Lorena Ochoa retained her Safeway International crown in dominant fashion on Sunday, posting a seven-stroke victory in the 1.5 million-dollar LPGA event.

The world number one from Mexico, who led by one at the start of the round, fired a six-under-par 66 for a 22-under total of 266 - four strokes better than her winning total last year.

South Korean Jee Young Lee, who birdied 18 for a 72, finished second at 15-under 273 with Finland’s Minea Blomqvist third at 14-under 274 after a 67.

Ochoa, 26, notched her 19th LPGA title and her second of 2008. She opened her season with a victory in the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore earlier this month.

Former world number one Annika Sorenstam (70) finished in a tie for ninth at 11-under in a group that also included British veteran Laura Davies.

Ochoa never lost her lead on the final day.

After two birdies and two bogeys in her first six holes, Ochoa sank back-to-back birdies of 15 feet at eight and nine.

At 13 she knocked a pitching wedge to 12 feet to ignite a run of three birdies in a row, and she finished the day with a two-putt birdie from 30 feet at the par-five 18th.

“It was a great day, especially the back nine,” she said. “Front nine, a little bit up and down. I think being in the last group with the pressure and the wind, it was a little tough, but then I told myself just be patient.

“I was hitting the ball really good, and I missed few putts, just try not to really pay much attention.

“And then I made a great birdie on eight and nine, and from there just everything went a little bit easier,” she said…

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It is great to see a innovative idea like this be put to such good use. Boat donations can be made all around the US so if you have a boat you no longer need and want to support a great charity take some time to visit their website.

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Argentina’s Andres Romero walked off the TPC Louisiana a happy man Sunday afternoon. Three hours later, he felt even better.

Romero won the Zurich Classic in his 12th career start on the PGA TOUR, closing with a 4-under 68 hours before the other contenders finished en route to a one-stroke victory over Australia’s Peter Lonard.

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Andrés! …: Wait, wait a minute. I thought you were captain of the Briny Brigade.

Ah, Briny Baird is yesterday’s man. Andrés Romero is a man for the future!: Well,
we’ve been saying that for a long time now. He was our Young
Gun of the Year award-winner in our 2007 Rusty Awards, you know …

You always have to point it out everytime you’re right, don’t you. It’s very annoying.: I
wouldn’t do it so much unless it happened so frequently, and if you weren’t so annoying
by pointing out every time I’m wrong.

Geoff Ogilvy ring a bell?: I’m going to ring your bell in a minute …

Easy cowboy. How about that Romero win, though …?: It’s something else. The
Argentinian lad’s only 26, this was only his 12th PGA Tour start, and he’s heading
to Augusta with a full head of steam.

Wow. And we’ve seen what Romero can do with a head of steam …: That’s for
sure. He’s one of those birdie machines that is really scary when he turns it on,
as we saw last year when Romero strafed Carnoustie with 10 birdies on the final round
and still turned up short.

But his time he closed it out …: Indeed he did. He did that in typical Romero
fashion as well, with a rain of birdies that overwhelmed the field: 15 birdies in
his last 45 holes.


And then he had to sit around for three hours waiting for somebody to try to catch
him …: That was strange. Romero posted his total of 13-under 275 and then kicked
back in the clubhouse, playing games on his laptop - as you do when you’re 26 - while
Aussie veteran Peter Lonard finished up.

Not enough though …: Nope. Chalk one up for the young guys here. A bogey
on the 17th cost the 40-year-old Lonard here against Romero, while in Europe the silver-haired
Frenchman Thomas Levet held back 19-year-old Oli Fisher.

And now the ladies have another Latin heart-throb on the PGA Tour to ogle in addition
to Camilo Villegas …: Hey, somebody’s got to be better with the ladies than
Briny Baird.


But Briny disappeared in the haze of a 74 …: And thank the Gods of Golf for
that …

See you in Houston!: See you in Houston! Then on to Augusta …!

They might seem like an unlikely double act, but Sam Torrance has joined Michael Owen
as the latest investor and ambassador for Dubai property development company, First
Group.

The former Ryder Cup captain joins a lengthy list of touring golfers attracted by
the climate and playing facilities in Dubai and he follows the diminutive England
striker as an owner of a property in the heart of Dubai Sports City, the world’s first
purpose-built city dedicated to sport, featuring championship golf course, The Els
Club.

