Roberts wins play-off for Senior Open
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Loren Roberts won the Senior Open Championship title with a dramatic play-off win over Mark McNulty and Fred Funk today.
All three men finished with a 12-under-par aggregate of 268 at Sunningdale before Roberts, who previously won this event at Turnberry in 2006, triumphed over extra holes.
After Funk failed to match McNulty and Roberts' birdies on the 18th at the first extra hole it became a two-man duel, and after another deadlock McNulty fired a wild drive into the rough and Roberts' par was enough for victory.
The American had carded a final-round 67 thanks to a four-under inward 31 on the Old Course. After a splendid approach at 17 led to the birdie which took him to 12 under, Roberts needed another at the last to win, but drove into the rough on the right and had to settle for par.
Earlier Irishman McNulty's brilliant round of 64 had given him the clubhouse lead.
His inward 31 included a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th but it could have been even better - down the closing straight McNulty had birdie putts of less than 10 feet on 17 and 18 and both missed the hole by the smallest of fractions.
"I really thought I hit good putts, both of them," he said."The last one I thought was going to go in and the last one slowed down and seemed to start turning. Why, I don't know."I gave it all I had, and just one bad shot. That's what happens," said the Sunningdale resident.
Overnight leader Greg Norman slipped to a closing round of one-over-par 71 for 271, which left the door open five players - the play-off trio plus Bernard Langer, fourth with a 65 for 269 and Sam Forrance, fifth with a 67 for 270, to move past.
Greg Norman was left with the same nagging thought as his round collapsed in a fashion eerily reminiscent of his anti-climactic final rounds at Augusta in 1996 and Birkdale last July. At the 17th he was fortunate even to have a swing for his second shot, his drive having found arguably the most thickly wooded area on the course. A three-putt and a double-bogey later, his hopes had evaporated.Tom Watson finished joint eighth with a 67 for 273. On the last green he holed from 8ft - the distance from which he missed on the last green of the Open at Turnberry the previous Sunday evening.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
268 Loren Roberts 66 68 67 67 (won at third play-off hole), Mark McNulty (Irl) 69 67 68 64, Fred Funk 64 65 72 67.
269 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 72 67 65 65.
270 Sam Torrance (Sco) 67 65 71 67.
271 Greg Norman (Aus) 67 69 64 71, Larry Mize 69 70 64 68.
273 Denis Watson (Zim) 68 68 66 71, Bruce Vaughan 70 69 65 69, Tom Kite 67 68 69 69, Tom Watson 67 69 70 67, Don Pooley 70 66 69 68.
274 Michael Allen 70 65 71 68, Tony Johnstone (Zim) 68 71 66 69, Scott Simpson 68 69 69 68, Sandy Lyle (Sco) 68 70 69 67.
276 Joey Sindelar 69 72 67 68, Denis O'Sullivan (Irl) 68 71 70 67.
277 Gene Jones 74 67 67 69, Russ Cochran 69 70 71 67, Ian Woosnam (Wal) 68 69 70 70, Mike Goodes 71 71 67 68, Jay Haas 66 71 68 72.
278 Jeff Sluman 69 70 69 70.
279 Kirk Hanefeld 72 71 68 68, Mark O'Meara 69 70 68 72, David Eger 69 71 67 72.
280 Gordon J Brand (Eng) 68 68 73 71, Christopher Williams (Rsa) 66 76 66 72, Gary Koch 70 70 69 71, Curt Byrum 68 75 69 68.
281 Andy Bean 70 72 67 72, Fulton Allem (Rsa) 70 72 73 66, Mike Donald 71 70 70 70, Gordon Brand Jnr (Sco) 68 71 71 71, Wayne Grady (Aus) 70 72 71 68, Noel Ratcliffe (Aus) 71 72 71 67.
282 Sir Nick Faldo (Eng) 70 70 69 73, Bertus Smit (Rsa) 69 71 70 72, Juan Quiros (Spa) 72 71 68 71, Olin Browne 68 73 72 69, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 70 71 71 70.
