PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Stephen Ames delivered a major performance Sunday on the treacherous TPC at Sawgrass, blowing away the strongest field in golf with a 5-under 67 to win The Players Championship by six shots and earn an unlikely trip to the Masters.

Ames made only one mistake, a double bogey on the 10th hole when he took two shots to get out of the bunker, and it looked as if he would have to battle his nerves along the scary back nine of the Stadium Course.

Instead, he poured it on with impeccable shots that stretched his lead so much that the tiny island of a 17th green was only another hole on his way to a dominant victory.

Ames finished at 14-under 274, six shots clear of two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who closed with a 69. Ames earned $1.44 million for his second PGA Tour victory, and also got a three-year exemption to the Masters.

Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir stumbled early. Ernie Els collapsed late. Goosen got within two shots of him at one point on the back nine, but that didn’t last long.

AP-ES-03-26-06 1821EST