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Woodland wins Transitions

Florida - Gary Woodland won his first US PGA title on Sunday, sinking tension-packed putts for a birdie at the 17th hole and his only back-nine par at 18 to win the Transitions Championship by a shot.

Woodland sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th, only the second of the day at the penultimate hole, to match fellow American Webb Simpson for the lead and dropped a 10-footer for par at 18 for a four-under par 67.

Moments later, Simpson missed a 20-foot par putt at the 18th and Woodland collected the $990 000 top prize by finishing 72 holes on 15-under par 269, one stroke ahead of Simpson, who fired a final-round 69.

"I was just trying to hit the ball solidly. I was struggling with my swing all day," Woodland said.

Woodland was 17-for-17 on putts inside 20 feet on Sunday.

"My putting usually saves me," Woodland said. "This time it won me a golf tournament."

Woodland, who lost a Bob Hope Classic playoff earlier this season, missed most of the 2010 campaign due to a left shoulder injury suffered in late 2009.

"When I was hurt, my coach and I looked at my statistics. We attacked my weakness and it has really paid off for me," Woodland said. "I've been doing the right things."

Woodland and Simpson battled down the stretch after other challengers faded on the back nine in the final round of the $5.5 million tournament.

England's Justin Rose, who led when the day began, birdied the par-5 fifth but stumbled back with four bogeys in a row starting at the seventh hole, opening the door to a host of rivals who had never won a PGA event.

Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge, who birdied the second and fourth to lead briefly, took a bogey at the eighth, birdied the 10th to match the leaders on 14-under, but faded with bogeys at the 12th and par-3 15th.

American Scott Stallings, who birdied 14 and 15 to stay in the hunt late, saw his chances collapse with a double bogey at the par-4 16th.

Simpson hit his tee shot to five feet and birdied the par-3 fourth then rolled his approach at the seventh from the rough two feet from the cup to set up another birdie. A third birdie at nine gave him a two-shot lead at the turn.

Woodland matched Simpson for the lead at 14-under par by opening the back nine with a birdie. He birdied both par-5s on the front side, the first and fifth holes, as well.

Simpson began the back nine with a bogey but answered with a birdie at the 12th and parred his way to the clubhouse while Woodland was enduring a roller coaster round.

Woodland, 26, took a bogey at the par-5 11th, responded with a run of three birdies in a row, suffered back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16.

But Woodland sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th, only the second of the day at the penultimate hole, to match Simpson for the lead and sank a tense 10-footer for par at 18, his only par on the back nine.

"That was really a big one for me at 18," said Woodland.

Simpson, playing just behind Woodland, found a bunker off the 18th tee and hit a tree to escape the rough on his second shot. He pitched his third shot 20 feet past the cup and rolled a par putt too far left, giving Woodland the win.

Stallings was third on 272, one stroke ahead of fellow American Brandt Snedeker, after each fired a final-round 70.

Rose, who fired a 74, and de Jonge, who shot 73, were in a group of six who shared fifth on 274 that also included Scotsman Martin Laird and Americans Marc Turnesa, Chris Couch and Roland Thatcher.

Snedeker, whose 15 birdies for the week produced a $7,500 donation to the Japan earthquake and tsunami relief effort, was among those who answered the plea by Japanese player Ryuji Imada.

South Korea's K.J. Choi donated $100 000 and US star Bubba Watson made a $50 000 donation to the American Red Cross.

Scores on Sunday after the final round of the $5.5 million US PGA Transitions Championship (par-71, USA unless noted):

269 - Gary Woodland 67-68-67-67

270 - Webb Simpson 67-67-67-69

272 - Scott Stallings 66-70-66-70

273 - Brandt Snedeker 72-64-67-70

274 - Marc Turnesa 68-67-73-66, Martin Laird (SCO) 66-70-68, Roland Thatcher 68-67-69-70, Chris Couch 69-64-70-71, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 69-66-66-73, Justin Rose (ENG) 70-65-65-74

275 - Chez Reavie 70-70-65-70, Stewart Cink 68-70-67-70

276 - Jim Furyk 67-70-69-70, Nick Watney 66-72-65-73

277 - John Senden (AUS) 67-72-68-70, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 68-66-72-71, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 67-72-67-71, Peter Hanson (SWE) 69-67-69-72, Garrett Willis 66-67-70-74

...

278 - Matteo Manassero (ITA) 68-68-72-70, Martin Kaymer (GER) 68-70-71-69

279 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 70-67-73-69, Brian Davis (ENG) 70-71-68-70, Retief Goosen (RSA) 72-69-68-70, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 72-66-68-73

280 - Stephen Bowditch (AUS) 72-68-71-69, Paul Casey (ENG) 64-71-71-74

281 - Marc Leishman (AUS) 68-73-72-68

282 - Vijay Singh (FIJ) 68-70-70-74, Jason Day (AUS) 70-71-65-76

283 - Anders Romero (ARG) 69-72-69-73, Stuart Appleby (AUS) 67-69-77-70, Alex Cejka (GER) 73-68-67-75

286 - Matt Jones (AUS) 69-70-71-76, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 69-68-73-76

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