283 Kevin Spurgeon (Eng) 72 70 68 73, Ben Crenshaw 73 70 65 75, Mark James (Eng) 70 69 68 76, Bob Gilder 72 70 70 71.
284 Mark Wiebe 71 68 70 75, Mike Reid 72 71 70 71, Joe Ozaki (Jpn) 71 70 72 71.
285 Robert L Thompson 70 74 68 73, Gary Hallberg 74 68 71 72, Philip Blackmar 68 72 74 71, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 74 70 72 69, Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 71 73 73 68, Morris Hatalsky 72 67 73 73, Ronnie Black 71 71 71 72, Doug Johnson 70 69 70 76.
286 Luis Carbonetti (Arg) 73 70 68 75, Jerry Bruner 67 74 68 77, Tom Lehman 70 73 73 70, Paul Simson 71 69 72 74, Des Smyth (Irl) 66 74 74 72, Andrew Murray (Eng) 69 74 71 72, John Morse 72 71 72 71, Tim Simpson 73 71 71 71, Bobby Wadkins 73 70 70 73.
287 Manuel Pinero (Spa) 70 74 70 73.
288 Tom Purtzer 73 71 73 71, Stewart Ginn (Aus) 71 72 72 73, Lonnie Nielsen 72 71 71 74.
289 Giuseppe Cali (Ita) 71 73 72 73, Graham Marsh (Aus) 70 74 70 75, Bob Cameron (Eng) 70 72 74 73, Glenn Ralph (Eng) 70 73 73 73.
290 Philippe Dugeny (Fra) 71 69 76 74, Angel Fernandez (Chi) 70 71 76 73.
292 Craig Stadler 74 69 73 76.
NEXT YEAR'S SENIORS OPEN WILL BE HELD AT CARNOUSTIE ... THE WEEK AFTER THE OPEN OVER THE OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS.
WHAT A GREAT DOUBLE-HEADER IN SCOTLAND!
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Loren Roberts won the Senior Open Championship title with a dramatic play-off win over Mark McNulty and Fred Funk today.
All three men finished with a 12-under-par aggregate of 268 at Sunningdale before Roberts, who previously won this event at Turnberry in 2006, triumphed over extra holes.
After Funk failed to match McNulty and Roberts' birdies on the 18th at the first extra hole it became a two-man duel, and after another deadlock McNulty fired a wild drive into the rough and Roberts' par was enough for victory.
The American had carded a final-round 67 thanks to a four-under inward 31 on the Old Course. After a splendid approach at 17 led to the birdie which took him to 12 under, Roberts needed another at the last to win, but drove into the rough on the right and had to settle for par.
Earlier Irishman McNulty's brilliant round of 64 had given him the clubhouse lead.
His inward 31 included a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th but it could have been even better - down the closing straight McNulty had birdie putts of less than 10 feet on 17 and 18 and both missed the hole by the smallest of fractions.
"I really thought I hit good putts, both of them," he said."The last one I thought was going to go in and the last one slowed down and seemed to start turning. Why, I don't know."I gave it all I had, and just one bad shot. That's what happens," said the Sunningdale resident.
Overnight leader Greg Norman slipped to a closing round of one-over-par 71 for 271, which left the door open five players - the play-off trio plus Bernard Langer, fourth with a 65 for 269 and Sam Forrance, fifth with a 67 for 270, to move past.
Greg Norman was left with the same nagging thought as his round collapsed in a fashion eerily reminiscent of his anti-climactic final rounds at Augusta in 1996 and Birkdale last July. At the 17th he was fortunate even to have a swing for his second shot, his drive having found arguably the most thickly wooded area on the course. A three-putt and a double-bogey later, his hopes had evaporated.Tom Watson finished joint eighth with a 67 for 273. On the last green he holed from 8ft - the distance from which he missed on the last green of the Open at Turnberry the previous Sunday evening.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
268 Loren Roberts 66 68 67 67 (won at third play-off hole), Mark McNulty (Irl) 69 67 68 64, Fred Funk 64 65 72 67.
269 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 72 67 65 65.
