Golf: Ben Crane triumphs in St. Jude Classic

Memphis, Tenn. • Ben Crane estimates he slept less than three hours in a night spent praying and thanking God that his game finally has come back around.

Then he played 30 holes Sunday in winning the St. Jude Classic for his first PGA Tour title since 2011, setting off a celebration that included hugging his caddie and high-fiving a reporter. Crane also choked back some tears as he looked at text messages filling his phone.

"Oh my gosh, it just keeps going," Crane said, looking at his phone. "How many can a phone hold? This is so much fun"

Crane closed with a 3-over 73 for a one-stroke victory, going wire to wire for his fifth career victory. Rain delays forced him into the marathon session Sunday at TPC Southwind, finishing 12 holes in the morning in a third-round 69 to take a three-shot lead into the final round.

He two-putted for bogey on the final hole to finish at 10-under 270, days after failing to qualify for the U.S. Open. That marked a low point for the 38-year-old player who spent the past six months reworking his swing to protect his back wondering if his career was over. He spent time with a coach picturing the right way to hit shots.

Everything clicked Thursday with an opening 63.

"I did not expect the hole to open up like that and just start making putts from everywhere," Crane said. "Just hit a lot of quality shots and obviously built a nice lead to start out with."

Troy Merritt was second after a 71. Webb Simpson (65), Matt Every (70) and Carl Pettersson (69) were 8 under, and Ian Poulter had a 64 to tie for sixth at 7 under.

Merritt credited the best finish of his career to an improved short game.

"Ben played great," Merritt said. "Hats off to him. Well deserved. He's been struggling for a little while. Very happy for Ben."

Phil Mickelson, among those tuning up for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, left winless in his 20th event since the British Open. He tied for 11th at 6 under after a 72.

LPGA Tour

In Waterloo, Ontario, Inbee Park won the Manulife Financial Classic for her first LPGA Tour title in more than 11 months, matching the course record with a 10-under 61 for a three-stroke victory over Cristie Kerr. A week after losing the top spot in the world ranking to Stacy Lewis, Park finished at 23-under 261 at Grey Silo for her 10th LPGA Tour title and first since the U.S. Women's Open.

Champions Tour

In Ridgedale, Mo., Jeff Sluman and Fred Funk teamed to win the Champions Tour's Legends of Golf, and Jim Colbert and Jim Thorpe topped the Legends Division for players 65 and older. Sluman and Funk finished with a 6-under 48 at Top of the Rock, the first par-3 course used in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, to beat Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen by a stroke. The winners finished at 20-under 159. They opened with an 11-under 61 in better-ball play on the regulation Buffalo Ridge course and had a 50 on Saturday on the par-3 layout. Sunday's results

St. Jude Classic

At TPC Southwind

Memphis, Tenn.

Purse • $5.8 million

Yardage • 7,239; Par • 70 (35-35)

