Golf Roundup : Knox Takes His Eye Off Ball but Still Edges Morgan by One Stroke

Kenny Knox broke one of the cardinal rules of golf, and what’s more, he did it on purpose.

Knox made a five-foot putt for a par on the final hole Sunday--without keeping his eye on the ball--to beat Gil Morgan by one stroke in the $500,000 Hardee’s tournament at Coal Valley, Ill.

“I have a tendency to move when my eyes follow the ball, and I didn’t want to move,” Knox said.

Knox didn’t have to worry because he probably told the ball where to go. He talked to it throughout the round, Morgan said.

“I should have talked to my ball more,” Morgan said.

Knox finished with his third straight four-under-par 66, after an opening round 67, to take home the $90,000 top prize.

Knox had a 72-hole score of 15-under-par 265, one stroke better than the previous tournament record, set in 1980 by Scott Hoch and tied by Danny Edwards and Morris Hitalski in 1983.

“Wow, did I do that?” Knox asked. “I got stuck on a good number.”

Morgan, who began the day with a one-stroke lead, had a 68 to finish at 266.

Mark McCumber took third place at 267 with a final-round 67, and Hoch was another shot back after a 67. Brad Fabel, the tournament leader after 36 holes, was at 269 after a final 69, and first-round leader Dave Rummells had a final round of 69 for a 272.

Defending champion Jane Geddes rolled in a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a one-shot victory in the $300,000 Boston Five tournament at Danvers, Mass., her fifth victory of the year.

Geddes, who will defend her U.S. Women’s Open title next week, fired a bogey-free round of five-under 67 and finished at 277 to edge Donna White, who had a 68, and Jody Rosenthal, who had a 70.

Geddes had a feeling she would play well Sunday.

“I’ve had great Sunday rounds this year, coming from behind each time,” Geddes said. “I started today three shots back and I was thinking, ‘Here we go again.’ ”

With the $45,000 first prize, Geddes became the tour’s leading money winner with $346,947. Betsy King, who tied for fourth with Rosie Jones, two shots back, drops to No. 2 on the earnings list with $328,856.

Geddes, one of the LPGA’s longest hitters, hit her second shot through the green of the 485-yard, par-5 18th. She pitched past the hole before rolling the uphill putt into the center of the cup.

Bruce Crampton equaled a Senior PGA Tour record, shooting a seven-under-par 65 to win the $250,000 Syracuse Senior tournament at Jamesville, N.Y., for the second consecutive year.

Crampton’s 197 total was 19-under-par, matching the mark for a three-round tournament set by Don January’s in the 1984 du Maurier Champions tournament at Vancouver.

“It’s probably my finest three rounds ever,” Crampton said. “Nineteen under is impressive, even if I do say so myself.”

In breaking the Syracuse Senior scoring record by seven strokes, Crampton finished six shots ahead of Chi Chi Rodriguez, who closed with a 68 for a 203. Peter Thomson, who won the tournament in 1985, was third at 205 after a 69.

Thomson closed within three strokes on the front nine, but Crampton had birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes and had an eagle-3 on the 12th hole.

The victory was Crampton’s fourth on the Senior Tour this year and his 11th since joining the tour late in the 1985 season.