SAN DIEGO — John Daly hit a 100-foot bunker shot within 4 inches to win a three-man playoff in the Buick Invitational, his first PGA Tour victory in nearly nine years.
It wasn't over until Chris Riley, who grew up playing Torrey Pines, watched in disbelief as his 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th rimmed all the way around the cup. Luke Donald earlier missed from 6 feet.
Since winning the '95 British Open at St. Andrews — his second major — Daly has gone through another divorce, had another trip to alcohol rehab, and now waits to see what happens to his fourth wife, indicted last summer on drug and gambling charges five days after she gave birth to his first son.
He put all that behind him with a performance only he saw coming.
Daly, No. 299 in the world ranking at the start of the week, closed with a 75, the highest final-round score by a PGA Tour winner in 13 years. He got up-and-down from bunkers 10 out of 12 times during the week, no shot more important than the playoff.
Daly won $864,000 for his fifth PGA Tour victory. It was almost as surprising as the first one, the 1991 PGA, when he was the ninth alternate.
Phil Mickelson birdied eight of his first 11 holes, closed with a 67 and was among six players who finished one shot out of the playoff. Tiger Woods shot a 69, leaving him two shots out of the playoff.
ACE GROUP CLASSIC: Craig Stadler won the Ace Group Classic in Naples. Fla., holing a 27-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Tom Watson and Gary Koch.
Stadler closed with an even-par 72 to match Watson (67) and Koch (71) at 10-under 206. The 1982 Masters champion has four victories in 16 starts on the Champions Tour, and also won the PGA Tour B.C. Open last year.
Koch, who had a three-shot lead with five holes to go in regulation, missed a 31-footer for birdie before Stadler's putt. After Stadler made his putt, Watson missed a 10-footer.
ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP: England's Brian Davis won the ANZ Championship, in Port Stephens, Australia, birdieing 10 holes in a 17-point final round in the modified Stableford event.
Davis finished with 44 points on the Horizons Golf Resort for a one-point victory over countryman Paul Casey in the tournament co-sanctioned by the Australasian and European tours.
Under the scoring system, players receive eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey, and minus-three for double bogey or higher.