Final

Ben Crane $1,044,000 63-65-69-73—270 -10

Troy Merritt $626,400 67-66-67-71—271 -9

Matt Every $301,600 69-68-65-70—272 -8

Carl Pettersson $301,600 67-67-69-69—272 -8

Webb Simpson $301,600 71-66-69-66—272 -8

James Hahn $181,540 69-70-67-67—273 -7

Brian Harman $181,540 69-65-67-72—273 -7

Billy Horschel $181,540 67-68-68-70—273 -7

Ian Poulter $181,540 69-68-72-64—273 -7

Andrew Svoboda $181,540 69-66-68-70—273 -7

Phil Mickelson $139,200 67-68-67-72—274 -6

Camilo Villegas $139,200 68-64-71-71—274 -6

Rickie Fowler $102,467 70-68-68-69—275 -5

Chesson Hadley $102,467 67-69-72-67—275 -5

J.J. Henry $102,467 66-70-71-68—275 -5

Ben Martin $102,467 69-67-74-65—275 -5

Austin Cook, $102,467 67-73-65-70—275 -5

Ted Potter, Jr. $102,467 68-67-70-70—275 -5

Tim Clark $70,296 68-69-67-72—276 -4

Brooks Koepka $70,296 67-70-72-67—276 -4

Peter Malnati $70,296 65-68-70-73—276 -4

John Peterson $70,296 69-68-73-66—276 -4

Will Wilcox $70,296 70-67-68-71—276 -4

Jason Bohn $49,445 67-68-70-72—277 -3

Paul Casey $49,445 70-67-70-70—277 -3

Dustin Johnson $49,445 68-67-75-67—277 -3

Graeme McDowell $49,445 69-68-70-70—277 -3

Charles Howell III $40,310 71-68-71-68—278 -2

Steve Marino $40,310 69-70-68-71—278 -2

George McNeill $40,310 69-69-73-67—278 -2

Charlie Wi $40,310 68-71-69-70—278 -2

Ben Curtis $28,842 70-69-71-69—279 -1

Tommy Gainey $28,842 69-68-70-72—279 -1

Danny Lee $28,842 72-67-67-73—279 -1

William McGirt $28,842 73-66-74-66—279 -1

Ryan Palmer $28,842 67-72-72-68—279 -1

Heath Slocum $28,842 69-70-70-70—279 -1

Cameron Tringale $28,842 68-70-70-71—279 -1

Jhonattan Vegas $28,842 69-70-70-70—279 -1

Tim Wilkinson $28,842 68-68-70-73—279 -1

Retief Goosen $28,842 66-66-75-72—279 -1

Scott Stallings $28,842 68-72-68-71—279 -1

Luke Guthrie $20,300 67-72-70-71—280 E

Davis Love III $20,300 65-70-71-74—280 E

Sean O'Hair $20,300 69-70-70-71—280 E

LPGA-Manulife Financial Classic

At Grey Silo Golf Course

Waterloo, Ontario

Purse • $1.5 million

Yardage • 6,336 Par: 71

Yardage • 6,330; Par • 71 (36-35) Final

Inbee Park, $225,000 69-66-65-61—261 -23

Cristie Kerr, $136,903 67-69-65-63—264 -20

Shanshan Feng, $99,314 66-65-67-68—266 -18

Belen Mozo, $69,332 68-67-68-65—268 -16

Lydia Ko, $69,332 71-67-64-66—268 -16

Stacy Lewis, $46,471 69-69-68-63—269 -15

Michelle Wie, $46,471 65-67-68-69—269 -15

Chella Choi, $35,229 70-69-67-64—270 -14

Suzann Pettersen, $35,229 70-67-67-66—270 -14

Caroline Masson, $27,320 69-67-70-65—271 -13

So Yeon Ryu, $27,320 68-67-70-66—271 -13

Hee Young Park, $27,320 65-66-72-68—271 -13

Anna Nordqvist, $27,320 69-64-69-69—271 -13

Na Yeon Choi, $23,086 68-67-68-69—272 -12

Catriona Matthew, $19,638 71-67-70-65—273 -11

Line Vedel, $19,638 69-70-69-65—273 -11

Mirim Lee, $19,638 69-73-65-66—273 -11

Meena Lee, $19,638 70-67-68-68—273 -11

Angela Stanford, $19,638 71-67-67-68—273 -11

Austin Ernst, $16,340 69-69-70-66—274 -10

Julieta Granada, $16,340 72-69-67-66—274 -10

Marina Alex, $16,340 68-68-71-67—274 -10

Candie Kung, $16,340 70-68-65-71—274 -10

Karine Icher, $12,320 69-71-72-63—275 -9

Louise Friberg, $12,320 72-69-70-64—275 -9

Joanna Klatten, $12,320 70-70-70-65—275 -9

Jaye Marie Green, $12,320 70-68-70-67—275 -9

Paz Echeverria, $12,320 68-71-68-68—275 -9

Mi Jung Hur, $12,320 73-68-66-68—275 -9

Jennifer Johnson, $12,320 70-68-69-68—275 -9

Danielle Kang, $12,320 71-68-67-69—275 -9

Jennifer Rosales, $12,320 69-72-65-69—275 -9

Jee Young Lee, $12,320 68-68-69-70—275 -9

Thidapa Suwannapura, $12,320 72-66-67-70—275 -9

Gerina Piller, $9,032 73-70-69-64—276 -8

Alejandra Llaneza, $9,032 68-71-70-67—276 -8

Sue Kim, $9,032 71-70-67-68—276 -8

Anya Alvarez, $9,032 71-66-70-69—276 -8

Katie M. Burnett, $7,345 73-69-70-65—277 -7

Christel Boeljon, $7,345 75-68-66-68—277 -7

Jane Park, $7,345 70-68-71-68—277 -7

Kris Tamulis, $7,345 69-73-66-69—277 -7

Tiffany Joh, $7,345 72-68-67-70—277 -7

Xi Yu Lin, $7,345 67-67-71-72—277 -7

Giulia Molinaro, $5,921 71-70-70-67—278 -6

a-Brooke M. Henderson, 70-71-69-68—278 -6

Laura Davies, $5,921 71-71-67-69—278 -6

Haru Nomura, $5,921 68-70-71-69—278 -6

Morgan Pressel, $5,921 71-68-69-70—278 -6

Alena Sharp, $5,921 73-69-65-71—278 -6

P.K. Kongkraphan, $5,022 72-67-76-64—279 -5

Jacqui Concolino, $5,022 68-68-74-69—279 -5

Katie Futcher, $5,022 72-66-70-71—279 -5

Megan McChrystal, $5,022 70-71-66-72—279 -5

Jennifer Kirby, $4,422 71-70-69-70—280 -4

Ilhee Lee, $4,422 69-73-68-70—280 -4

Mi Hyang Lee, $4,422 70-71-68-71—280 -4

Kristy McPherson, $4,422 68-68-73-71—280 -4

Maria Hernandez, $3,663 72-71-69-69—281 -3

Brittany Lang, $3,663 72-71-69-69—281 -3

Moira Dunn, $3,663 68-71-72-70—281 -3

Pernilla Lindberg, $3,663 78-64-69-70—281 -3

Ji Young Oh, $3,663 72-68-71-70—281 -3

Jeong Jang, $3,663 70-72-68-71—281 -3

Dewi Claire Schreefel, $3,663 69-71-70-71—281 -3

Sydnee Michaels, $3,663 70-71-66-74—281 -3

Ayako Uehara, $3,223 69-72-71-70—282 -2

I.K. Kim, $3,223 69-73-68-72—282 -2

Brooke Pancake, $3,223 70-69-71-72—282 -2

Felicity Johnson, $3,073 74-69-71-69—283 -1

Jackie Stoelting, $2,923 70-73-71-70—284 E

Paula Reto, $2,923 72-71-69-72—284 E

Cydney Clanton, $2,923 71-70-70-73—284 E

Reilley Rankin, $2,923 71-70-69-74—284 E

Sarah Kemp, $2,923 68-70-70-76—284 E

Erica Popson, $2,814 71-71-74-69—285 +1

Nicole Vandermade, $2,778 75-68-71-72—286 +2

Becky Morgan, $2,743 71-72-72-72—287 +3

Sarah Jane Smith, $2,708 69-74-68-77—288 +4