McDaniel captures fifth consecutive So. Az. golf amateur

The 22-year-old Canyon del Oro High School product showed no expression while saying, "I hit the ball terribly for two days'' and "I really putted bad.''

Nonetheless, McDaniel won the Pima County Amateur on Sunday at Crooked Tree Golf Course, draining a 14-foot, par-saving putt on the 18th green. That putt gave him a one-stroke victory over Tucson real estate executive Patrick Geare.

McDaniel shot 70-70 (4-under 140). Geare shot 70-71 (141).

In the last 13 months, McDaniel has won two Tucson City Amateurs, two Pima County Amateurs and the 2006 Oro Valley Amateur.

"I think about (the streak) a little bit but I don't talk about it much,'' said McDaniel, who played golf at the UA in 2004 before a chronic back problem forced him to cut back his golf schedule. "But it definitely feels good.''

McDaniel and Geare were tied at the 16th tee Sunday. The 16th hole is a 235-yard monster par-3. Both players hit the green and had putts of about 30 feet, but Geare three-putted after leaving his first putt 8 feet short. They both parred 17 and 18.

"I was surprised to be tied with David but I was hitting the ball solidly,'' said Geare, who was in contention for a local amateur title for the first time. "Granted, David wasn't playing his best, but he was still hitting it 60, 70 yards beyond me off the tee."

Along with defending his title in the Oro Valley Amateur, McDaniel plans to play in the U.S. Public Links qualifier, the U.S. Amateur qualifying and the Arizona Amateur this summer.

Tucson dentist Radd Lukas finished third Sunday, shooting rounds of 73-70 (143). Tucsonan Jim Smith was fourth at 71-73 (144), while former City Amateur champion Larry Pagel was fifth at 72-74 (146).

● In Fort Worth, Texas, former UA standout Rory Sabbatini won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on Sunday, beating another ex-Wildcat, Jim Furyk, and Bernhard Langer with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff.

It is the fourth career PGA Tour victory for Sabbatini, the South African who won the Nissan Open last year and earlier this season had consecutive top-three finishes.

After beginning the final round tied at 11 under, Sabbatini, Furyk and Langer closed with matching 3-under 67s to finish at 14 under.

All three hit their playoff drives into the fairway on the 433-yard 18th. Their approach shots all landed safely on the green. Furyk, No. 3 in the world rankings, missed his 34-foot putt. Sabbatini then made his putt before Langer, with the shortest putt and a chance to force another hole, missed an 8-footer to the right.

● In Kiawah Island, S.C., Denis Watson took advantage of Eduardo Romero's late mistakes Sunday to win the Senior PGA Championship.

Watson, from Zimbabwe, edged Romero by two strokes to win his first title in 23 years. Watson closed with a 4-under 68 for a 9-under 279 total on The Ocean Course. Romero, who followed a bogey on the 13th hole with a double bogey on the par-3 14th, finished with a 72.

● In Corning, N.Y., South Korea's Young Kim won the Corning Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, birdieing two of the final five holes for a three-stroke victory over Paula Creamer and Mi Hyun Kim. Young Kim shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 20-under 268.

● In Virginia Water, England, Denmark's Anders Hansen holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Justin Rose to win the BMW PGA Championship.

miscellaneous

Villanova great Porter dies

MINNEAPOLIS — Howard Porter, one of the best players in Villanova basketball history, died Saturday after he was found severely beaten in an alley more than a week ago. He was 58.

Porter was a three-time All-American at Villanova. He led the Wildcats to the 1971 NCAA title game, where they lost to UCLA 68-62. He was voted the tournament's outstanding player, an honor later vacated because he had been dealing with an agent before the season ended. Villanova's 1971 runner-up finish also was vacated.

● World soccer's governing body has banned international games from being played at high altitudes. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the decision to ban games more than 8,200 feet above sea level was made Sunday after a review by FIFA's medical team. Bolivia has held World Cup qualifiers at an altitude of about 11,810 feet at its capital of La Paz. There has been criticism that Bolivia's advantage is not only unfair, but also dangerous for the players' health.