Golf: Funk scrapes home

Golf

Fred Funk limped to an unimpressive one-stroke victory over his fellow American Jim McGovern in the New England Classic at Sutton, Massachusetts, with Northern Ireland's David Feherty finishing 12 shots off the pace after a closing 74.

For the fifth successive year 268 was the winning score and Funk needed all of his four-stroke overnight lead as he shot a mediocre two-over-par 73 at Pleasant Valley.

It was the highest final-round score by a winner on the PGA Tour this year and Funk, who finished 16 under par and collected pounds 120,000 for his second PGA Tour victory, said: "All it was was survival."

He jumped to 24th on this year's money list but remains out of Ryder Cup contention barring another victory before the team is finalised after the PGA Championship in two weeks.

Funk fell a stroke behind McGovern with just five holes left. But McGovern could not handle the pressure of leading either, and three-putted the 16th from the fringe then ran up another bogey at the par-four 17th.