MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Park City's Bruce Summerhays overcame a six-stroke deficit with a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to win the $1.5 million Kroger Classic, edging defending champion Gil Morgan, Jim Thorpe and Doug Tewell by one stroke.
"It was just a fabulous day," said the 60-year-old Summerhays, who went 209 tournaments since his last victory. "To shoot 64 on the last day, if you're anywhere near the lead, is a magical number, and it was today."
Summerhays started the round six shots behind second-round leader Tewell, but caught him with an 8-under 64 to finish at 15-under 201 — the number Summerhays predicted on Thursday it would take to win.
"I didn't go out to shoot 64, it just happened," he said. "When I got to 14 (under) I said, 'Now you can get to 15 under.' It took me to the last hole to get to 15, but I didn't even think of that until I got to 14."
Tewell, who finished second in the event last year, shot a 1-under 71 to finish at 14-under 202. He had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie at 18, but could only make par.
"I hit what I thought were two perfect shots on 18," Tewell said. "I hit a good putt, it just didn't break."
Summerhays birdied nine holes to win his third tournament on the Champions Tour, and first since 1998. His round of 64 at the 7,064-yard TPC at River's Bend was his best since a career-low 62 four years ago.
Tewell was playing for the second day with an air cast on his upper left arm because of a sore tendon. Tewell bogeyed the first hole on Saturday, called for a trainer who applied the cast, then birdied seven of the next 11 holes to take the lead.
In the final round, Tewell was steady but unspectacular. He birdied the 15th to go to 15 under and take a one-stroke lead, but dropped back at 16 when he, like Thorpe, drove into sand on the par-3 and had to settle for bogey.
Thorpe and Morgan each shot 6-under 66s.
LPGA TOUR: At Broken Arrow, Okla., Annika Sorenstam won her fifth LPGA Tour event of the year, closing with a 1-under 70 for a four-shot victory at the John Q. Hammons Classic. She has 53 career victories on the LPGA tour.
Sorenstam had three birdies and a bogey in the final round for a 9-under 204 total, winning the event for the second time. She had a three-stroke lead entering the final round.
Shi Hyun Ahn closed with a 69 and was second at 5-under 208. Candie Kung (69) was third at 3 under. Mi Hyun Kim (67) and Heather Bowie (69) tied for fourth at 2-under 211.
GERMAN MASTERS: At Pulheim, Germany, Padraig Harrington rallied to a three-stroke victory in the German Masters, closing with a 2-under 70 and giving his game a big boost before the Ryder Cup. The Irishman recorded his ninth European Tour title but just his first since the Hong Kong Open in December.
Harrington started his round trailing leader Graeme McDowell by three strokes, then battled the wind and pulled even with the Northern Irishman when McDowell put a shot into the water at No. 9 and took a double bogey. Harrington birdied the hole and picked up two more on Nos. 13 and 15. He finished at 13-under 275 while the McDowell struggled to a 77-279.
Australia's Nick O'Hern also shot a 70 and was second at 278. McDowell shared third with France's Raphael Jacquelin, who closed with a 73.