Bean cruises to title at Schwab Championship

Nov 3, 2008 - 4:10 AM SONOMA, California (Ticker) -- Andy Bean cruised to victory Sunday at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Bean had to play 32 holes on Sunday but had no problems at all on his way to a dominating nine-stroke victory over Gene Jones.

Bean had to finish the last 14 holes of the third round on Sunday morning. He then came out firing in the final round, birdying six of his first nine holes en route a final-round 66.

"The weather was better than what we thought it might be on that second 18. But the whole day I was very comfortable and I was just hitting a lot of shots right at the flags," Bean said. "Or either hitting them right at the parts of the greens that I was wanting to hit them to and didn't really have to scramble too much."

Bean finished at 20-under 268 to win the $2.5 million event and collect $440,000 for his second victory of the season.

"This week couldn't have gone any better for me," Bean said. "I knew I had distanced myself with those four birdies in a row. And I was just trying to maintain that and gain a little bit more."

Jay Haas finished well back but also had reason to celebrate Sunday as he won the Schwab Cup for the second time in three years. Haas captured the title in the tour's season-long points race by 12 points over Fred Funk.

"It's amazing it comes down to just a few points," Haas said. "But most of the time, when you win something, you've beaten everybody that week and everything, you're holding the big trophy and all that. So to not do that, it's just a strange feeling.

But looking back on it, it's been a, it's been a tough year. When everything is said and done and you look back on it, it's like NASCAR or whatever, when the guy that's holding the big major trophy at the end, maybe doesn't win the last race. That's a pretty cool thing."