Douglass Outlasts Moody and Player in Seniors Golf

Despite shooting a sluggish 74 in a final round when he “couldn’t hit a lick,” Dale Douglass held off Orville Moody and Gary Player Sunday to win the $300,000 Suncoast Seniors golf tournament by two strokes.

After opening with rounds of 67 and 69, Douglass took a four-shot lead over Bob Brue into the final round over the 6,631-yard layout at Tampa Palms, where water comes into play on 11 of 18 holes. Player faltered down the stretch and Moody simply had too much ground to overcome as Douglass finished at 6-under-par 210 to take the $45,000 top prize.

Winds picked up considerably out of the north in the afternoon as scores leveled off and club selection became increasingly difficult. Temperatures warmed into the 60s for the field of 70 who competed in a new Seniors event.

Moody began the day seven shots behind Douglass but sank six birdies en route to a 67, finishing two strokes behind at 212. Player, who won last week’s PGA Seniors Championship at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., pulled within one shot of the lead through 12 holes. Uncharacteristically, the South African bogeyed three of his last six holes for an even-par 72 that left him three strokes behind at 213.