Golf Roundup : Green Survives Bad Start to Win by One

Ken Green survived a double-bogey start Saturday and shot a par 71 for a one-stroke victory in the $250,000 Spalding Invitational golf tournament at Carmel Valley, Calif.

“I wanted to make it interesting,” Green said later, joking about his rough start.

Don Pooley and Willie Wood closed with rounds of 66 and 64, respectively, on a rainy day at the Carmel Valley Country Club course to tie for second place.

Green, who won $317,000 on the PGA Tour in 1986 and who will be playing in the Tournament of Champions this week, picked up $50,000 for his victory. He had a 72-hole total of 274.

On the par-4 opening hole, Green put his second shot into a sand trap, took two shots to get out and two-putted for the double bogey.

Fortunately for him, Pooley and Wood had taken bogeys at the same hole. Neither had another bogey in the round.

Pooley and Wood each earned $25,750. At 276 were Jan Stephenson, Lennie Clements, George Archer and Patty Sheehan.

Stephenson and Sheehan were among the five women who competed, playing with distance advantages off the tees.

Hale Irwin shot a two-under-par 70 for a 207 total and a five-shot win in the $250,000 FILA Invitational at Fort Myers, Fla.

Irwin, 42, won a preseason event leading into the PGA Tour schedule for the second year in a row. His victory earned him $75,000.

Scott Verplank, who was tied with Irwin starting the day, and Calvin Peete shared second place at 212 and collected $31,250 each. Verplank shot a 75, and Peete had a 69.