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Aussie rules Stanley wins British Senior; Nicklaus finishes T-3
Updated: Sunday July 29, 2001 4:24 PM
NEWCASTLE, Northern Ireland (AP) -- Ian Stanley of Australia won the Senior British Open on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against two-time champion Bob Charles of New Zealand Sunday. Jack Nicklaus, playing in the tournament for the first time, shot a 69 and shared third place with John Morgan of England, who closed with a 70. Both were three shots off the pace. Stanley, who missed a 3-foot putt to win on the 72th hole, atoned for that mistake by sinking a 2-footer for par when they replayed the 18th in the playoff. Charles drove into a bunker and made a bogey. Charles shot a 3-under-par 68 and Stanley, the overnight leader, a 69 in the final round for totals of 6-under 278. "I was thinking of Retief Goosen when he missed the putt at the last in the U.S. Open," Stanley said of Goosen, who also won in a playoff after his error. The four leaders were the only four players under par for four rounds over the demanding 6,614-yard Royal County Down links. Stanley, who won the PGA Seniors Championship in England in June, played the front nine in 33 Sunday but missed a chance to sew up his victory when he could only make par at the 12th, the easiest of the par-5s. But he birdied the 16th and got a lucky break when his second shot at the 17th hit a stake that kept it from finding water. Nicklaus missed a number of birdie chances down the stretch, but the hole that effectively ended his chances was the 450-yard 15th. His second shot from light rough finished 30 yards short of the green. He pitched 15 feet short and missed the par attempt. "That really hurt," he said. "Again I was disappointed with my finish. I was 1-under on the front nine and I felt if I could play the back nine 4-under, I'd have a shot to win. "I started it well with a birdie at 10 and an eagle at 12th and that put me close to my target. But it turned out it wouldn't have been enough anyway." Nicklaus began his round as he was to continue it, hitting his second shot at the par-5 first to 5 feet and missing the eagle putt. "Royal County Down is terrific," Nicklaus said. "Despite the blind shots, it is a great test, an enjoyable course. It has great strategy on it and you really have to play golf." He said whether he returned would depend on his health. "I don't even have any more tournaments scheduled this year," he said. "I have some physical problems -- the worst is my sacroiliac -- but if I can get rid of them, I may be here next year. "My wife and I have enjoyed it greatly but I would like to have won, too. I wanted to be greedy," he said.
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