Britain and Ireland won their fifth successive Seve Trophy Sunday after victory in the first two singles matches against Continental Europe. Leading 12-1/2 to 5-1/2 after dominating the first three days, Britain and Ireland needed just two points from the 10 singles, a target further lowered when Anthony Wall pulled out in the morning, suffering an injured shoulder and shared a point with Spain's Alvaro Quiros. The trophy was secured after Rory McIlroy edged a pulsating match with world No. 5 Henrik Stenson of Sweden by one hole and Graeme McDowell took care of last year's European number one Robert Karlsson of Sweden 3 & 2. McIlroy and McDowell's victories thwarted a fight-back by Continental Europe which was up in five matches, with two all-square, and battling to make a dramatic final day turn round. In the first match, McIlroy collected an eagle and five birdies to Stenson's eagle and four birdies but it was a double-bogey by the Swede on the penultimate hole that handed the match to the Briton. Both players smashed into trees on the 17th but Stenson then hit his second shot into the heavy rough, to allow his young opponent to go ahead. Both made pars at the 18th, McIlroy sinking a nervy four-footer for the win. McDowell was never behind against Karlsson. Although Karlsson got it back to only one down after 14, errors by the Swedish player cost him any chance of recovering the deficit. Ochoa, Gustafson share lead Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa birdied five of her last seven holes for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sophie Gustafson after the third round of the CVS/pharmacy Challenge in California Saturday. Ochoa, winless in 10 starts since taking the Corona Championship in her Mexico homeland in late April, was four shots back after 10 holes, then used her strong finish – including a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole – to match Gustafson at 16-under 200. Gustafson, winless since 2003, had a 66. Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo were six strokes back at 10 under after 69s, and Paula Creamer (69), Morgan Pressel (67) Leta Lindley (66) and Maria Hjorth (72) followed at 9 under on the Blackhawk Country Club course. Perry goes top in Atlanta Kenny Perry, boosted by a sizzling four-birdie start, overhauled fellow American Tiger Woods to grab a two-shot lead after the Tour Championship third round Saturday. The 49-year-old, peppering the flags with brilliant approach play at East Lake Golf Club, fired a sparkling six-under-par 64 to take control of the PGA Tour's fourth and final playoff event. Three strokes behind the pacesetting Woods overnight, Perry recorded seven birdies and a three-putt bogey at the sixth to post an eight-under total of 202. World No. 1 Woods, seeking his seventh victory of the year on the US circuit, carded a topsy-turvy 69 to lie second in the elite 30-man field. American left-hander Phil Mickelson, who says his putting is better than it has been in two years, returned a 66 to share third place at four under with compatriot Sean O'Hair (70). On a high-quality leaderboard, triple major winner Padraig Harrington (71) of Ireland was five shots off the pace at three under, a stroke in front of South African Ernie Els (71).
