LA QUINTA, Calif. — Bill Haas made a short birdie putt on the 18th hole to earn his first PGA Tour victory at the Bob Hope Classic on Monday, beating Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Bubba Watson by one stroke with an 8-under-par 64.
Haas was the last of three co-leaders to play the 18th, and an outstanding approach shot allowed him to two-putt his way to a 30-under 330 finish.
Kuchar and South Africa’s Clark had birdie chances on the par-5 18th at the Arnold Palmer Private course, but both missed their putts. Fourth-round co-leader Watson birdied the 18th to grab a share of second place.
After grinding through five rounds on four courses over six days in the rain-delayed tournament, Haas couldn’t celebrate until his final shot. He’s the 27-year-old son of Jay Haas, the 1988 Hope Classic champion.
They’re the eighth father-son combination to win on the PGA Tour, but Bill Haas spent most of the day trailing Kuchar, who came from three shots back and rocketed up the tight leaderboard. He had eight birdies in his first 11 holes, but just one in the last seven.
It was Haas’ first win after playing 140 PGA Tour events without a victory.
Kerrigan’s dad dies; brother accused of assault
WOBURN, Mass. — Daniel Kerrigan, who rushed to his sobbing daughter Nancy and carried her into the locker room after an attack at a skating competition nearly derailed her Olympic dreams, died after what authorities said was a violent struggle with his son in their family home.
Mark Kerrigan, 45, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his 70-year-old father at the home in the Boston suburb of Stoneham where he had been living with his parents. He did not speak at his arraignment but at one point put his head in his hands and wept.
Family members said Daniel Kerrigan’s death was not related to the argument with his son early Sunday.
Footnotes.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says a deal for Europe to host the 2018 World Cup is being negotiated.
England, Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal, and Belgium Netherlands are currently competing to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Australia, Japan and the United States are also bidding for either 2018 or 2022, and South Korea, Indonesia and Qatar are in the running to host the 2022 tournament only.
• Salvador Cabanas, the top player on Paraguay’s World Cup team, was shot in the head before dawn in the bathroom of a bar in a well-off neighborhood in Mexico City.
The 29-year-old striker underwent surgery in which doctors failed to remove a bullet lodged in his skull and is listed in stable condition.
• White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told veteran slugger Jim Thome he won’t be asked to rejoin the team as a designated hitter.
• 2008 New Jersey Devils second-round draft pick Patrice Cormier, the captain of the Canadian world junior team, has been suspended for the remainder of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs for a violent hit on Quebec defenseman Mikael Tam in a game Jan. 17.
The Associated Press
