Bernhard Langer's second ACE Group Classictitle in three years involved a little more drama on Sunday then he would havepreferred.
The German two-putted for par from 50 feet on the 18th tofinish at 12-under 204, surviving three bogeys and a double bogey to finish onestroke ahead of Jay Don Blake at TwinEagles' Talon Course.
The winner in 2011 and the runner-up last year, Langerearned his 17th victory on the tour. It's the seventh year the 55-year-old haswon at least one tournament on the tour.
"I'm certainly relieved now, having won," Langersaid. "It was definitely a grind. I was hoping to come down to the lasthole with, whatever, a three-shot lead or something, make it easy."
Blake's 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th looked like it had achance until the last few feet, when it turned and grazed the edge of the cup.
"I actually thought I had made it, gave it a goodeffort, but just wasn't good enough," said Blake, who was playing ahead ofLanger in the penultimate group.
Tom Pernice Jr. tied for third with John Cook, who birdiedNos. 16 and 18 for a 68 that left him at 9-under 207. David Frost and RoccoMediate, a Calusa Pines Golf Club member, tied for fifth at 8-under.
After leading by four early in the round, Langerdouble-bogeyed No. 4, and later missed a 2½-foot par putt on No. 10 for hissecond straight bogey to fall into a tie with Blake and Pernice.
Blake, who birdied four holes on the front nine, took thelead briefly with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 13th to get to 12 under. ButLanger also birdied the hole, and added another on No. 14 to take the leadagain.
Langer had switched up his putting grip after leaving abirdie putt short on No. 11.
"I made some better strokes that way, and made somedecent putts there towards the end," he said.
Blake missed a 3-footer for par on No. 16, and Langerbogeyed No. 15, keeping Langer a stroke ahead. But the bogey could have beenworse. Langer's tee shot ended up in a bad lie 95 yards from the green. He hithis second shot fat, and went in the water short of the green. After taking adrop, Langer hit a lob wedge to 5 feet.
"(I) made that for a great bogey," he said.
Pernice bogeyed No. 11, then missed a short birdie putt atNo. 12 and couldn't recover. Down two strokes, he went for the green on thepar-5 17th in two, hooked a 3-wood into the water and made bogey.