Canada's Ames wins Disney Classic after playoff

MIAMI (Reuters) - Canadian Stephen Ames won the Disney Classic on Sunday after triumphing in a three-way sudden death playoff with George McNeill and Justin Leonard at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Leonard was close to winning the tournament on the final hole. He needed a birdie to clinch the victory but his 16-foot birdie putt spun out of the cup to send the event into a playoff.

Although McNeill found the rough with his drive on the first playoff hole, the par four 18th, he recovered thanks to an excellent chip with his third stroke and it was Leonard who was eliminated with his bogey after missing a 12-foot putt.

That left Ames and McNeill to go head-to-head on the par three 15th. When the American failed from four feet with the ball spinning out of the cup, Ames kept his cool for a winning par.

The victory for the Trinidad-born Ames is his second in this event in three years and his fourth PGA Tour triumph.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by John Mehaffey)