Golf Roundup : Sindelar Says Second Victory Beats First

They say you never forget your first victory, but Joey Sindelar didn’t feel he had arrived until his second PGA triumph.

That came Sunday when, spurred by the loud support of a partisan crowd, he regained the lead with a hole-in-one on the 14th hole and took a one-shot victory in the $300,000 B.C. Open at Endicott, N.Y.

“It proves that I’m not just another fluke one-time winner,” said Sindelar, a 27-year-old second-year pro who lives less than 40 miles from the course in the south-central New York community of Horseheads.

“There are a lot of guys out here who’ve won once, and a lot fewer who’ve won twice or more. It means a lot among my peers.”

Sindelar’s three-under-par 68 gave him a 72-hole total of 274, 10 under par.

The hole-in-one, achieved with a 5-iron on the 212-yard 14th hole, eclipsed Mike Reid’s one-shot lead.

Reid, whos bogied No. 14 moments before Sindelar’s dramatic shot, finished second at 275. He also shot 68. Bill Glasson, who shot 67, was third at 276.

Chris Johnson battled an erratic driver Sunday to hold on to a one-stroke lead over four players going into today’s final round of the LPGA Rail Charity tournament at Springfield, Ill.

Johnson’s even-par 72, combined with a 65 Saturday, gave her a seven-under-par 137 after 36 holes of the three-day tournament. Janet Anderson, Mary Beth Zimmerman, Martha Nause and first-round co-leader Betsy King, are all tied at six-under-par.

Johnson birdied three holes in a row on the back nine after parring 10 of the first 12 holes.

Johnson stayed ahead despite hitting only seven fairways from the tee. A drive into the water on the par-5, 17th hole led to a double-bogey. That cost her a three-shot lead. She missed a six-foot putt for bogey on the 17th before holing out.

Nause, in her first tournament after a nine-week layoff with tendinitis, shot her second consecutive 69. Zimmerman moved into contention with a five-under-par 67.

Lee Elder fought off back spasms to win a four-way playoff on the third sudden death hole and capture the rain-shortened Seniors golf tournament at Lexington, Ky.

Elder, Walt Zembriski, Orville Moody and Dan Sikes all finished seven-under-par for 36 holes.

The four parred the par-3, 205-yard 17th hole and Elder, Zembriski and Sikes then parred the par-5, 560-yard 18th. Moody had a bogey on the 18th to drop out of playoff contention.

Playing the 17th hole for the third time, Zembriski hit a bunker, chipped to within a foot of the hole and made par, while Sikes drove to the green and had a 15-foot birdie putt just miss.

Elder hit a three-iron onto the green 12 feet from the hole and made the birdie putt.