SILVIS, Ill.l – Mark Hensby tapped in for par on the second playoff hole at the John Deere Classic on Sunday, finally breaking through for his first career victory.

Hensby shot a 66 to finish at 16-under 268, and got the victory when John Morgan hit his drive on the par-3 16th far left of the green.

Morgan waved goodbye as the shot sailed into thick brush. He chipped across the green and into the bunker, nearly made the sand shot and stood by and watched as Hensby two-putted for par and the $685,000 winner’s check.

It wasn’t all bad news for Morgan, though.

The victory would have earned Hensby a trip to next week’s British Open at Royal Troon, but he declined.

Instead the slot went to Morgan (65), a native of England.

Adding to the drama of the playoff, play was suspended during the first extra hole with both players standing over long birdie putts. After a delay of about an hour, the two came back out and made par to move onto the deciding hole.

Hensby birdied five of the first eight holes of the round to come back from four shots down.

The Australian hit a great approach on the par-5 second to within 7 feet of the hole, missing the eagle attempt but tapping in for birdie. He then rolled in a 16-footer for birdie on the sixth.

Hensby caught a break on the 17th – a couple of them, actually – the enabled him to finish in a tie with Morgan.

He hit a poor drive that went into the trees, bounced back into play and settled onto the fairway. His next shot plunked off another tree, but landed on the fairway again. He was able to get onto the green and finish with a par.

He found trouble again on the 18th. Hensby’s approach went into the right-side bunker, but he was able to chip onto the green to 4 feet before sinking the par putt to get into a playoff.

It was his first win, but it wasn’t a surprise. Hensby had been close all year, finishing in a tie for third last week at the Western Open after holding a share of the lead in the final round.

He also finished tied for third at the Chrysler Classic early this year and was second at the BellSouth Classic, entering this week 28th on the money list.

Morgan had three straight birdies on the back nine to pull within a shot of Hensby. On the last birdie, the fiery Morgan drained a 14-footer, pumped his fists several times and yelled “Come on!” to the delight of the crowd.

It was just a warm up.

Needing a birdie on the 18th to pull even with Hensby, Morgan delivered with a 30-footer that drew a huge roar from the crowd.

Morgan appeared overwhelmed, knowing he now had a shot at playing in his own country’s major. He pulled the ball from the hole, kissed it and crouched down for several moments to calm his nerves while his playing partners finished their round.

Mallon runs away with Canadian Open

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – Meg Mallon completed her North American double on Sunday, running away to win the Canadian Women’s Open a week after winning the U.S. Women’s Open.

Leaning heavily on her sharp putting stroke, Mallon shot a final-round 2-under 70, finishing with an 18-under 270 to win $195,000 at Legends on the Niagara Battlefield course.

Defending champion Beth Daniel finished second, four strokes back, after shooting a final-round 70. Jean Bartholomew (69) and Lorena Ochoa (70) finished in a tie for third at 276.

Mallon became the first woman to win both U.S. and Canadian titles in the same year and her 18-under matched a tournament record for lowest score, first set by Brandie Burton in 1998 at Windsor, Ontario.

She also became only the third U.S. Open champion to win an LPGA event the following week, joining Se Ri Pak, who did it in 1998 and Jane Geddes in 1986. Louise Suggs also won back-to-back events in 1952, but that’s when the All-America Women’s Open was held six weeks after the U.S. Open.

It was the first time Mallon has won consecutive events, and she became the first to do so since Candie Kung won the Wachovia LPGA Classic and State Farm Classic last August. For Mallon, it was also her third Canadian title after winning it in 2000 and 02 to match Pat Bradley, who won the tournament a record three times in the 1980s.

Dawn Coe-Jones (71) and Lorie Kane (68) were the top Canadians, finishing at 277 in a tie for fifth in a tournament that hasn’t had a native champion since Jocelyne Bourassa won the inaugural event in 1973.

James wins Senior Players Championship

DEARBORN, Mich. – Mark James shot a 1-over 73 and held off Jose Maria Canizares for a one-stroke victory Sunday at the Senior Players Championship.

James finished at 13-under 275 and is the first European to win a Champions Tour major.

Canizares struggled on the back nine and made double bogey at Nos. 14 and 17 in a 1-under 71, finishing at 12-under 276.

Bruce Fleisher (71) finished third at 11 under, and Bruce Lietzke (71) was fourth, another stroke back. Gary McCord (74) and Dana Quigley (72) tied for fifth at 9 under.

James, who captained Europe’s 1999 Ryder Cup team at Brookline, became the sixth player to make the Players Championship his first Champions Tour victory.

A Ryder Cup player seven times from 1977-95 and winner of 22 tournaments overseas, James last won at the 1997 Peugeot Open De Espana.

James, a senior rookie, finished third at the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am last month. He also tied for fourth at the Senior PGA Championship in May.

James opened with three strong rounds – a 68 and two 67s – and played just well enough on a hot, muggy afternoon at the TPC of Michigan to win the over-50 circuit’s second major of the season and first of three straight.

James also caught a break on Saturday when Quigley, his playing partner and co-leader, ruined a strong round with a quadruple bogey at the par-5 17th.

James started the final round with a three-stroke lead, the largest going into Sunday in the tournament since 1999, and was ahead by at least two shots until he bogeyed No. 9 and fell to 14 under.

That allowed Canizares to pull within a stroke. Moments later, he birdied No. 10 to move into a tie for the lead at 14 under.

James, playing just behind Canizares in the final group, moved back into the lead with a birdie at No. 10. At the 13th, Canizares again tied it with a birdie, but made double bogey on the next hole.

James squandered a two-shot cushion by making a bogey at the 14th.

After Canizares birdied 16 to again pull into a tie, James bogeyed the same hole to drop out of the lead and fall to 13 under.

Canizares tried to play safe at the 17th, but still found the water. He ended up with a double bogey, his second in four holes, and fell one shot back at 12 under.

Defending champion Craig Stadler finished 3 under, tied for 18th. He starting strong with rounds of 70 and 67, but closed poorly, shooting 73 and 75 on the weekend.

Quigley played in the 250th consecutive event he has been eligible for since 1997, and 235th in a row overall.