Golf Roundup : Sindelar Sticks Around to Win International

Joey Sindelar figured he’d be long gone by the time the International tournament was decided.

Instead, Sindelar was there at the finish Sunday to collect the $180,000 first prize when he scored a record 17 points under the unique scoring system to win the tournament at Castle Rock, Colo.

“I’ve never been one to give up,” Sindelar said. “But this just reinforces it.”

A day earlier, however, Sindelar was ready to throw in the towel. He had only three points for the day and needed seven to make the cut. So, during a rain delay, he went to a telephone and made plane reservations for Saturday night.

When the rain subsided, Sindelar made birdies on the last two holes to get himself into the final round.

“I wasn’t too happy,” Sindelar said of his frame of mind Saturday. “I came into the clubhouse during the delay and made my plane reservation because if I had missed the cut I wanted to get out of town in a hurry.

“None of this would have been possible without those birdies.”

Scoring was based on five points for eagle, two for birdie, none for par, minus one for bogey and minus three for double bogey or higher.

Fast starts by Dan Pohl and Steve Pate in the final round put Sindelar in a catch-up position.

But Sindelar posted nine birdies in his round, tying a course record. His ninth birdie came on the 17th hole as play was suspended because of a thunderstorm.

Sindelar made a 20-foot putt before dashing for shelter. He waited out a 45-minute delay before finishing with a one-putt par on 18 for a round of 64, shooting 31 on the back nine.

His point total broke the record of 14 set by Billy Pierot in 1986 and twice matched by Bruce Lietzke.

Pohl and Pate tied for second with 13 points each.

Pohl had the lead with 16 points when he stepped to the 18th tee. The wind kicked up in advance of the thunderstorm and Pohl hit his drive into a bush and took a double bogey to lose three points.

Mark Wiebe was next at 12 points, and Chip Beck had 11.

Juli Inkster shot a 6-under-par 65 and beat Beth Daniel in a playoff to win the $225,000 Atlantic City tournament at Somers Point, N.J., for the second time in the tournament’s three-year history.

Inkster and Daniel, who led the tournament after the first two rounds, were tied at 7-under par 206 at the end of 54 holes.

Inkster, who began the final round seven strokes off the pace, parred the first playoff hole, No. 18, with a two-foot putt to take home the $33,750 first prize.

Daniel, who finished with a 72, bogeyed the extra hole and made $20,812 for second place.

Debbie Massey (72), Martha Nause (73), Rosie Jones (70) and 1987 champion Betsy King (71) tied for third place at 202.

Orville Moody, despite three bogeys on the final five holes, shot a 1-under-par 70 to win the $250,000 Greater Grand Rapids Senior PGA Open by one stroke over Gary Player, Chick Evans and Chi Chi Rodriguez at Grand Rapdis, Mich.

Moody finished at 10-under-par 203 to get his fourth victory this season and his ninth since joining the PGA Senior Tour in 1984.

Moody’s $37,500 prize raised his season total to $355,182. He trails money leader Bob Charles, who did not play in Grand Rapids, by $2,576.

Player finished with a 66, Chick Evans had a 67 and Chi Chi Rodriguez shot 70.

Harold Henning, who started the day even with Rodriguez and one shot behind Moody, missed short birdie putts on the first three holes and slipped to 71 for 205. He shared fifth place with Bruce Devlin (67), J.C. Goosie (68), Dave Hill (64) and Jim Hatfield (67).