Laird fades, then rallies at Bay Hill

In the toughest final round on the PGA Tour this year, Martin Laird rallied from a three-shot deficit with four holes to play with two birdies and two remarkable pars to close with a 3-over-par 75 Sundayand win the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla., by one shot over Steve Marino.

Laird, 28, a Scotsman, lost his two-shot lead by the turn at Bay Hill. When he pulled a bunker shot into the water on No. 11 to make double bogey, he was 5 over for his round and fading quickly.

But after a bogey on the par-3 14th to fall three shots behind Marino, Laird holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 15th, an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th, saved par from behind the 17th green and two-putted from just inside 90 feet on the final hole.

It was the highest score in the final round by a Bay Hill champion, and Laird is the first European to win at Bay Hill.

"I never thought about not winning," Laird said. "When I saw I was three down, I didn't have a choice. I had to start playing some good golf. I had to make birdies. Steve was playing too good. That was really the focus."

No one in the last three groups broke par, and those six players were a combined 19 over par.

Marino played beautifully until the last four holes. He took bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker short of the 15th green, then made double bogey from a plugged lie in the sand short of the 17th hole. He went from a one-shot lead to a two-shot deficit when Laird birdied the 16th in the group behind.

Marino at least gave himself a chance on the last hole with a gutsy play over the water to 8 feet for birdie and a 72. It was the third close call this year for Marino, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour.

Justin Rose closed with a 68 and tied for third with David Toms and Marc Leishman.

Tiger Woods, a six-time winner at Bay Hill, was tied for 24th, seven shots behind, after finishing with a bogey and double bogey for a 72. Phil Mickelson also tied for 24th after shooting 73.

Gal takes Kia Classic

Sandra Gal of Germany birdied the final hole to edge South Korea's Jiyai Shin by one shot to win the LPGA Kia Classic in Industry, Calif. -- AP