Pettersen takes Canadian crown

PRIDDIS, Alberta - Suzann Pettersen closed with a 1-under 70 for a five-shot victory at the Canadian Women's Open, her first LPGA Tour win in nearly two years.

The Norwegian star vowed not to play conservatively with a five-shot lead heading into the final round yesterday. She made good, keeping that margin over Momoko Ueda (65), Morgan Pressel (66), Ai Miyazato (67), Karrie Webb (69) and Angela Stanford (70).

"To finally close the deal again feels really good," Pettersen said. "I remember what it feels like again."

Pettersen's past couple of years on tour had been known for near-misses, with six runner-up finishes - including a playoff loss in Portland last weekend.

She earned $412,500 for dominating a field that featured the top 75 money-winners on tour.

Despite the large margin of victory, Pettersen, 28, had some tense moments midway through the final round. Her lead over Webb had been whittled to three shots by the 10th, where Pettersen missed the green with her approach shot.

She responded by draining her chip before picking up birdies at the next two holes to restore her big lead.

It was Pettersen's sixth career victory on tour - the previous five all came during a breakout 2007 - and pushed her season's earnings over $1.1 million.

PGA TOUR

Three share lead

NORTON, Mass. - Steve Stricker made an eagle on the final hole at TPC Boston for a 6-under 65 to share the 54-hole lead with Retief Goosen and Sean O'Hair in the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second PGA Tour playoff event.

On a day when Tiger Woods fell out of contention, Stricker, Goosen and O'Hair sat atop a crowded leader board in which a dozen players were separated by three shots going into the Labor Day finish.

O'Hair rallied with two birdies on his last three holes for a 70, and Goosen missed a chance to take the outright lead when he couldn't get up and down from a bunker on the par-5 18th hole for birdie. He shot a 68.

Woods hit his first tee shot into a hazard and it never got much better. He wound up with a 72 to fall nine shots behind.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Sluman wins by two

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.-Jeff Sluman fired a four-under 68 for a total of 10-under 206 to win the Walmart First Tee Open by two strokes over Gene Jones. Loren Roberts, who entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, ballooned to a 6-over 78 and finished four strokes behind Sluman. Tom Lehman and Mark O'Meara finised three strokes behind Sluman.