Parnevik Muffs Tap-in, Still Wins

Jesper Parnevik missed a one-foot putt on the 12th hole of the final round but still won the Byron Nelson Classic on Sunday in a playoff at Irving, Texas.

Parnevik’s dramatic victory came at the expense of hard-luck Davis Love III, who missed an eight-foot putt on the 18th hole in regulation and then 50 minutes later missed a five-footer on the same hole, the third and final one of the playoff.

Love’s winless streak on the PGA Tour was extended to 47 events.

Phil Mickelson, who shot a final-round 65 but missed out on a victory when he bogeyed the 72nd hole, was eliminated on the par-three 17th, the second playoff hole, when his 15-foot birdie putt lipped out.

On the third extra hole, Love caught a huge break when he was given relief from newly laid sod left of the 18th green. He chipped to five feet but missed.

Love’s bogey left Parnevik only a short putt for his second victory of the year. It was about the same distance as the putt he missed on the 12th, only this time he didn’t miss.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” Love graciously told Mia Parnevik as he walked off the 18th green.

Parnevik, who earned $720,000, wore the same hot pink pants he wore when he lost to Kirk Triplett by one stroke at the Nissan Open.

Love played the weekend in even par (71-69).

Parnevik had two birdies after his blunder on the 12th and shot a 66 to get in the playoff with Love and Mickelson at 11-under 269.

Parnevik, Europe’s top player in the Ryder Cup, joined Tigers Woods and Hal Sutton as the only players to earn over $2 million and will move into the top 10 in the world ranking.

“I’ve never had a year like this,” said Parnevik, who has had eight top-10 finishes in 12 events.

Woods nearly pulled off the greatest final-round comeback of his career. Seven shots back to start the final round, Woods closed with a 63 that included an eagle from the fourth fairway, 99 yards out. But he missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th and wound up one stroke out of the playoff at 270, along with John Huston (70), the third-round co-leader with Love.

*

New mother Pat Hurst scored a fitting Mother’s Day victory in the inaugural Electrolux USA Championship at Franklin, Tenn., outside Nashville. Her husband pushed their infant son around the course in a stroller the final nine holes as Hurst shot a two-under-par 70 for a four-stroke, wire-to-wire victory.

Hurst sealed her victory with birdies on the final two holes and finished with five birdies and three bogeys for a 72-hole total of 13-under 275.

Juli Inkster, who had a final-round 69, pulled within two strokes with three holes left before finishing with two bogeys for a 279.

*

Hale Irwin defended his Nationwide Championship title, shooting a three-under-par 69 for a one-stroke victory over Vincente Fernandez and Tom Jenkins at Alpharetta, Ga.

A birdie at the par-four 12th moved Irwin to nine under and gave the two-time U.S. Open champion a lead he never relinquished.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Top Scores

Sunday’s final-round results (Complete scores, Page 12):

$4-MILLION GTE BYRON NELSON CLASSIC (Par 70)

x-Jesper Parnevik: 70-65-68-66--269 -11 $720,000

Davis Love III: 66-63-71-69--269 -11 $352,000

Phil Mickelson: 73-63-68-65--269 -11 $352,000

Tiger Woods: 73-67-67-63--270 -10 $176,000

John Huston: 68-65-67-70--270 -10 $176,000

x--Won playoff on third extra hole.

This week: MasterCard Colonial, Ft. Worth, Texas.

$800,000 ELECTROLUX USA CHAMPIONSHIP (Par 72)

Pat Hurst: 65-68-72-70--275 -13 $120,000

Juli Inkster: 70-71-69-69--279 -9 $74,474

Wendy Doolan: 73-69-69-69--280 -8 $43,610

Michelle McGann: 71-69-71-69--280 -8 $43,610

Michele Redman: 70-69-69-72--280 -8 $43,610

This week: Firstar LPGA Classic, Beavercreek, Ohio.

$1.45-MILLION NATIONWIDE CHAMPIONSHIP (Par 72)

Hale Irwin: 71-67-69--207 -9 $217,500

Tom Jenkins: 69-70-69--208 -8 $116,000

Vicente Fernandez: 68-71-69--208 -8 $116,000

Mike McCullough: 69-75-65--209 -7 $78,300

Gil Morgan: 72-67-70--209 -7 $78,300

This week: TD Waterhouse Championship, Kansas City, Mo.