Golf Roundup : Shadow Puts Spotlight on Azinger

The $600,000 Phoenix Open turned on a shadow cast by a bright, desert sun

“I don’t want to sound like I’m making an excuse, but I was putting through my shadow,” defending champion Hal Sutton said.

“I put a good stroke on it, but I just didn’t have it lined up right.”

And Sutton’s miss of a five-foot par-saving putt on the final hole Sunday dropped him out of a share of the lead and handed sole control of the top spot to Paul Azinger, who brought it home with care and confidence for the first victory of his five-year PGA Tour career.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Azinger, who twice lost his playing rights for lack of performance.

“Words can’t describe how I feel now,” he said after finishing off a four-under-par 67 with a critical sand-save on the 16th and the two finishing pars.

He won it with a 268 total, 16 under par on the new TPC course at Scottsdale, Ariz.

The lanky, 27-year-old Azinger, called “Zinger” by his fellow tourists, was making his first start of the year and collected $108,000 for his solid performance.

Sutton’s last hole lapse was only one of many over the last 18 holes.

Sutton, Corey Pavin and Doug Tewell all led or shared the lead at one point or another.

One by one, they all faded.

From a share of the lead, Tewell bogeyed three consecutive holes starting on the sixth.

Pavin, a winner last week in the Bob Hope Classic, remained in contention until he bogeyed No. 16, then put one in the water on 17.

Sutton, with a seven-under-par 64, was second alone at 269.

For the third week in a row, Mark Calcavecchia, with a 68, came on to take a share of third at 272. He was tied at that figure with Bob Tway and Fuzzy Zoeller. Tway had a closing 69, Zoeller a 70.

Pavin, Mark O’Meara and Bobby Clampett were next at 273. Clampett closed up with a 66. O’Meara shot 69 and the frustrated Pavin struggled in with a 73.

Sutton, who played the front side in 30, took the lead alone with a 3-iron second shot that set up a 12-foot eagle putt on the 15th hole.

That put him at 16 under par, one in front of Azinger.

Azinger, playing about 15 minutes behind Sutton, also reached No. 15 in two, and two-putted from about 15 feet for the birdie that tied it.

It stayed that way until Sutton reached the 18th and got his drive in a fairway bunker. He missed the green with a 5-iron from the sand, chipped to about five feet, and missed the putt that provided Azinger with the margin he needed.

Carole Semple Thompson defeated newcomer Joan Pitcock 1-up in the 36-hole final to win the 55th Doherty Challenge Cup golf tournament at Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Despite the closeness of the match, the former United States and British womens’ amateur champion from Sewickley, Pa., never trailed Pitcock.

Thompson, who shot 75 and 77 for the 6,006-yard, par-74 course, led by three holes after nine, one after 18 and one after 27. Pitcock of Fresno, who scored 76 and 77, evened the match three times over the final nine but never led.