Hail Irwin!
Irwin shoots 65, captures 1st Senior Tour Championship
Posted: Sunday November 08, 1998 05:43 PM
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Hale Irwin: "I thought it was important to end the year on a good note." AP |
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- Hale Irwin finally closed his season
with a victory, blasting past a star-filled field Sunday to win his
first Senior Tour Championship.
Irwin finished with a 65, 14-under 274, for his seventh victory
of the year and his 20th Senior title since joining the tour in
1995. He won $347,000.
He was five shots ahead of defending champion Gil Morgan, who
had a 71. Jay Sigel, the 1996 winner, was third at 280 after a 70.
"All in all, this has got to be at least as good as last
year," said Irwin, who won nine times and earned more than $2.3
million in 1997.
Irwin has come to The Dunes Golf & Beach Club a top contender
the past four years. Something the cold weather, poor iron play,
hitting the wrong ball has always kept him down in The Dunes.
In 1995, he marked his ball at Jim Dent's marker on the 16th
hole during the third round, took a four-stroke penalty and shot 75
to fall from the leaderboard.
A year later, Irwin couldn't overcome frigid, 30 mph wind gusts
as he shot 75-76 in the middle two rounds. Last year, he trailed by
two at the start of the final round, but was beaten by Morgan's
tournament record 272.
While Irwin already had secured the money title, Morgan's six
wins and steady play gained him a following for Player of the Year.
Morgan appeared ready to add another victory after a birdie at
No. 3 gave him a two-shot lead.
But birdies at eight and nine enabled Irwin to tie Morgan at
9-under. Two more birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 put him ahead to stay.
When Irwin got his seventh birdie at the 16th for a five-stroke
lead, there was no question who was No. 1 on the Senior PGA Tour.
Irwin led the Seniors in putting, greens in regulation and
birdies per round this year. His scoring average of 68.59 broke Lee
Trevino's 1990 mark of 68.89.
"I thought it was important to end the year on a good note,"
Irwin said.
Morgan finished with 15 straight pars. Jim Albus, who trailed by
one through seven holes, faded with bogeys at eight and nine.
Ray Floyd, the 1994 champion who was only a shot behind at the
start, faded to a 76 and finished at 285.
Floyd hit a tree on the second hole and made double bogey. He
dumped his approach at No. 4 in the water for bogey. He made two
more bogeys on the front nine for a 40.
Divots: The Senior Tour Championship, which is moving to The
TPC of Myrtle Beach, will announce its sponsor Monday. Energizer
has been the title sponsor the past four years. ... The Dunes,
known for chilly, windy conditions, was blessed with mild
conditions Sunday. ... There were nine rounds under 70 Sunday after
only 11 the first three rounds. ... Dave Stockton tied for eighth,
ending a streak of six straight years with at least one Tour
victory. Jim Dent now has the longest streak with wins in five
straight years.
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