ROUNDUP : KLEIN'S RALLY RUNS OUT OF STEAM IN PLAYOFF.

Byline: Associated Press 

Kelly Robbins is now looking to improve on her one-victory-per-year custom on the LPGA tour.

Robbins won the $500,000 National Pro-Am at Ibis Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday by parring the second playoff hole against Emilee Klein.

It was Robbins' fifth victory since joining the LPGA tour in 1992, one a year since 1993. And it was her fourth win in a playoff.

``I'd like to think I have a chance to win more than once this year,'' Robbins said.

Robbins two-putted from 10 feet at the par-4 10th to hold off Klein, who had a 9-under par 63 on the 6,277-yard Legend course to catch the leader the first three days at 17-under 271.

Klein, a third-year player from Studio City who won her first two tournaments on consecutive weeks last August, shot the best round of her career to take Robbins into a playoff. She had nine birdies and only missed one green in regulation. Her only bogey of the day came on the second playoff hole.

``If I would have putted the first three days like I did today I would have shot four 63s,'' Klein said. ``But I did all I could do and I'm very excited. I feel good about my game.''

Robbins and Klein tied the first extra hole, the 18th, with par-4s. Both missed the green to the right. Klein's chip was short, but she sank a 10-footer for par. Moments later, Robbins drilled a four-footer from behind the hole.

At the second, Klein was short of the green at the par-4 10th, chipped long and missed her par putt, setting up the easy two-putt by Robbins for the win.

Of Klein's nine birdies, five were on the front nine, three on the first three holes on putts of 20, 20 and 25 feet.

Chris Johnson posted her second consecutive 5-under par 67 with six birdies and a bogey to grab third at 13 under 275.

Kate Golden, who got in the tournament as an alternate Thursday morning, had her best finish in more than three years on the tour, fourth on 68-286.

Victory in the first-year tournament, sponsored by Diet Dr. Pepper, was worth $75,000 to Robbins.

Hail to Irwin: Hale Irwin birdied three of his final five holes - including a 40-foot bunker shot on No. 15 - to earn a one-shot victory in the Senior PGA Tour's $1 million LG Championship in Naples, Fla.

Irwin's final-round 7-under-par 65 at Bay Colony Golf Club gave him a 54-hole total of 15-under-par 201, one shot better than runner-up Bob Murphy, who also finished with a 65. Vicente Fernandez closed with a 68 to take third, three shots back at 12-under.

The victory earned Irwin a $150,000 payday and gave him a clean sweep in two Senior PGA Tour tournament appearances this season. Irwin won the season-opening Tournament of Champions and now leads the money list with $336,000.

Murphy and Fernandez, playing one group in front of Irwin, took early control of the leaderboard, heading into the back nine locked in a two-man battle.

Fernandez eagled the 559-yard, par-5 to go to 13-under, while Murphy birdied 10 and dropped an eight-foot putt on No. 13 to take the lead at 14-under.

``I was just playing along thinking that it was a contest between Vicente and myself,'' Murphy said. ``I didn't see any scoreboards for the longest time and we didn't hear a lot of cheering behind us. That threw me off.''

Irwin, meanwhile, was throwing darts at the flag.

He pitched to two feet on No. 10, drilled a 6-iron to six feet on 12, two-putted the par-5 14, holed a 40-foot bunker shot on 15 and dropped a wedge to five feet on 17 for a five-birdie back nine.

The bunker shot, which hit just short of the pin and dropped into the cup, gave Irwin the lead which was never threatened.

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Photo

Photo: Emilee Klein walks off the 18th green in the first hole of sudden death against Kelly Robbins. Klein lost in the second hole of extra play.

Associated Press