SAN ANTONIO — Tommy Armour III went from off the radar into the PGA Tour record books.
Winless in his previous 366 starts, Armour ended 13 years and eight months of frustration Sunday in a huge way. Capping a dominant four days of golf, Armour won the Texas Open with a 26-under 254 to break the tour's 72-hole scoring record by two strokes.
Despite a bogey from the fairway bunker on the final hole at La Cantera Golf Club, Armour closed with a 5-under 65 to break the record set by Mark Calcavecchia in the 2001 Phoenix Open.
He wound up with a seven-shot victory over Loren Roberts and Bob Tway, his first since the 1990 Phoenix Open.
"I've always felt like I've underachieved for the talent I have," he said. "I take it serious but it's not the end-all."
Roberts closed with a 62 for a 19-under 261. Last year, that same score gave Roberts a three-stroke victory at the Texas Open. But with the way Armour played, that score wasn't even close.
"He's lapping the field here this week," Roberts said.
Armour, 43, didn't make his first bogey until No. 10 in the final round, ending a streak of 90 consecutive holes at par or better. He one-putted 35 holes and three-putted just once during the four rounds.
The victory was worth $630,000, more than double what Armour had earned on tour this year, and makes him exempt through the 2005 season. Armour was playing on conditional status the last two years.
It was the fourth consecutive week on the PGA Tour that a player in his 40s won, and Armour's victory was the 10th this year by the 40-and-over gang.
The only threat came from Duffy Waldorf, and it didn't last long.
Armour started the final round with a six-shot lead, but Waldorf cut the lead in half with birdies on the first three holes. Waldorf bogeyed the par-3 sixth by hitting into a bunker, and it wasn't long before Armour started piling up birdies — as he had done all week.
"I'm telling you it was scaring me a little bit," Armour said. "Every putt went in the hole."
Tway, who won the Canadian Open in his last start, shot 64. Provo's Dan Forsman finished in sixth place after pressing Armour the first two days.
GREATER HICKORY CLASSIC: At Conover, N.C., Craig Stadler birdied his first four holes en route to a 6-under-par 66 Sunday, overtaking Larry Nelson to win the Greater Hickory Classic. Stadler, who started the day two shots behind Nelson, joined Bruce Lietzke and Tom Watson as the only two-time winners on the Champions Tour this season. Stadler finished at 15-under 201 with his stellar final round, while Nelson was two shots back after his 70. Jim Thorpe closed with a 66 for third, three shots behind Stadler.
SAFEWAY CLASSIC: In Portland, Ore., Annika Sorenstam had back-to-back eagles and shot a final-round 66 Sunday to defend her title and win her fifth event of the year. Sorenstam finished at 15-under 201, edging Hall of Famer Beth Daniel by a stroke after starting the day in a three-way tie with Daniel and Cristie Kerr.
"Obviously it feels wonderful," Sorenstam said. "I love coming down the stretch when it's exciting and hitting great shots when you need to. Winning never gets old."
Sorenstam set the tone on her first hole of the day, landing under a tree on the left side of the fairway. She punched out low and landed within 20 feet of the pin, making the birdie.
She gave back that stroke on the third hole with a three-putt bogey, then nearly made eagle on No. 5 before hitting back-to-back eagles on the par 4 No. 6 and the par 5 No. 7.
"I was on fire for those three holes for sure," Sorenstam said after finishing 6 under for the day.
MARK CHRISTOPHER CLASSIC: At Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., James Oh defeated Jess Daley with a birdie on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff.
The leader after three rounds, Oh shot an even-par 71 to finish at 268 for his first Nationwide Tour victory. The native of Lakewood, about 50 miles away, becomes the youngest winner on the Nationwide Tour at the age of 21.
Chris Starkjohann fired a final-round 64 to finish a stroke behind at 269. Jason Dufner and Danny Briggs tied for fourth at 271.
DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP: At St. Andrews, Scotland, Lee Westwood shot a 5-under-par 67 and won by one stroke Sunday, withstanding a birdie-birdie finish by Ernie Els.
Westwood had a 267 total in a tournament played over three links layouts. The Englishman won the German Masters four weeks ago for his first victory in almost three years. He won eight titles in 2000 but none until Munich.
"A month ago you'd never have thought it," he said. "It just shows how quickly you can turn it around."
Westwood enjoyed a stretch of five birdies in six holes in the middle of his round. He parred the last five holes of the $800,000 tournament.
Els of South Africa had a 64 for 268 and Raphael Jacquelin of France shot a 69 and was third at 270.