Ames makes most of first shot, wins Skins

Stephen Ames took the big bucks in his first Skins Game.

Ames rolled in a 3-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole yesterday for $270,000 that gave him the championship in La Quinta, Calif., with a total of $590,000.

"I forgot about the golf swing and just started playing golf," Ames said. "I made some nice putts and hit some good shots where I made some skins early on."

Ames, the first touring pro from Trinidad and Tobago, made his Skins Game debut after winning The Players Championship earlier this year.

Five-time champion Fred Couples finished second with $385,000. John Daly won one skin worth $25,000 and ruined his chance at the $270,000 still up for grabs when he drove into a fairway bunker on the third playoff hole.

Fred Funk, who won the title last year, was shut out in his second trip to the Skins.

Couples and Funk were eliminated on the second playoff hole, when Ames and Daly each had birdies.

Couples, who was making his 13th appearance and is known as "King of the Skins," ran his career earnings in the event to $3.9 million. Although he didn't win this time, Couples played the best golf of the foursome, with 10 birdies and an eagle over 20 holes.

"Freddie should have won," Daly said. "No offense to Stephen, but Freddie played better than all three of us. Stephen just got it at the right time."

In Skins competition, a player wants to win big-money holes as the pot builds up. Ames won by taking eight skins and Couples won nine, but for less money.

Australasian -- Justin Rose ended his four-year winless streak, shooting a 1-over-par 73 to finish at 12-under 276 and capture the Australian Masters in Melbourne by two strokes over Richard Green (69) and Greg Chalmers (73).

Japanese -- Jeev Milkha Singh, winless in six years on the Japanese circuit, shot a 4-under 68 en route to a 16-under 272, good enough to win the Casio World Open by two strokes over David Smail (68) in Kochi.