Mahan claims Bridgestone, earns Ryder Cup spot

• WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

Hunter Mahan took a big step toward joining the elite in golf on Sunday, winning his first World Golf Championship title, the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, to lock up a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Four shots behind to start the final round at Firestone, Mahan ran off five birdies on the front nine to take the lead, then had three clutch par saves down the stretch to finish off a 6-under 64 and a two-shot victory over Ryan Palmer.

It was the second victory this year for Mahan, and the $1.4 million he earned moved him to No. 2 in the Ryder Cup standings with only the PGA Championship remaining before the top eight Americans qualifying.

The battle for No. 1 was far less inspiring.

Tiger Woods will remain atop the world ranking for the 270th consecutive week, despite the worst tournament of his career. Woods closed with a 77 to finish at 18-over 298 - his highest score on the PGA Tour as a pro or an amateur - and finished one spot out of last place.

That cleared the way for Phil Mickelson to replace him at No. 1, provided Lefty finished in fourth place alone.

Mickelson was even worse. He shot 41 on the front nine, including a three-putt from 4 feet, and shot 78 to tie for 46th.

"It didn't feel like it was far off," Mickelson said. "But it turned out to be."

Mahan was right on the money.

He shot 30 on the front nine to surge past Sean O'Hair, then scrambled his way to victory. Mahan saved par with a 15-foot putt on the 15th, made a tough par from the front of the 16th green after hitting his second shot into a flower bed, then saved his biggest fist pump for an 8-foot par putt on the 17th hole.

Mahan, who shot 65 in the final round to win the Phoenix Open in February, finished at 12-under 268. He became the third American with multiple victories on the PGA Tour this year, and likely will move to a career-best No. 12 in the world.

The Ryder Cup was a big bonus.

"That was my goal at the beginning of the year, to make the team on my own," Mahan said.

Mahan has played on the past three U.S. teams - two Presidents Cups and one Ryder Cup - as a captain's pick. He was determined to make the team on his own this year, but had only one top 10 since Phoenix and during one stretch missed four straight cuts.

• PGA

Less than five years after Bill Lunde quit competitive golf, he earned a spot in next week's PGA Championship by winning the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y.

Lunde shot 6-under 66 and rallied for the come-from-behind victory with a 17-under 271 total on the 7,482-yard Atunyote Golf Club layout. He earned $720,000, a PGA Tour exemption through the end of 2012 and 250 FedEx Cup points for his first PGA Tour win in 53 career starts.

• CHAMPIONS

David Frost shot an 11-under 61 on Sunday and the way to a record-setting victory at the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn.

It was the first career Champions Tour win for Frost, whose 25-under 191 is two shots better than the previous tournament scoring record set by R.W. Eaks in 2008. His final-round score beat by one the tournament's previous lowest round set by Dana Quigley in 2008.

David Peoples (66), Tommy Armour III (65) and Nick Price (64) finished six shots back.