The Associated Press

MIAMI - Scott Hoch didn't want to let a chance to win disappear in the dark, so he decided to stop playing Sunday night during his playoff with Jim Furyk in the Ford Championship at Doral.

They will return at 8 a.m. today to finish, a decision that left fans booing when Hoch marked his 9-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole.

Furyk had a 6-foot birdie putt.

Golf fans express their disagreement with the suspension of play due to darkness Sunday. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

"There's too much riding on this to play a shot on guesswork," said Hoch, who is 47 and wonders how many opportunities he will have left to win on the PGA Tour.

Furyk had the option to putt, but declined.

"I feel badly about it," Furyk said. "It was Scott's putt first. He made the call. I'm not sure what I would have done."

A routine duel between Ryder Cup partners took on a surreal finish in fading sunlight over the Blue Monster at Doral.

Furyk saved par from next to the bleachers on the final hole to shoot 68. One group later, Hoch also sailed the green and had to get up-and-down for par from next to the grandstand for his 69.

They finished at 17-under 271.

Bob Tway, a co-leader going into the final round, was slowed by nine straight pars and wound up with a 71 to finish in third, two strokes out of the playoff. Tim Petrovic (67) was another shot back.

The first playoff at Doral in 12 years looked like it might end quickly when Hoch hit his approach on the 18th to 20 feet; Furyk hit from a lakeside bunker over the green and into the bleachers.

Furyk saved par again, and Hoch's missed his birdie putt.

They headed to the 529-yard first hole, knowing they only had enough light left for one more hole. Hoch hit right into a bunker, the ball landing in the footprint of a child who earlier had run through the sand. Furyk went into the rough. They both laid up, both hit wedges close.

Hoch, who has had problems with his eyesight, gave his birdie putt one look before he started shaking his head. "I want to make the putt on what I see, not what I think I see," he said.

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC: Tiger Woods' withdrawal made it possible for Robert-Jan Derksen to even play in the United Arab Emirates. The unheralded Dutchman then stole the show from Ernie Els.

Derksen, the first alternate until Woods decided to skip Dubai for safety reasons, hit a delicate pitch to 5 feet for birdie on the 18th hole for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory over Els. Derksen finished at 17-under 271

"It's the biggest shock of my life - unbelievable," Derksen said.

He was in tears as he left the 18th green, even though Els still had a chance to catch him.

Derksen was not even ranked among the top 3,000 in the world going into the tournament.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: David Eger birdied three of the last four holes to win the MasterCard Classic in Mexico City by a stroke for his first over-50 title. Eger shot a 7-under 65 to finish at 12 under and take home the $300,000 first prize.