Carlos Franco closes Shaw Charity Classic in 63 for first US Senior Tour victory

GOLFWEEK.COM

By BRENTLEY ROMINE

Carlos Franco knows how hard it is to win on the US Champions Tour.

“I saw Bernhard Langer, I saw (Tom) Watson, I saw the other guys. I say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to play well,’ ” said the 51-year-old Franco, from Paraguay. “Winning on the Champions Tour is not easy because everybody's been a winner here. Especially, Bernhard Langer. This guy can play so well.”
Langer, the 59-year-old German with 29 US Senior wins to his name, closed the Shaw Charity Classic with a 6-under 64 Sunday at Canyon Meadows. He finished at 16 under, but that was only good enough to tie for second with Michael Allen.
“I played really good golf today, shot 6 under the last 10 holes and really gave it a go to win the tournament, but Carlos was just too good today,” Langer said. “He drove the ball phenomenal and then his putting was exceptional, so it was tough to catch him.”
Franco shot 7-under 63 for the second straight day to capture his first PGA Tour Champions title by two shots Sunday in Calgary, Alberta. 
Franco, a four-time PGA Tour winner who was making his 25th start on the 50-and-over tour, was three strokes back of Jeff Maggert entering the final round.
“I’m so happy I finally won my first tournament on the Champions Tour especially here in Canada,” Franco said. “A long time ago, I don’t win a tournament. I lost my game for a couple years and it came back again this week.”
Maggert ended up in a tie for sixth at 10 under after a closing 74. Watson, on his 67th birthday, shot 67 to tie for 26th.
“Any time you shoot your age, it’s kind of fun,” Watson said. “Where’s the birthday cake? I was looking for a birthday cake here.”
If he gets a cake, Watson better save a slice for Franco. He deserves it.
Colin Montgomerie tied for sixth place on  200, eight behind the winner, and earned $72,850.
Englishman Paul Broadhurst earned $26,966 for a T19 finish on 203
FINAL TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70)

1	Carlos Franco	66	63	63			192	$352,500
T2	Michael Allen	67	64	63			194	$188,000
T2	Bernhard Langer	65	65	64			194	$188,000
4	Willie Wood	67	65	64			196	$139,825
5	Jesper Parnevik	67	65	67			199	$111,625
T6	Scott Dunlap	72	65	63			200	$72,850
T6	Miguel Angel Martin	66	68	66			200	$72,850
T6	Colin Montgomerie	67	66	67			200	$72,850
T6	Duffy Waldorf	67	65	68			200	$72,850
T6	Jose Coceres	63	68	69			200	$72,850
T6	Jeff Maggert	63	63	74			200	$72,850
T12	Jim Carter	66	68	67			201	$49,350
T12	David Frost	62	72	67			201	$49,350
T14	Kevin Sutherland	68	67	67			202	$39,950
T14	Russ Cochran	69	64	69			202	$39,950
T14	Rod Spittle	68	66	68			202	$39,950
T14	Brandt Jobe	68	64	70			202	$39,950
T14	Fred Funk	65	66	71			202	$39,950
T19	Kirk Triplett	65	72	66			203	$27,696
T19	Paul Broadhurst	67	70	66			203	$27,696
T19	Jeff Sluman	66	70	67			203	$27,696
T19	Steve Pate	68	67	68			203	$27,696
T19	Woody Austin	67	67	69			203	$27,696
T19	Tom Pernice Jr.	66	67	70			203	$27,696
T19	Doug Garwood	68	64	71			203	$27,696
T26	Tom Lehman	71	66	67			204	$19,539
T26	Tom Watson	65	72	67			204	$19,539
T26	Michael Bradley	69	67	68			204	$19,539
T26	Tim Petrovic	68	68	68			204	$19,539
T26	Billy Mayfair	67	68	69			204	$19,539
T26	Bart Bryant	68	65	71			204	$19,539
T26	Tom Byrum	64	68	72			204	$19,539
T33	Esteban Toledo	71	67	67			205	$15,158
T33	Glen Day	68	68	69			205	$15,158
T33	Mark Calcavecchia	65	70	70			205	$15,158
T33	Gary Hallberg	69	66	70			205	$15,158
T37	Mike Goodes	69	68	69			206	$11,750
T37	Scott McCarron	66	70	70			206	$11,750
T37	Scott Parel	66	72	68			206	$11,750
T37	Joe Durant	66	72	68			206	$11,750
T37	Billy Andrade	70	69	67			206	$11,750
T37	Blaine McCallister	67	73	66			206	$11,750
T37	Jean Van de Velde	67	67	72			206	$11,750
T37	Todd Hamilton	69	63	74			206	$11,750
T45	Gene Sauers	67	71	69			207	$8,930
T45	Rocco Mediate	71	67	69			207	$8,930
T45	Olin Browne	68	68	71			207	$8,930
T45	Mark Brooks	65	70	72			207	$8,930
T49	Lee Janzen	70	67	71			208	$7,050
T49	Fran Quinn	68	68	72			208	$7,050
T49	Mike Grob	69	70	69			208	$7,050
T49	Scott Hoch	71	69	68			208	$7,050
T53	Jay Don Blake	67	71	71			209	$5,288
T53	Jeff Hart	72	66	71			209	$5,288
T53	Mike Springer	71	68	70			209	$5,288
T53	John Daly	67	68	74			209	$5,288
T53	Joey Sindelar	70	70	69			209	$5,288
T53	Stephen Ames	70	72	67			209	$5,288
T59	John Inman	71	69	70			210	$4,230
T59	Wes Short Jr.	68	73	69			210	$4,230
T59	Jim Rutledge	69	73	68			210	$4,230
T62	Brad Bryant	68	72	71			211	$3,643
T62	Jerry Smith	70	72	69			211	$3,643
T64	Neal Lancaster	68	72	72			212	$2,938
T64	Tom Kite	67	73	72			212	$2,938
T64	John Cook	72	69	71			212	$2,938
T64	Jean-Francois Remesy	71	72	69			212	$2,938
T68	Steve Lowery	72	65	76			213	$2,209
T68	Paul Goydos	67	75	71			213	$2,209
T68	Grant Waite	70	73	70			213	$2,209
T71	Bob Gilder	69	73	72			214	$1,786
T71	Craig Stadler	72	69	73			214	$1,786
T71	Bob Niger	74	69	71			214	$1,786
74	Clark Dennis	69	73	73			215	$1,551
75	Bob Tway	69	76	72			217	$1,457
76	Brian Henninger	69	76	73			218	$1,363
77	Tom Purtzer	72	74	73			219	$1,269
78	Mike Reid	72	72	76			220	$1,175
79	Mark Wiebe	73	75	73			221	$1,081
80	Jeff LeMaster	73	76	78			227	$1,011
								-
		-	-