Golf: Green soars among the eagles

The American Tammie Green had an eagle at the fifth play-off hole on Sunday to beat Laura Davies and win the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at the Avalon Lakes course in Warren, Ohio.

It was the second time Green had had an eagle at the 451-yard, par-five 18th in the play-off as both she and Davies had already achieved one on the third extra hole. The play-off format required the playing of holes 18 and 10, repeating that order until a winner was determined.

Green, who was playing one group in front of Davies, forced the play- off when she birdied the closing hole for a 68, which put her at 203 for 54 holes. Davies had a chance to win in regulation, but her three-foot putt for birdie lipped the cup and she finished on 70.

Davies' tee shot on the final play-off hole found the left rough and left her obstructed by trees. After Green used a six-iron on her second shot to get within four feet of the pin, Davies was forced to go for the green. Her second shot hit a tree and ricocheted.

Stewart Cink, a rookie, earned his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the Greater Hartford Open at Cromwell, Connecticut, and with a final-round 66, equalled Greg Norman's 1995 tournament scoring record of 267, 13 under par.

"I'll never forget this day, to be on top of one of these fields - to win, that's really something." Cink, who at 24 continues the trend of young winners on the PGA Tour, said. The only tour rookie to win this year, Cink's victory was worth $270,000 (pounds 164,000) and gave him earnings of $496,878 for the season.