"I believe that Ernie’s course there is excellent," commented our favourite son of
Scotland. "It is also great to be an ambassador for such an innovative and well respected
company", he grinned.

Argentina’s Andres Romero won the Zurich Classic in his 12th career start on the PGA Tour, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Australia’s Peter Lonard.

Romero, a shot behind John Merrick on Sunday morning after the completion of the third round, had a 13-under 275 total on the TPC Louisiana and earned $1,116,000.

Lonard had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a long birdie putt on 18.

Lonard opened with a pair birdies, bogeyed Nos. 3 and 10, then birdied Nos. 8, 11, 14 and 16 to tie Romero at 13 under. The Australian’s putt for par on 17 stopped 4 inches shy of the cup, and he then failed to birdie 18.

Romero, who started with a 73 on Thursday, whittled away at the lead with a 69, then a 65 in the rain-delayed third round. In the final round, Romero offset a bogey on the sixth hole with five birdies.

The consolation for Lonard is that the runner-up finish should get him into the Masters by moving him from No. 72 to No. 50 in the world. The Zurich Classic was the final week to earn a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking.

Romero already qualified for the Masters with his third-place finish last summer in the British Open, a result that helped him earn a 2008 PGA Tour card.

Tim Wilkinson shot a 67 to finish third, two strokes back at 11 under. British Open champion Padraig Harrington (69), Woody Austin (71) and Nicholas Thompson (71) followed at 10 under.

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On this day in 1997, the Aussie swing machine Steve Elkington - a golf star who bizarrely
has a severe allergy to grass - breathed deeply enough to waltz around the TPC Stadium
Course at Sawgrass by winning The Players Championship for the second time by a wheezingly
large margin …




Elkington scythed down the field at the PGA Tour’s headquarter course, whipping Scott
Hoch (giving the media a rest, for a change) by a whopping seven shots to add to his
1991 title round the Stadium course. It was one of 10 PGA Tour wins for the smooth
gingery man from Wagga Wagga, who is one of only five men to have won The Players
more than once (Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Hal Sutton are the
others).




And it is on this day that we humbly pay respects on the birthday of the late Ernest
"Dutch" Harrison (b. 1910, d. 1982), one of the old boys who went head-to-head with
the likes of Nelson, Hogan and Snead in the postwar era and still came away with 18
PGA Tour wins …




There’s a real world outside of golf … and in it on this day in 1981, US president
Ronald Reagan was blasted by would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr outside a Washington
DC hotel. And it was also on this day in 1822 that Florida became a US territory,
paving the way for rain-plagued golf tournaments on the Florida swing … Also, in
1997, the Five Channel began broadcasting in the UK, and today it remains the only
terrestrial UK channel to show God’s great game of baseball … live …




And strangely enough, it was on this day in 1999 that a Portland, Oregon jury awarded
a settlement of 81 million smackeroos to the family of Jesse Williams, who croaked
of lung cancer, ruling against tobacco kings Philip Morris, since the dearly departed
had sucked down Marlboros for four decades (the jury decided those compelling "cool"
Marlboro Man adverts were to blame for Jesse biting the dust). Nice work if you can
get it …




So, it’s Joey Sindelar! as they say in Horseheads, New York, to wacko Aussie funnyman
Rolf Harris (78); slowhand Brit guitar ace Eric Clapton (63); bad-ass rappa MC Hammer
(45); slimy UK journo insider-guy Piers Morgan (43); and Argentinian-slapping footballer
Jérémie Aliadière (25). It’s also the big 40 to French-Canuck songstress Céline Dion,
whom we were tempted to honour with pride of place on the site front, but we couldn’t
find any hot pics so we went with the Marlboro Man … ‘Til tomorrow!

Dang! …: Dang what?

Well, I was really hoping we could use a picture of Oliver Fisher on the site front
…: Me too, but you said it yourself: The rule is, only the winner’s picture
goes on the site front.

But Oli was nearly the winner …: Yeah, well close only counts with horseshoes
and hand grenades. Why are you so fussed over Oli Fisher?

I just like the kid that’s all. And I picked him to get his first win …: I
agree. He’s a likeable kid, and he’s going to be a great player. But there’s no rooting
in the press box, pal … can’t take sides. And French veteran Thomas Levet is a worthy
champion, especially after what happened to him in 2006.

