PALM HARBOR, Fla. --- Jim Furyk showed the nerves of a player trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour. Considering how long it had been since his last victory, it felt that way.
Furyk closed with 2-under-par 69 on Sunday for a one-shot victory over K.J. Choi in the Transitions Championship, his first victory since the 2007 Canadian Open to end his longest winless stretch since he first joined the tour 16 years ago.
He did just enough right on the back nine of Innisbrook that he could afford a few mistakes down the stretch, and he nearly made a whopper.
With a two-shot lead on the 18th hole of the Copperhead course, Furyk drove into the trees, nearly took out NBC reporter Roger Maltbie with his next shot and needed a good lag from 30 feet to secure a bogey.
Furyk finished at 13-under 271 and won for the 14th time in his career, moving to No. 6 in the world.
"I have a habit of making it tough on myself," Furyk said. "Just nerves got me, to be honest with you."
Choi, who started three shots out of the lead, was tied with Furyk through seven holes until a two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth. Choi never got any closer until the final hole. He closed with 4-under 67, but his runner-up finish should be enough to move him to No. 47 in the world and give him a good chance to get into the Masters Tournament in April.
Choi raised both arms in a strongman pose when he heard about the world ranking, a good consolation prize provided he stays in the top 50 after Bay Hill next week.
Bubba Watson, who has never won on the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour, also gave Furyk a good run and was within two shots throughout the back nine during a final round that had nearly six hours of weather delays.
Watson played without a bogey until the par-3 15th, when he came up short of the green, chipped over the green and dropped a crucial shot. He made pars the rest of the way for 68, finishing third.
Nick Watney had 67 and was fourth, while defending champion Retief Goosen was another shot back after 71.
EUROPEAN TOUR: In Rabat, Morocco, Rhys Davies, of Wales, earned his first European Tour title, winning the Trophee Hassan II by two strokes over Louis Oosthuizen after shooting 7-under-par 66.
Davies bogeyed the second hole, but then had eight birdies in 11 holes on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course to finish at 25-under.
Thomas Levet, of France; Ignacio Garrido, of Spain; Mikko Ilonen, of Finland; and Thomas Aiken, of South Africa, tied for third at 18-under.
- Augusta native Charles Howell shot even-par 71 in the final round to finish at 1-under 283 and tie for 28th.
- Former Louisville, Ga., resident Brian Gay shot 5-over-par 76 to finish at 4-over 288 and tie for 63rd.
-- From staff reports
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