Target the next stop for Harrington

Padraig Harrington seems increasingly likely to contest Tiger Woods' lucrative Target World Challenge tournament in California next month.

But the Irishman is likely to pull out of next week's Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, due to the birth of his second child.

Wife Caroline is expecting another boy, on Thursday of next week, and the British Open champion plans to be present for the birth.

Speaking after the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan yesterday, he said the latest tests indicated the baby should arrive on time. "Tiger's tournament is looking more positive," Harrington said of the December 13th-16th Target World Challenge at Thousand Oaks.

"If the baby came early I was going to be in Sun City. If the baby came late I wasn't going to be at Tiger's tournament. At the moment, everything seems to be working on schedule."

Harrington was never a factor in the final round at Phoenix Country Club, after starting the day six shots off the pace, but he shot a respectable 69 in tough, windy conditions to tie for fifth, six strokes behind winner Ian Poulter.

It was not quite the great stuff of last year, when he beat Woods in a play-off, perhaps due to a heavy recent schedule that seems to have caught up with him.

"I ran out of a little bit of steam, got a little bit frustrated yesterday," he said of his third-round 73.

"I struggled the last couple of days when it got a bit windier with the clubbing and distance control. A lot of that's mental. You get days like that.

"My good shots seemed to come up long or short. That's usually down to a bit of fatigue rather than anyone else."

Meanwhile, Poulter admitted a return to winning ways was a welcome feeling as the Englishman posted his first victory of the year by capitalising on a monster par putt for victory.

Poulter carded a respectable one-under-par 69 in gusty winds at Phoenix Country Club, never surrendering the lead over the final 10 holes, although his triumph was not nearly as comfortable as his three-shot cushion over fast-finishing Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (68) suggests.

"I was very much aware that this was the last stroke play event of the year.

It's a lovely feeling to win again, and it's so nice to come and do it in Japan," Poulter said after finishing at 11-under 269 for his ninth worldwide victory, his first outside the European Tour.

Luke Donald (71) faded down the stretch to tie for third with Japan's Shingo Katayama (68), four strokes off the pace.

LPGA:Mexico's Lorena Ochoa survived a late scare to claim the $1 million first prize with an impressive final round of four under par 68 in yesterday's ADT Championship at Trump International, West Palm Beach, Florida.

In the unusual format, eight players competed over the final 18 holes for the record pay day, and Ochoa finished two shots ahead of playing partner Natalie Gulbis.

Another American, Paula Creamer, was third on 72.

It was the perfect end to the season for Ochoa, who replaced Annika Sorenstam as world number one six months ago.

It was her eighth win and raised her season's earnings to a record $4,364,994.