Parry storms to victory

Australia's Craig Parry shot a six-under-par 65 to win the WGC-NEC Invitational by four strokes over Fred Funk and fellow Australian Robert Allenby at the Sahalee Country Club on Sunday.

PROFILE: Beem's USPGA Cinderella story

Parry had a simple plan as he entered the final round of the tournament in a tie for the lead with Allenby: Make no bogeys. It was a plan he executed perfectly as he started with a flourish, birdying three of the first four holes and was never really threatened thereafter.

Three-time defending champion Tiger Woods, the world's number one player, shot a final-round 68 to finish fourth, five strokes behind Parry's 16-under total.

Twenty-two-year old Justin Rose from England shot a 68 to finish alone in fifth place at 10-under-par.

"It's been a long time and I've been knocking on the door for 10 or 12 years, even longer playing events in America," Parry said later.

If any lingering doubts remained as to the eventual winner of the tournament, it was all but eliminated at the 12th hole. Parry parred, while Allenby recorded a sloppy double bogey six and Funk took a five when he failed to get out of the greenside bunker at his first attempt.

Woods birdied the 13th while Parry was playing the 12th, but the anticipated charge from the player who won the first two majors of the season never materialised.

An 18-foot birdie at the 14th moved Parry to 15-under. He closed in style, hitting a three-wood onto the green at the 18th, then two-putting for another birdie.

BIG PRIZE The victory over the top 50 players in the world and members of the latest Ryder Cup and President's Cup teams, was worth $1 million for the winner.

Although Parry has 19 worldwide victories, he had played 11 seasons full-time on the PGA Tour without a win.

He had come close to victory in majors, particularly the 1992 Masters and 1999 British Open.

Still, he said he never doubted this day would come. "I just always knew it was just a matter of time, being at the right place at the right time," Parry said.