It was a long road back indeed for David Howell but the 37-year-old Englishman finally ended a seven-year, back injury-induced victory drought by claiming the Dunhill Links Championship in a playoff with rapidly rising American Peter Uihlein.  Howell, previously a four-time E Tour winner, rose as high as number nine in the world in 2006 before plummeting all the way to 569th during his long struggle, then remerged somewhat by climbing back to 62nd in the Order of Merit in 2012.  Paired with actor Hugh Grant in what was also a marquee pro-am event contested over three St Andrews-area courses, Howell began the week slowly, trailing leader Tom Lewis by six after 36 holes.  But a third-round 63 over the Old Course brought him within two of the Saturday lead before a closing 67 (keyed by five birdies between holes 2 and 7) saw him home on 265.  Uihlein, meanwhile, also started slowly (a 71 at Carnoustie) before flirting with history by carding a second-round 60 at Kingsbarns.  Impressively, he then added a Saturday 65 at St Andrews (aided by an eagle at the par-4 18th) before marching home in 69 to gain his spot in a playoff - a relatively brief affair which Howell won by holing a 12-footer or birdie on the 18th green.  Shane Lowry would ultimately share third with halfway leader Lewis, who closed with a clutch 64 that cemented his playing privileges for 2014………………Twenty-year-old Masahiro Kawamura presented evidence that Hideki Matsuyama may not be Japan's only young golfing star of note, stepping into the spotlight by claiming his first professional victory at the Asain Tour co-sanctioned Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open.  Bothered earlier in the season by a thumb injury, Kawamura began the final round two shots behind South Korea's red-hot Sung-Joon Park and fell to four back after going out in one-over-par 36.  He quickly rallied, however, charging home with a bogey-free five-under-par 31 that included obviously clutch birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th.  Kawamura still needed help, however, and Park, who'd previously logged five top-5 finishes in his last eight Japan Tour starts, obliged him, making disastrous bogeys at both the 16th and 17th holes, then missing a 10-foot birdie attempt at the last to essentially surrender the trophy.  Because of the event's co-sanctioned status, the victory secures 2014 status on both the Japan and Asian circuits for Kawamura.  Also notable - beyond Park's continued fine play - was the third-place finish of 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang, the 41-year-old South Korean's first top-10 finish worldwide in what has been a very disappointuing season………………In a dramatic (if slightly confusing) close to the inaugural Web.com Finals, Chesson Hadley claimed his second victory of the season at the Tour Championship, but was edged out for the Finals’ money title by John Peterson, who thus earned a fully exempt spot on the 2014 PGA Tour.  Hadley closed with a clutch 69 to claim victory, but perhaps more significant were the performances of the three runners-up whose status for 2014 was not guaranteed coming into the Finals: Peterson, Brad Fritsch (who closed with a clutch 66) and 54-hole leader Scott Gardiner, all of whom punched their PGA Tour tickets as a result.  Also significant was Lee Williams, whose 55-foot birdie putt at the last proved just enough to get him in as well.