Golf Roundup : South Africa’s David Frost Wins Southern Open

South African David Frost, a nine-time runner-up in 4 years on the PGA Tour, earned his first victory Sunday by knocking in a 5-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to capture the $400,000 Southern Open at Columbus, Ga.

Frost, caught Bob Tway with a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation play, then won the tournament when he birdied and Tway 2-putted from 10 feet.

The victory on the par-70, 6,691-yard Green Island Country Club course came on a day in which a light rain fell throughout the round. It was the first in three career playoffs for Frost.

Both he and Tway shot final-round 67s to pass third-round leader Dave Barr and ended regulation play at 10-under-par 280.

Barr, Ken Forsman and George Archer finished in a three-way tie for third place, 1 stroke behind at 271. Barr had a 70, Forsman a 69 and Archer a 65.

Frost said the key was on No. 18, when he gambled on his second shot on the par 5, 585-yard hole and went for the green, landing in the rough about 30 yards from the pin.

“I thought I would take the gamble. I thought it was worth it,” he said.

Frost then chipped to within 6 feet and dropped in the tying birdie.

The victory for Frost, worth $72,000, increased his earnings to $511,320 this year, ninth on the money list.

Bob Charles was declared the winner when steady rains washed out Sunday’s final round of the Senior Challenge tournament at Roswell, Ga.

Charles led through two rounds of the scheduled 54-hole event and won with a 5-under-par total of 139. His $45,000 share of the purse increased his leading money-winning total on the Seniors PGA Tour to $473,404.

It was Charles’ fifth victory of the season and ninth in Seniors’ Tour competition. South Africa’s Harold Henning tied for second with Dick Hendrickson and Bert Yancey at 140. Each won $21,833.

Kathy Baker Guadagnino shot a 5-under-par 67 to beat Cathy Marino by 1 stroke in the $300,000 San Jose Classic.

Guadagnino, whose only previous victory on the LPGA Tour was the 1985 U.S. Open, had 6 birdies against a single bogey to finish the 54-hole tournament at 207 on the 6,370-yard Almaden Golf and Country Club course.

Marino, who was tied with Guadagnino at the start of play, settled for a 68 and second place with 208.