Dang! Fisher was just so close …: He sure was. It was hard to believe that
he’s still only 19 the way he took charge of the tournament in the final round, blitzing
past the faltering veteran Lee Westwood. Fisher, the former Nick Faldo Series winner
and youngest Walker Cup player ever, had his maiden European Tour win in his grasp
on the 18th after firing a 67 on Sunday.

And we all saw what happened …: Yes. Oli hit a couple of loose shots on the
18th and it cost him the tournament. All he needed was a par on the 72nd hole of regulation,
but Oli put his drive in a pond and made bogey 5.

To force a playoff with Levet …: Yep. And then Oli doinked his tee shot on
the playoff hole in a bunker, his second came up short, and Levet took the title with
a routine par.

And that’s win No. 4 for the 39-year-old Frenchman …: Yes, and it could have
been more had Levet not suffered from vertigo in 2006. After winning here he said:
"In 2006 just to be standing up was a victory."

Nice story, but pity for our Oli. How did he take it …: Quite well actually.
He said: "It was nothing negative. You have to learn to kind of lose before you win."

Top-notch cliche … Spoken like a grizzled veteran. That’s a cliche Nick Faldo
would be proud of …: Yep. Oli will be fine …


See you in Portugal!: See you in Portugal!

Briny …: Are you at this again?

Yep.: Why’s that? …

Well, there’s nothing else to do …: I have to agree with you there. Once
again we are at mercy of the Gods of Golf and the Gods of Fickle Weather, which have
determined that we must wait interminable for yet another third round to end.


I bet you Briny could do something about it …: I thought we agreed everyone
in the field was called Briny from now on. So shall we give our loyal readers the
update they are longer for?

If you must …: OK, when play was suspended on Saturday at 5.35pm Louisiana
time, there were four players standing at 8-under … well, they weren’t standing
actually, they were huddling out of sight against the rain.

And their names are? …: Woody "Briny" Austin, Nicholas "Briny" Thompson,
Peter "Briny" Lonard and Briny "Briny" Baird.

And after them? …: Well, there are five guys on 7-under, 46 players still
out on the course, and possibly another Monday finish possible in the forecast. And
I’ll be damned if I’m going to call all those players "Briny". I respect our readers
too much for that.

That’s grand of you. But come on, you can give me one more …: No.

Come on, just one more …: No!

Please???: OK … One of the guys on 7-under made a 5-birdie charge, just like
he did in the final round of the 2007 Open Championship, and that’s the mad young
Argentinian, Andres …

Say it!!: "Briny" Romero.

Jeez, I’m bored …: Me too … Have a pickle, Briny …

Stanford just got knocked out of the NCAA hoops tournament, but the star 7-foot center Robin Lopez (not to be confused with his brother Brook) has Michelle Wie to help console him. The news is big enough to hit the Korea Times.

Here’s video from Hawaii.

Briny …: Huh?

I can’t stop saying that. Briny …: That’s enough now …

Briny …: God I hope Briny Baird drops out of contention today so I don’t
have to hear you say that anymore.

Briny: …: Yes. From now on we’re just going to call him Michael Jancey Baird,
which is his real name. He’s a good ol’ Southern boy and a big-time fisherman, wears
one of those goofy straw hats, and when he was three years old he told his mother
he wanted to be called "Briny" because he liked the way it sounded.

I agree with him. Briny …: And you also have the mentality of a three-year-old.
At least my three-year-old can say words like "avocado" and "Cholula" and "hydrangea".
Mind you, he just likes the way they sound as well.

B —: Stop it! So yes, the son of former pro Butch Baird is your leader on
8-under after a 69 on Friday. Baird - notice I am not saying the "B word" - is gunning
for his first PGA Tour win in 254 starts. One shot behind him are the Aussie veteran
Peter Lonard and journeyman Jay Williamson.

Anybody else worth noting except Briny?: Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama hit some
spectacular shots and pulled some marvellous facial expressions on Friday and he’s
joined on 6-under with grinder Tommy Armour III and defending champ and all-round
good guy Nick Watney.

Aha … I see an Englishman on the leaderboard too, Brian "Briny" Davis: Don’t
say that to his face or the Londoner might go all Bubba "Briny" Watson on your ass.

