Byrd finds luck in Vegas to win Timberlake's tourney

Jonathan Byrd figured there was barely enough light left to play one more hole. Turns out he only needed one more swing.

In a swift and shocking finish yesterday in Las Vegas, Byrd made a hole-in-one with a 6-iron on the fourth extra hole to win a three-man playoff in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open. The PGA Tour said it was the first sudden-death playoff decided by an ace.

"It's kind of hard to process because I'm still kind of in shock," Byrd said.

So was everyone else who saw another Fall Series thriller.

Moments earlier, it looked as though the tournament might not finish until today - without Byrd.

Byrd's approach on the 18th tumbled over the green and was one hop away from going into the water when it settled into a clump of grass. He chipped up to 7 feet and saved par to stay in the playoff.

Then came the decision.

Byrd, defending champion Martin Laird and Cameron Percy - they each made par on the three playoff holes - discussed whether there was enough light to continue. They agreed to go one more hole - the 204-yard 17th at the TPC Summerlin - with the understanding any of them could stop if they couldn't read their putts on the green.

That wasn't necessary.

Byrd had the honors and hit a slight draw toward the flag. That's about all he saw. The ball landed about 10 feet short of the hole and rolled in like a putt. It was too dark for Byrd to see the ball disappear into the cup, and even the cheers from a smattering of fans around the green were not immediately convincing.

"Did that go in?" Byrd asked his caddie.

"It started perfect, it turned perfect and it was coming right down the flag," said Byrd, who closed with a 68. "I thought I hit it too good. I thought I hit it too far. And I couldn't see anything. But to hear the reaction as it went in, I was just in shock."

In other tournaments:

* At Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jimin Kang won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, beating Juli Inkster by a stroke when the 50-year-old Hall of Famer bogeyed the final hole. Kang, the 30-year-old South Korean who starred at Arizona State, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th for a 6-under 65 and a 9-under total.

* At Castellon, Spain, Matteo Manassero, of Italy, became the youngest winner on the European Tour, shooting a 4-under 67 to claim the Castello Masters by four strokes. Manassero finished at 16-under.

* At Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., David Mathis closed with a 1-under 69 to win the Jacksonville Open on the Nationwide Tour, securing his return to the PGA Tour next year. Mathis finished at 8-under 272.

* At The Woodlands, Texas, Fred Couples shot a 9-under 63 for a seven-stroke victory at the the Administaff Small Business Classic. Couples finished at 17-under 199 and earned $255,000 for his fourth Champions Tour victory of the year.