270 Sam Torrance (Sco) 67 65 71 67.
271 Greg Norman (Aus) 67 69 64 71, Larry Mize 69 70 64 68.
273 Denis Watson (Zim) 68 68 66 71, Bruce Vaughan 70 69 65 69, Tom Kite 67 68 69 69, Tom Watson 67 69 70 67, Don Pooley 70 66 69 68.
274 Michael Allen 70 65 71 68, Tony Johnstone (Zim) 68 71 66 69, Scott Simpson 68 69 69 68, Sandy Lyle (Sco) 68 70 69 67.
276 Joey Sindelar 69 72 67 68, Denis O'Sullivan (Irl) 68 71 70 67.
277 Gene Jones 74 67 67 69, Russ Cochran 69 70 71 67, Ian Woosnam (Wal) 68 69 70 70, Mike Goodes 71 71 67 68, Jay Haas 66 71 68 72.
278 Jeff Sluman 69 70 69 70.
279 Kirk Hanefeld 72 71 68 68, Mark O'Meara 69 70 68 72, David Eger 69 71 67 72.
280 Gordon J Brand (Eng) 68 68 73 71, Christopher Williams (Rsa) 66 76 66 72, Gary Koch 70 70 69 71, Curt Byrum 68 75 69 68.
281 Andy Bean 70 72 67 72, Fulton Allem (Rsa) 70 72 73 66, Mike Donald 71 70 70 70, Gordon Brand Jnr (Sco) 68 71 71 71, Wayne Grady (Aus) 70 72 71 68, Noel Ratcliffe (Aus) 71 72 71 67.
282 Sir Nick Faldo (Eng) 70 70 69 73, Bertus Smit (Rsa) 69 71 70 72, Juan Quiros (Spa) 72 71 68 71, Olin Browne 68 73 72 69, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 70 71 71 70.
283 Kevin Spurgeon (Eng) 72 70 68 73, Ben Crenshaw 73 70 65 75, Mark James (Eng) 70 69 68 76, Bob Gilder 72 70 70 71.
284 Mark Wiebe 71 68 70 75, Mike Reid 72 71 70 71, Joe Ozaki (Jpn) 71 70 72 71.
285 Robert L Thompson 70 74 68 73, Gary Hallberg 74 68 71 72, Philip Blackmar 68 72 74 71, Costantino Rocca (Ita) 74 70 72 69, Delroy Cambridge (Jam) 71 73 73 68, Morris Hatalsky 72 67 73 73, Ronnie Black 71 71 71 72, Doug Johnson 70 69 70 76.
286 Luis Carbonetti (Arg) 73 70 68 75, Jerry Bruner 67 74 68 77, Tom Lehman 70 73 73 70, Paul Simson 71 69 72 74, Des Smyth (Irl) 66 74 74 72, Andrew Murray (Eng) 69 74 71 72, John Morse 72 71 72 71, Tim Simpson 73 71 71 71, Bobby Wadkins 73 70 70 73.
287 Manuel Pinero (Spa) 70 74 70 73.
288 Tom Purtzer 73 71 73 71, Stewart Ginn (Aus) 71 72 72 73, Lonnie Nielsen 72 71 71 74.
289 Giuseppe Cali (Ita) 71 73 72 73, Graham Marsh (Aus) 70 74 70 75, Bob Cameron (Eng) 70 72 74 73, Glenn Ralph (Eng) 70 73 73 73.
290 Philippe Dugeny (Fra) 71 69 76 74, Angel Fernandez (Chi) 70 71 76 73.
292 Craig Stadler 74 69 73 76.
NEXT YEAR'S SENIORS OPEN WILL BE HELD AT CARNOUSTIE ... THE WEEK AFTER THE OPEN OVER THE OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS.
WHAT A GREAT DOUBLE-HEADER IN SCOTLAND!
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, July 26, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home