Curtis seals first PGA Tour win since 2003

WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) Ben Curtis survived a stumbling finish to clinch his first PGA Tour title in three years with a five-shot victory at the weather-delayed Booz Allen Classic in Potomac, Maryland today.

Seven strokes clear with two holes to play yesterday when the final round was halted for the second day in a row, American Curtis could afford to bogey 17 and 18 before completing a one-under-par 70 at the TPC at Avenel.

That left him at 20-under 264, and comfortably in front of Ireland's Padraig Harrington and three others tied for second place.

Harrington closed with a 66 to finish at 15 under, level with Americans Billy Andrade (64) and Steve Stricker (68) and Australia's Nick O'Hern (67).

Curtis, who stunned the golfing world by winning the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George's, made a stumbling start after the protracted final round resumed in soggy conditions following a 45-minute weather delay today.

Having missed the green to the left off the tee at the par-three 17th before play was suspended the previous day, he failed to sink a 29-foot par putt and slipped back to 21 under overall.

Curtis also bogeyed the final hole, after ending up in a bunker with his approach, before completing the second PGA Tour title of his career.

It was the first time a regular PGA Tour event had carried over into a sixth day since the 1980 Tucson Open.

Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls on the fairways in the last three rounds because of the wet conditions.

A 300-1 outsider when he won the British Open by a stroke from Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Fiji's Vijay Singh, Curtis has largely struggled on the PGA Tour since then.

He made just 17 cuts in 44 Tour events during the 2004 and 2005 seasons before hinting that better was to come this year, qualifying for the weekend 11 times in 15 starts.

REUTERS DH ND1850