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Rookie Holmes gains five shots on one hole to win FBR

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rookie J.B. Holmes gained five shots on his nearest competitor on the 15th hole and walked away with a seven-stroke victory Sunday at the FBR Open, only his fourth tournament since joining the PGA Tour.

The hard-driving 23-year-old golfer from Kentucky shot a 5-under-par 66 in the final round -- 5-under 31 on the back nine -- to finish at 21-under 263 and win $936,000. Combined with his $127,500 he won for a 10th-place tie at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Holmes becomes the fastest to win $1 million on the tour in PGA history. It took Retief Goosen five tournaments to reach $1 million in 2001.

Ryan Palmer, who made the turn with a one-shot lead, hit the water twice for a triple bogey on the par-5, 552-yard 15th, while his playing partner Holmes sank a 14-footer for an eagle. Holmes' one-shot lead expanded to six, and the tournament was decided.

Palmer finished in a five-way tie for second at 14-under 270. Steve Lowery, J.J Henry, Camilo Villegas and Scott Verplank also were 14 under.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson birdied five of the last six holes, the last four in a row, to finish tied with Justin Leonard and Jonathan Byrd at 13-under 271.

Holmes, the top finisher in last year's PGA qualifying tournament, is the first rookie to win a tournament since Sean O'Hair won the John Deere Classic last July. O'Hair was the only rookie to win last year.

European Ladies Tour

In Gold Coast, Australia, Amy Yang, a local 16-year-old high school student, birdied the first playoff hole against American Catherine Cartwright to win the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters yesterday.

The South Korean, who attends nearby Robina High School on the Gold Coast, become the first amateur to win a major women's professional golf tournament in Australia.

She bogeyed the final hole in regulation to fall into a tie with Cartwright at 13-under 275 on the Royal Pines course.

"I'm happy and excited," said Yang, who had led after the second and third rounds and had a final-round 70 while Cartwright shot 68.

Yang made a 23-foot birdie putt on the 18th, the first playoff hole, then burst into tears and hugged her father, James, who is also her caddie.

Two other amateurs, Taiwan's Tseng Ya-ni, who shot a final-round 64, and Tiffany Joh of the United States, who finished with a 69, were tied for third at 12-under with Sweden's Louise Stahle (68).

With amateurs taking three of the top four positions, Cartwright picked up the first-place winner's check of $90,000.

Defending champion Karrie Webb, trying for her sixth Masters title, finished tied for 33rd with Britain's three-time Masters winner Laura Davies at 3-under. Davies finished with a 69 and Webb with a 72.