Funk wins Skins Game with $925,000

Sunday, November 27th 2005, 2:30 pm

By: News On 6

LA QUINTA, California (AP) _ Fred Funk won the Skins Game with a total of $925,000 (euro786,000) and 15 skins, clinching a record-setting victory when Tiger Woods missed an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18 on Sunday.

The 49-year-old Funk became the oldest Skins Game winner with a two-putt birdie on 18 that gave him the final $550,000 (euro467,500) and six skins. He won all $700,000 (euro595,000) available on Sunday.

``I'm still in shock that I got asked to be in this thing,'' said Funk, who was invited to his first Skins Game after winning the Players Championship in March. ``I've always watched it on TV and was shocked to be part of it. It's something that I didn't even dream of, actually. First of all, I didn't dream that I'd win the Players Championship.''

Almost as surprising as Funk winning practically the entire purse was Fred Couples, the King of Skins, getting shut out for the first time in 12 appearances. Woods won the other $75,000 (euro63,700), on the third hole on Saturday. Annika Sorenstam was shut out for the second straight year.

``This course is long for me to start with, and you put some wind and some firm greens, it made it really tough for me to get it close,'' said Sorenstam, the U.S. LPGA star playing in her third straight Skins Game. ``It's an honor simply to come here. This is a great experience for me.''

Funk's $925,000 (euro786,000) and 15 skins were records for a rookie.

With more than half the purse up for grabs on the final hole, Funk played it brilliantly. As usual, his drive was in the middle of the fairway on the 524-yard, par-5 finishing hole. His approach shot left him with a 30-foot eagle putt, which curled just to the left, leaving him a tap-in for birdie.

With Couples and Sorenstam in trouble, Woods needed to make his birdie putt to halve the hole and force a playoff. He missed just left.

``Wow,'' Funk said.

``I played good, but still, it's the timing,'' said Funk, who won $150,000 (euro127,000) and three skins with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 12th, the day's third hole. ``There just weren't that many putts made.''

Said Woods: ``I didn't hit the quality shots. He had a two-putt to force us to have to make birdie, and we didn't.''

The previous oldest Skins Game champion was Gary Player, who was 48 when he won it in 1983.

Funk won the most money in one year and won the biggest hole in a regular Skins Game _ not including the 2001 event that was played under a validation format. Greg Norman won $800,000 on one hole in that 2001 event, and $1 million overall.

Woods and Couples both had chances to reel in Funk, who won $225,000 (euro191,200) and six skins on Saturday.

Woods had a sensational approach shot out of the right rough on the par-5 16th and could have won $280,000 (euro238,000) and four skins, but his 25-foot eagle putt stopped about 4 inches (10 centimeters) short of the cup.

``Don't do that, don't,'' Woods said before covering his face.

``Nice lag,'' Sorenstam told him.

``I've got a pretty pink skirt for you,'' Funk said to Woods, referring to the skirt he had to wear on No. 3 on Saturday after Sorenstam outdrove him.

On the par-3 17th, which was worth $350,000 (euro297,500) and five skins, Funk hit into the water and Woods and Couples both missed long birdie putts. Sorenstam made a par putt, forcing Woods and Couples to do the same to halve the hole and carry the money over to the 18th.