Why? What did Bubba do?: He acted like a spoiled rotten golf pro. He blamed
the likeable Aussie Steve "Briny" Elkington for "making noises" during his tee shot
on the 10th hole, and left the course without shaking hands.

Maybe Elkington said "Briny" …: In which case I couldn’t blame Bubba for
getting ticked off …

Hi …: Is that all you’re saying for yourself? Why so sheepish?

Well …: Cat’s got your tongue? Or has Lee Westwood got your tongue? Hah!
Gotcha!

OK, OK …: Say it!

"I should not have questioned your wisdom about not running Lee Westwood’s picture
on the site front yesterday" … You satisfied?: Sort of. Why, please tell our
lovely readers, are you so contrite today?

Because Lee Westwood is back in the lead after Day 3, and therefore you would have
wasted a chance to use a picture of another player on the sitefront after Day 1.So
you know it all, you freaking Oracle of Golf Website Wisdom …: Hey mate, that
last bit was out of order. But guess whose picture is going to be on the site front
today?

Geoff Ogilvy?: Smart-ass. I’ll give you one more chance before you have to
start running.

Lee Westwood, Oh Oracle … Since you’re the bleeping Oracle, why don’t you tell
me something about the golf?: It’s my job to say that to you. But anyway, I digress.
Ahem (cough cough) indeed, your leader is Lee Westwood on 12-under-par. But this affair
is very tight and will likely not be decided until the final putt drops tomorrow in
Andalucia.

OK, Cliche Boy. Tell me some more …: Well, once again the Frenchman Thomas
Levet finds himself sandwiched between a pair of Englishmen in Oliver Fisher and David
Lynn who are all on 11-under. But there are eight players within three shots of the
lead, including five Swedes, and you know how they are.

No, I don’t actually, why don’t you tell me?: I was bluffing. Anyway, Westwood
is looking good after his 66 and it sounds like he’s got his mind in shape as well
as his body. The Masters is just around the corner and it looks like our formerly
big lad from Worksop is ready to be a proper world Top 10 player. Mind you, he’s got
to sort out that little problem about winning in the States …

So who’s your pick for tomorrow then Oracle?: I’m going with Lee Westwood.
And you?

Uhhh … see you later …: Why the rush?

Oli Fisher!

On this day in 1980, 28 years before Tiger Woods uttered his now-legendary F-bombs
last week at Doral, Tom Kite and Lanny Wadkins were caught up in a microphone vortex
of the old PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman’s doing when both said things they probably
regretted on live microphones during an experimental TV broadcast.




The place was at the then-Heritage Classic - the tour stop universally known as "Harbour
Town" on the PGA Tour. Several players were approached for live mic-ing (Jack Nicklaus,
among others, declined) but several players at Harbour Town were fitted with live
mics, and some of them forgot what they were doing …




The gentlemanly Kite was caught out whingeing about the slow play of John Schroeder
in the group ahead, saying Schroeder should be "punished or fined". Wadkins was heard
offering up four-letter missives whenever things didn’t go his way and/or when he
forgot the mics were live. Kite is enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Wadkins
isn’t … And perhaps that’s partially because the world’s golf press vote for the
Hall of Fame, and John Schroeder doesn’t …




There’s a real world outside of golf, and in it, on March 29, 1971 mass murderer Charles
Manson and three other hippie psychos were sentenced to death by a jury in Los Angeles
for the Tate-La Bianca slaughters. Reality check: The California death penalty was
abolished, then brought back, and Manson is still alive, aged 73, at Corcoran State
Prison …




And strangely enough, it was on this day that the front-runner for the US Democratic
nod in the 1992 US presidential election, Bill Clinton, confessed to having experimented
with marijuana "a time or two" at university in Oxford. However, Clinton said he "didn’t
inhale". Those dirty rotten Oxford students should have taught the future president
how to toke properly, or at least lie better! …




So, it’s Kirk Triplett! as they say in Moses Lake, Washington, to a pair of 65-year-olds:
Pythoner Eric Idle (nudge-nudge) is still looking on the bright side of life, as is
former British PM John Major; Aussie super-babe Elle Macpherson is 45 (God doesn’t
she still look young on those brain cells of ours!) and former tennis starlet Jen
Capriati is 32 and still has never touched a joint or anything that doesn’t belong
to her, she swears … ‘Til tomorrow!