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Hal holds on Despite Woods' charge, Sutton plays steady to win TPC
Posted: Monday March 27, 2000 04:28 PM
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Hal Sutton relished a chance to beat Tiger Woods and got all he could handle Monday before holding on for a one-stroke victory in The Players Championship. Seventeen years after first winning the PGA Tour's most lucrative event, Sutton never lost his focus amidst another thrilling charge by Woods. He closed with pars on the final two terrorizing holes on the TPC at Sawgrass. "Coming down the stretch with Tiger ... I knew he was going to play great," Sutton said. "The thing I did best today was stay focused on what I had to do." Returning to the Stadium Course because storms suspended the final round Sunday, Sutton made seven pars to complete a wire-to-wire victory with a 1-under 71. He finished at 278 and earned $1,080,000 from the $6 million purse, the richest in golf.
Woods needed a birdie on the last hole for a chance at a playoff, but hit his approach into a swale left of the green and chipped up for par. He also finished with a 71. Sutton hit next, and the shot covered the flag. "Be the right club today," Sutton urged. It landed about 8 feet in front of the hole. Sutton let out a "Yes!" and shared a hard slap of the hand with his longtime caddie, Freddie Hughes. Woods looked over and gave him a thumbs-up. Even though he didn't win, Woods heads to the Masters with four victories and two second-place finishes in his last seven tournaments. "I'm a little disappointed I didn't win," Woods said. "But at least I made Hal work for it." Woods won $648,000, pushing his season earnings to over $3.2 million, the third highest single-season total in PGA Tour history -- through seven events. Sutton had been here before. His victory in the 1983 Players Championship also finished on a Monday because of bad weather. That was a one-stroke victory over Bob Eastwood. Monday's's test came against the No. 1 player in the world with a penchant for dramatic comebacks.
Three strokes back with three holes to play, Woods made a 12-foot eagle putt at the 16th, pumping his fist like he did on the Stadium Course six years ago when he won the first of his three straight U.S. Amateur titles. As he had done throughout the entire final round, Sutton never blinked. While no lead is safe going to the island-green 17th, it was playing as easy as it has all week because of the overnight rain and lack of wind. Woods, with a chance to put pressure on Sutton, spun his wedge back into the rough and had to make a 6-footer for par. Sutton played it safe to the middle of the green and got his par. It was the 12th victory of his career, and fourth since he turned 40 during a resurgence that showed why he was once regarded as the next Nicklaus. That mantle now belongs to Woods, and Sutton was up to the challenge. "Hal has always been a great competitor," Woods said. "Even when he wasn't playing his best, he was trying. You show up in the final group, you're going to be determined." Five players tied for third at 284 -- Nick Price, who finished Sunday, Jeff Maggert, Scott Dunlap, Colin Montgomerie and Robert Damron. Sutton looked like he was about to deliver a knockout punch when the siren sounded at 4:45 p.m. Sunday because of lightning in the area, and heavy rains that followed suspended the final round until Monday. He was everything he said he would be -- hitting fairways and greens, forcing Woods to make birdies. Instead, Woods missed five straight putts from 15 feet or less. Sutton could look back to a couple of turning points. His feet awkwardly planted in the shaggy grass above the ball, he blasted out of the bunker at the par-3 eighth to 10 feet and saved his par. It was the first green he missed, and the first key putt he made. Then at the 11th, Woods hit a delicate bump-and-run up the slope to 6 feet, while Sutton's chip from the rough rolled back down the hill to 30 feet. Sutton sank the putt, and Woods pulled his to the left for a three-stroke lead. Woods has come back from worse -- seven strokes back with seven holes to play at Pebble Beach, a victory that only added to his mystique. But that came against Matt Gogel, a PGA Tour rookie. This was against Sutton, a proven champion with a point to prove.
The only thing not in Sutton's favor now is the next step. No Players Championship winner has gone on to win the Masters, and Sutton hasn't made the cut at Augusta National since 1985.
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