Golf Roundup : Geiberger Shoots a 67 and Collects $135,000

Al Geiberger, the newest rookie on the PGA Seniors Tour, fired a three-under-par 67 Sunday to win the $1 million Vantage Championship at Clemmons, N.C.

Geiberger, who finished two shots ahead of Dave Hill, scored his first victory since joining the tour a month ago. He won $135,000, or almost three times more than his previous biggest paycheck of $54,000 for winning the 1979 Colonial Invitational. Hill, whose five-under-par 65 was the tournament’s low round, won $81,000.

Second-round leader Gene Littler struggled to a two-over 72 and finished third, three shots back. He won $67,300.

The Vantage, in its first year, offered the most lucrative purse ever on the senior tour. No player on the senior tour ever had won more than $100,000 in one event.

“I felt a certain amount of confidence today,” said Geiberger, who turned 50 on Sept 1. “Even though I was a little bit nervous, I think it was the right nervous level.”

Ken Brown of Britain shot a methodical two-under-par 68 to score a seven-stroke victory in the $400,000 Southern Open at Columbus, Ga.

Brown’s victory margin equaled the largest on the tour this year. Robert Wrenn won the Buick Open and Tom Kite the Kemper Open by seven shots.

Brown, 30, a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team that defeated the United States last week, held a five-stroke lead entering the last round and never faltered in gaining the first-place prize of $72,000.

Brown, in his fourth year on tour, finished the 72 holes at 14-under-par 266 over the par-70, 6,791-yard Green Island Country Club course.

Masters champion Larry Mize, the crowd favorite who lives across from the course, made a late charge but bogeyed two of his last four holes for a 68 and wound up in a three-way tie at 273 for second with Mike Hulbert and first-round leader David Frost.

American Curtis Strange posted a course-record 62 in the consolation match, and England defeated host Scotland to win the $1 million Dunhill Cup team golf tournament at St. Andrew’s, Scotland.

Strange’s brilliant round came in his match against Australian Greg Norman as the United States won the battle for third place, 2-1. Norman shot a 70, eight shots behind Strange.

In the final, England’s Gordon Brand fired 64 to beat Sam Torrance by five strokes, and countryman Nick Faldo shot a 66 to beat Sandy Lyle by three.

In the other match, Scotland’s Gordon Brand Jr., no relation to England’s Brand, fired a 68 to beat Howard Clark by five shots.