CASTLE ROCK, Colo. – Davis Love III took all of the suspense out of The International on Sunday, birdieing three of the first four holes and cruising to his fourth victory of the season.

Love led wire-to-wire for his 18th career title. He also vaulted from fourth to first on the PGA Tour’s money list with $5.1 million heading into next week’s PGA Championship.

“Obviously, the first two rounds set the tournament up for me,” said Love, who compiled a tournament-record 36 points after 36 holes. “All I had to do was play good on the weekend and not make any big mistakes.

“I basically won it with my putter the first two days.”

Love, who began the final round with 41 points and a 10-point lead, added 5 points under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event. His lead never dipped below 10 points Sunday, and beat Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen by a tournament-record 12.

Chris DiMarco was another point back at 33, and John Rollins had 31. Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson each had 26. Els had the day’s best round, 13 points.

The scoring system gives players 8 points for double eagle, 5 for eagle, 2 for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3 for double bogey or worse. Rich Beem won last year with a four-round total of 44 points.

An emotional Love dedicated the victory to his wife Robin. In a press conference on Wednesday, he denied that he and his wife were having marital problems.

The field, cut after 36 holes, was trimmed again Saturday to the low 36 players and ties for Sunday’s final round.

Goosen said demanding pin placements on Sunday helped Love maintain his lead.

Han wins Wendy’s with birdie on third playoff hole

DUBLIN, Ohio – Hee-Won Han had to work overtime to make sure she didn’t settle for second place this time.

The runner-up a year ago, Han made a 25-foot birdie putt on the third hole of sudden death Sunday to beat Wendy Ward and win the Wendy’s Championship for Children.

The clutch putt came on the 17th hole, where a short time before, Han lost a two-stroke lead.

Han, who finished a shot behind Mi Hyun Kim a year ago, ended up at 17-under-par 199 to collect $165,000 for her second win of the year and her career. She held off Meg Mallon last month to win the Big Apple Classic.

Han closed with a 66, falling into the playoff when she bogeyed the par-3 17th hole just moments after Ward had birdied it. Both players parred the closing hole, just missing lengthy birdie putts.

Levi claims first career Champions Tour win

BLAINE, Minn. – Wayne Levi sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 3M Championship on Sunday, notching his first career Champions Tour victory.

Levi, who joined the Champions tour in 2002, finished with an 11-under 205 to edge Morris Hatalsky and Gil Morgan, who both finished at 10 under. Levi shot 68, 68 and 69 in his three rounds.

Levi’s last victory was at the 1990 Canadian Open. He was the 20th winner in 21 official tournaments this year on the Tour.

“It took me longer than I figured it would (to win again),” Levi said. “I never doubted that I would. It’s just a matter of time.”

Playing in a group ahead of Levi, Hatalsky nearly birdied the final hole, but his shot lipped out.

Hatalsky, who vaulted into contention with four birdies on the front nine Sunday, was forced to watch as Levi, Morgan and Ben Crenshaw played for the lead on the par-5 18th.

Morgan just missed taking the lead after an impressive shot from the scoreboard put him about 7 feet from the hole. His shot for birdie came within inches, drawing a groan from the crowd.

“Couldn’t make any birdies down the stretch,” said Morgan, who was stuck at 10 under the final six holes.

Crenshaw, who finished tied for fourth with Bob Murphy and Graham Marsh at 9 under, nearly had an eagle when his shot from the rough narrowly missed.

That set up the winning shot for Levi, who dropped his second shot onto the edge of the rough before chipping it back onto the green. He calmly tapped in his winning putt for the $262,500 prize of the $1,750,000 purse.

“When I hit it, it came off the putter perfectly,” he said.

Levi said he was confused when people began congratulating him after the putt.

“I thought, “what are they talking about?’ I though there was going to be a playoff,” he said.

Heading into the tournament, Levi’s best finish came when he tied for fourth place at last year’s Farmers Charity Classic. He also finished tied for sixth at the 2002 Senior PGA Championship.

Levi started Sunday at 8 under before recording five birdies and two bogeys.

Tom Purtzer began the day leading at 9 under after the first two rounds. He was in a four-way tie for the lead before hitting two balls into the water on 17 to fall off the leaderboard.

AP-ES-08-10-03 1926EDT