Ward wins; Lonard in 1st at MCI

Wendy Ward kept her cool and her touch around the greens Saturday for a wire-to-wire win in the Takefuji Classic, her first victory in nearly four years.

Ward closed with a 5-under 67 to hold off the charging Lorena Ochoa by two shots with a 16-under 200 total on The Las Vegas Country Club course.

Ward, the 1994 U.S. Women's Amateur champion, had five birdies and no bogeys on the way to her fourth career victory and first since 2001 in New Albany, Ohio.

Ochoa, who vaulted from a tie for 96th into a tie for fourth with a 63 the previous day, went low again, finishing with a 65.

Shi Hyun Ahn shot a 63 to tie for third at 13 under with Paula Creamer, an 18-year-old tour rookie who had a 65. Another teenager, amateur In-Bee Park, finished fifth at 12 under. Park, a 16-year-old from South Korea who is a Las Vegas high school junior, shot a 67.

MCI HERITAGE: At Hilton Head Island, S.C., Peter Lonard regained the lead in the MCI Heritage, shooting a 5-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Darren Clarke, with five-time Harbour Town champion Davis Love III lurking close behind.

Lonard, the 37-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour victory, had an 11-under 202 total. Clarke shot a 73 to drop to second, Rod Pampling (68) was third at 6 under, and Love (69) followed at 5 under.

Lonard, who won the Australian Open and Australian PGA in consecutive weeks late last year, began the round six strokes behind Clarke, who entered the round with his best 36-hole score ever, 12-under 130.

Lonard toyed with 59 on Thursday before finishing with a 62, his best round ever, and dropped back with a 74 on Friday.

SPANISH OPEN: At San Roque, Sweden's Peter Hanson shot a 1-under 71 to take a two-stroke lead over South Africa's Hennie Otto.

Hanson, who three-putted four greens in the third round, had a 7-under 209 total on the San Roque Club course. Otto birdied two of the last four holes for a 69.

Scotland's Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, was four strokes back along with Spain's Jose Manual Lara. Lawrie shot a 69, and Lara had a 68.