November 18, 2007 (UPDATED NOV. 19, 2007) —Natalie Gulbis, a Lake Las Vegas Resrort resident, woke up Sunday morning with a one-in-eight chance at One Million Dollars. But after a late, last-ditch effort, she managed only a runner-up finish at the ADT Championship to Lorena Ochoa, but still earned $100,000 and a great finish among the best players on the LPGA Tour. Only the best player in the world, Ochoa, was better than Gulbis over the weekend. And Tommy Arnour III, a former Las Vegas resident who graduated from Bishop Gorman High School, also woke up Sunday morning with a two-shot lead over Nick Watney at the Callaway Invitational at Pebble Beach. Watney is a new resident of Henderson, and works with the pros at the Harmon School of Golf at Las Vegas golf course Rio Secco Golf Club. Armour III fired a final-round 70 to win, while Watney had a 75 and dropped into a 9th-place tie.
Armour III, who can go very low when he gets it going, entered the third round three shots behind the leader, Ronnie Black, but fired a 65 at the Del Monte Golf Club. The final round is played on the Pebble Beach course.
"I had a good overall round," Armour III told the media following the 3rd round. "Actually, I've played well all three days, so I'm really looking forward to the final round at Pebble Beach."
Following the tournament Armour told the media: "I just played good all week and never made a three-putt. I told myself this morning that I had to shoot 70 to win. I shot 70." Armour III won $60,000.
Other Las Vegas golfers Craig Barlow and Charley Hoffman finished 21st and 28th, respectively. Jeremy Anderson and Jim Colbert, other golfers with ties to Las Vegas golf courses, missed the cut.
Gulbis, who earlier this year won the Evian Masters and was fresh from an appearance in the Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge at Reflection Bay Golf Club, was one of eight players to make it into the final round of the LPGA Tour ADT Championship and the shootout for one million in cash that goes to the winner. Read Gulbis' complete third-round press conference … now
After the tournament, Gulbis praised the format (the eight players making the final cut start even in the final round), and said her week was great.
"(It was a) very, very exciting week." said Gulbis. "I like the format a lot better than last year where you start over (twice). I think it makes for just exciting TV and exciting media, and it's a lot more pressure on the players every single day to perform and to avoid those playoffs and also to advance to Sunday."
Read Gulbis' complete post-round press conference … now.