After a year of part-time golf and full-time personal problems, Fred Couples won the Bob Hope Classic with a birdie on the first hole of sudden death yesterday at Bermuda Dunes in California. Couples shot a six-under-par 66 to finish with a 28-under-par 332 after five rounds to tie with Bruce Lietzke, who shot a final-round 69.

"I'm thrilled to death. I don't know if it was luck, fate or good golf," said Couples, who came from five strokes behind the pace after the third round. "This is not the greatest win I've ever had, but it was a great time to win."

Couples played a reduced schedule in 1997 in order to spend time with his ailing father, Tom, who died from leukemia on Thanksgiving Day, and to be with his girlfriend, who spent much of the year being treated for breast cancer.

"Golf-wise, last year it wasn't a big deal how I played, but this it's a huge deal how I play. I'm planning to have a great year," Couples said.

Lietzke started the final round of the Hope in a tie for the lead with Andrew Magee, who shot 70 for 27 under to finish third. Lietzke birdied the first two holes of the day, and when Couples three-putted the third hole he was five strokes behind the leader.

"I basically thought I was done," said Couples.

But Couples picked up six birdies after that, finally catching Lietzke with a birdie on the final hole of regulation. Lietzke missed a 12-footer for birdie on the par five 18th for a bid to win the tournament outright, and then parred the same hole in the play-off to give Couples his 13th career victory.

Kelly Robbins fired a sixunder par 66, matching the course record in Orlando yesterday, to win the $650,000 LPGA Inaugural, the opening tournament of the US women's tour season. Robbins held off fellow-American Meg Mallon to win the $90,000 top prize by two strokes, finishing at seven-under par 209 for the 54hole event. Only nine players finished under-par.