AUSTRALIA'S Greg Norman birdied the final three holes to rally for a one-stroke victory over Dudley Hart in the $1.5 million PGA St Jude Classic at Gremantown, Tennessee, yesterday.

Norman fired a final-round 66, five-under par, to finish on a 16-under par score of 268 to edge Hart, who closed the tournament with consecutive 66s.

The victory was the 17th PGA Tour triumph of Norman's career and the first for the two-time British Open champion since the 1996 Doral Open.

Norman has won at least one event on the Tour the last six years. He picked up $270,000 for the victory, nearly doubling his 1997 earnings to $671,041 and moving past the $11 million mark in career winnings.

Australian Craig Parry and Robert Dnmron, who led after three rounds, shared third at 14-under 270. Zimbabwe's Nick Price, Justin Leonard, Michael Bradley and Jay Don Blake were another stroke back.

Michelle McGann closed with a near-perfect final round 64 to sprint past Sweden's Annika Sorenstam and win the Shoprite USLPGA Classic by three strokes in New Jersey.