GRAND BLANC, Mich. — If he never wins another tournament, Rocco Mediate still will feel like golf has been a lifelong free ride.
But if he plays like he did Sunday, it's a fairly safe bet Mediate will earn his share of victories.
Mediate, who never led in the Buick Open, birdied the last hole at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club. And when Chris Perry made his first bogey in 29 holes, it cleared the way for Mediate's fourth career win.
Mediate closed with 66 for a 20-under-par 268. The dejected Perry shot 68 and finished at 269, two strokes better than Hal Sutton.
"I've been on tour 16 years," the free-spirited Mediate said. "That's 15 more than I thought I would be. And I've won four more times than I ever thought I would."
Not many figured he would win this one. Not with Tiger Woods in the field.
Woods, playing his first tournament since winning the British Open at St. Andrews to complete the Grand Slam, was the main reason record crowds — upwards of 40,000 per day — thronged the golf course.
Because of Woods, the atmosphere was more Woodstock than Warwick.
"Hey, if you don't like it, don't come," Mediate said.
But the world's best golfer didn't bring his top game. Woods shot 68 for 275 and was more interested in prepping for the PGA Championship this week at Valhalla, where he will try to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one season.
"I beat Tiger this week," Mediate said. "But I'm not going to make a career out of beating Tiger, that's for sure."
A birdie by Joe Ozaki on the 18th knocked Woods out of the top 10 for only the third time in his last 25 PGA Tour events. All three came in his first tournament after winning a major championship.
As it turned out, the only person Mediate had to worry about in the Buick Open was Perry, the third-round leader who started the day at 15-under, one better than Mediate.
By the turn, they were both 19-under and the rest of the field was playing for little more than pride and a chance to move up on this week's money list. The back nine turned into match play between Mediate and Perry.
It was almost like back in 1984 when the two met in the Western Amateur at Point O'Woods in Benton Harbor, Mich.
"Rocco dusted me, that time, too," Perry recalled. "He laid down a bunch of birdies and beat me 6-and-5."
LPGA DU MAURIER CLASSIC: At Aylmer, Quebec, Meg Mallon shot a 3-under-par 69 to win the du Maurier Classic, probably the last women's major championship ever in Canada.
Mallon finished with a 6-under 282 total for a one-stroke margin over Rosie Jones (68) and her first major title since 1991. Annika Sorenstam (74) was third at 284.
CANADA SENIOR OPEN: Tom Jenkins made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Kermit Zarley in the AT&T Canada Senior Open.
Jenkins closed with a 4-under-par 68 for a 14-under 274 total and his second career senior title. Zarley finished with a 66. Doug Tewell (69) was third at 276.
BRITISH MASTERS: At Woburn, England, Gary Orr won the British Masters, closing with a 2-under-par 70 for a two-stroke victory over Per-Ulrik Johansson.
Orr had a 21-under 267 total for his second victory of the year. Johansson finished with a 67. Colin Montgomerie (71) finished third at 270.
U.S. WOMEN'S AM: At Portland, Ore., former North Carolina star Marcy Newton won the 100th U.S. Women's Amateur on Saturday, beating Laura Myerscough 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final.