ROCCO MEDIATE MAKES WINNING DEBUT ON US SENIORS TOUR
ROCCO MEDIATE ... 17 under par for 54 holes
Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
BOCA RATON, Florida (AP) -- Rocco Mediate birdied the 18th hole and finished with a 1-under 71 to win the Allianz Championship on Sunday.
He finished the tournament at 17-under 199 and became the 16th player to have a winning debut on the US Champions Tour.
Mediate's 4-foot birdie putt came after Tom Pernice junior missed a 5-footer at No. 18 that could have forced a playoff.
Mediate started the day with a three-shot lead, lost it by the 14th hole, but regained it when Pernice bogeyed the par-4 17th from a greenside bunker. Mediate protected that lead with a birdie on the par-5 closing hole.
"I'm ecstatic," Mediate said. "I have been saying all week it's never easy. It shouldn't be easy. I was prepared to make that putt (at No. 18), but I didn't have to."
Pernice, who had a final-round 70, finished tied with Bernhard Langer (68) for second place.
Pernice was the last player to win his Champions Tour debut three years ago, but is still searching for his second title.
"I played better than any other day as far as ball-striking, but I just couldn't make enough putts," Pernice said. "Rocco played well; he deserved to win. He battled down the stretch."
Langer was within a shot of Mediate on the back nine, but also couldn't make any key putts. It marked Langer's fourth top-three finish in this event in the past five years. Langer won here in 2010.
"The course played really fast and firm," Langer said. "I actually hit the ball too far a number of times. But two three-putts really hurt."
Mediate won six times on the US PGA Tour and also lost a memorable play-off to Tiger Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Mediate shot a course-record 61 in the second round here Saturday to help him match Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, among others, in winning his inaugural Champions start.
"This means as much to me as anything I've done," Mediate said.
Mark O'Meara (69) and defending champion Corey Pavin (69) were both six shots off the lead.
Mediate's first prize was $270,000, compared with Brandt Snedeker's $1,170,000 at Pebble Beach.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from USA unless stated
199 Rocco Mediate 67 61 71
201 Tom Pernice junior 66 65 70, Bernhard Langer (Germany) 66 67 68
205 Corey Pavin 676 69 69, Mark O'Meara 69 67 69
207 Tom Lehman 68 73 66, Duffy Waldorf 74 66 67, Fred Funk 67 69 71
SELECTED TOTALS
210 Mark Mouland (Wales) 68 73 69 (T19)
211 Roger Chapman (England) 67 75 69 (T27)
219 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 73 73 73 (T60)
Field of 81 players
Mediate started the day with a three-shot lead, lost it by the 14th hole, but regained it when Pernice bogeyed the par-4 17th from a greenside bunker. Mediate protected that lead with a birdie on the par-5 closing hole.
"I'm ecstatic," Mediate said. "I have been saying all week it's never easy. It shouldn't be easy. I was prepared to make that putt (at No. 18), but I didn't have to."
Pernice, who had a final-round 70, finished tied with Bernhard Langer (68) for second place.
Pernice was the last player to win his Champions Tour debut three years ago, but is still searching for his second title.
"I played better than any other day as far as ball-striking, but I just couldn't make enough putts," Pernice said. "Rocco played well; he deserved to win. He battled down the stretch."
Langer was within a shot of Mediate on the back nine, but also couldn't make any key putts. It marked Langer's fourth top-three finish in this event in the past five years. Langer won here in 2010.
"The course played really fast and firm," Langer said. "I actually hit the ball too far a number of times. But two three-putts really hurt."
Mediate won six times on the US PGA Tour and also lost a memorable play-off to Tiger Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Mediate shot a course-record 61 in the second round here Saturday to help him match Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, among others, in winning his inaugural Champions start.
"This means as much to me as anything I've done," Mediate said.
Mark O'Meara (69) and defending champion Corey Pavin (69) were both six shots off the lead.
Mediate's first prize was $270,000, compared with Brandt Snedeker's $1,170,000 at Pebble Beach.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from USA unless stated
199 Rocco Mediate 67 61 71
201 Tom Pernice junior 66 65 70, Bernhard Langer (Germany) 66 67 68
205 Corey Pavin 676 69 69, Mark O'Meara 69 67 69
207 Tom Lehman 68 73 66, Duffy Waldorf 74 66 67, Fred Funk 67 69 71
SELECTED TOTALS
210 Mark Mouland (Wales) 68 73 69 (T19)
211 Roger Chapman (England) 67 75 69 (T27)
219 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 73 73 73 (T60)
Field of 81 players
Labels: SENIOR PROS
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, February 11, 2013
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