RIFFA, Bahrain: World No. 9 Paul Casey claimed his first European Tour title since 2009 by winning the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions event Sunday. The 33-year-old Briton carded a closing 68 for a 20-under-par total of 268 to finish a stroke ahead of Swede Peter Hanson (69) and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) at the Royal Golf Club. Casey and playing partner Hanson were tied on the 72nd tee and both players missed the green to the right with their approach shots. Hanson splashed out to 10 feet after finding a greenside bunker and failed to sink his putt for a par four while the Englishman chipped to five feet from deep rough and holed out. Casey's victory was his first on the tour since he won the flagship PGA Championship at Wentworth in May 2009. He will also climb to No. 5 in the world rankings unless Phil Mickelson finishes first or outright second at the San Diego Open later Sunday. Earlier, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and Briton Richard Finch broke the course record at the Royal Golf Club. The duo shot matching nine-under 63s to better by one stroke the 64 achieved by three players earlier this week. Kjeldsen birdied his opening three holes and also the first three of his inward half to finish on 11-under 277. Haas, Mickelson share lead Overnight pacesetter Bill Haas bogeyed the par-five last to drop back into a tie for the lead with fellow American Phil Mickelson in Saturday's third round of the PGA Tour event in San Diego. Haas, who lost out in a three-way playoff for last week's Bob Hope Classic, overhit the green with his third shot at the 18th before missing a four-foot par putt to card a one-under 71. That left him level at 12-under 204 with three-time winner Mickelson, who fired a five-birdie 68. US Ryder Cup players Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson were a further stroke back in a share of third after they both eagled the par-five last for matching 69s. It was a frustrating day, however, for six-time champion Tiger Woods who again struggled off the tee on the way to a 74 and a tie for 24th at four under. “I did not play well at all today,” Woods told reporters after carding four bogeys and just two birdies. Woods was totally upstaged by his playing partner, PGA Tour rookie Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela who was a shock winner of last week's Bob Hope Classic. Vegas birdied three of the last six holes for a 69 to lie sixth at nine under, a stroke behind American Anthony Kim who birdied the last for a 71.
