in 5 1/2 years on the 50-and-over tour for Bean and his first since the Greater Hickory Classic on Oct. 1, 2006. That one capped a 20-year drought since his 11th PGA Tour victory.

Bean finished at 13-under 203. Roberts closed with a 69.