DULUTH, Ga. -- Ryuji Imada claimed his first PGA Tour victory yesterday, beating Kenny Perry in a playoff at the AT&T Classic after losing the same suburban Atlanta tournament a year ago on the 73rd hole.

The two finished regulation tied at 15-under 273, but Perry's ball wound up in the water on the first playoff hole even though his second shot easily cleared the pond in front of the green.

Unfortunately for Perry, he struck a pine tree behind the green about 10 feet up the trunk. The ball ricocheted straight back across the putting surface and didn't stop rolling into it was in the water, the gallery groaning in disbelief.

Imada, who drove into the rough, laid up with his second shot and two-putted for a winning par. After taking a drop, Perry nearly spun back his wedge into the cup, then missed a 12-footer that would have forced another extra hole. Imada knocked his ball straight in the cup from 4 feet for the victory.

Imada has been a runner-up three times on the PGA Tour, including twice already this season. A year ago, he got into a playoff with Zach Johnson at the TPC Sugarloaf, only to knock his second shot in the same pond that claimed Perry's ball.

Carlos Villegas shot a closing 66 but missed an eagle putt at the 72nd hole that would have put him in the playoff. He finished one shot back at 274.

LPGA TOUR

Ochoa prevails by one

CLIFTON, N.J. -- A day after leaving the retiring Annika Sorenstam in her wake, Lorena Ochoa overcame a balky putter to shoot a 1-under 71 and post a one-stroke victory over five players for her third straight victory in the rain-shortened Sybase Classic.

The victory was the 22nd for Ochoa since April 2006, and the $300,000 prize pushed her career earnings past the $12 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach that plateau.

Ochoa accomplished it in just over five years, more than four years faster than the previous mark set by Sorenstam, who played herself out of contention with a second-round 73.

The win also ended the 26-year-old Mexican's two-tournament victory drought.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Bean edges Roberts

HOOVER, Ala. -- Andy Bean saved par on No. 18 after hooking his drive left and bogeying the previous hole, holding on for a 2-under 70 and a one-stroke victory over Loren Roberts in the Regions Charity Classic.

It was only the second win in 5½ years on the 50-and-over tour for Bean and his first since the Greater Hickory Classic on Oct. 1, 2006. That one capped a 20-year drought since his 11th PGA Tour victory.

Bean finished with a 13-under 203. Roberts, still seeking his first win of 2008, shot a 69.