Golf Roundup : Dave Barr Wins by Four Shots at 23 Under Par

Even though it was six years between victories for Dave Barr, he handled it like a man who was used to being on top.

Barr, a Canadian whose only previous victory in the United States came at the 1981 Quad Cities Open, shot a seven-under-par 65 Sunday at Marietta, Ga., to win the $600,000 Atlanta tournament by four strokes.

“There was no pressure at all those last few holes,” he said. “My lead was so secure. It’s such a super feeling. You wonder if you are ever going to win again.

“The Quad Cities was a long time ago. But some close finishes, like my tie for second in the 1985 U.S. Open, kept me going and kept my hopes alive.”

Barr’s 23-under-par 265 is the best score on the PGA Tour this year and equaled the tournament record set in 1979 by Andy Bean.

Barr earned $108,000 to raise his winnings this year to $139,224, $13,107 more than he earned in his best previous full year in 1985.

Masters champion Larry Mize was tied with Barr at 19-under with six holes to go but fell behind when Barr made four straight birdies. Mize also had a 65 and finished at 267 to earn $64,800 and vault into third place on this year’s money list at $348,095.

Lanny Wadkins, with a closing 66, and Chip Beck, with a 67, tied for third at 268.

Jane Geddes shot a final-round five-under-par 67 and beat Betsy King by one stroke in the LPGA Championship at Mason, Ohio.

Geddes had a 72-hole total of 13-under-par 275. King shot a 67 and finished at 276.

Tied at 278 were second-round leader Laurie Rinker, Ayako Okamoto of Japan and Rosie Jones.

The victory was Geddes’ second major championship. She won the U.S. Women’s Open title last year in Dayton, 40 miles away.

Geddes started the day tied for third, two shots back of third-round leader Cathy Morse. She grabbed a share of the lead at 10-under on the 11th hole with a birdie--after a birdie and nine straight pars--while leader King was bogeying the 11th.

King fell two shots back when she bogeyed the 16th hole while Geddes made an 18-foot birdie putt.

King put on the pressure with a birdie-birdie finish, but Geddes birdied the 17th and two-putted for a par on the final hole.

The victory was worth $52,500 and pushed Geddes’ tour-leading money-winning total to $228,456. Earlier this year, she won the Women’s Kemper Open and the GNA-Glendale Federal tournament on consecutive weeks.

Chi Chi Rodriguez shot a three-under-par 69 to win the $250,000 Silver Pages tournament by three strokes at Oklahoma City, tying a Senior tour record with his third straight victory.

Bob Charles set the record earlier this season.

Rodriguez’s 200 total, 16 under par, was the lowest winning score on the tour this year, beating the 201 set by Billy Casper in Arizona.

It was the fourth victory of the season for Rodriguez, who earned $37,500 and is the leading money winner on the tour this year with $212,290.

Rodriguez said he will donate a portion of his winnings to victims of the tornado that struck Saragosa, Tex.

Bruce Crampton shot a final-round 68 for his third second-place finish of the year. Miller Barber and Ken Still both shot 69s to finish in a tie for third at 206 with Charles, who had a 70.