Golf Roundup : Former Steelworker Forges Lucrative Victory

Walt Zembriski, a one-time steelworker who found prosperity among golf’s senior citizens, scored a 3-stroke victory in the $1 million Vantage Championship Sunday, the richest event on the Seniors PGA Tour.

Zembriski, 53, who was a steelworker in New Jersey for 10 years, compiled a final-round par 70 and was the only player able to break par for four rounds over the long, difficult Vantage course at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C.

His 278 total, 2 under par, was worth $135,000 and lifted Zembriski’s earnings to $327,948.

It was his second victory of the season and second of his Seniors Tour career, which started in 1985 when he went through local qualifying tournaments to gain entry to Tour events.

Zembriski, who won more than $100,000 in each of the past two seasons, scored his first victory at Newport, R.I., this year and had a chance at the Seniors Open until he hit a couple of shots into the water in the third round.

But he left the mistakes to others Sunday.

Dick Rhyan, also 53 and a late-starting rookie among the Seniors, was challenging, but bogeyed the 16th from a bunker, staking Zembriski to a 3-shot lead with 2 holes to play.

A bogey on the final hole dropped Rhyan back into a three-way tie for second with Al Geiberger and Dave Hill at 281.

Lou Graham, who led or shared the lead through the first three rounds, shot 79 to finish at 286.

Tom Purtzer parred the first hole of a bizarre sudden-death playoff with Mark Brooks to win the $400,000 Gatlin Brothers Southwest golf tournament at Abilene, Tex.

Brooks, 27, who forced the playoff with a dramatic eagle on the 72nd hole, 3-putted for a bogey on the playoff par-4 15th hole. Purtzer two-putted for his winning par.

Purtzer, 36, winning his third PGA title since joining the tour in 1975, came from 3 shots back with an 8-under-par 64 on the last round to post a 72-hole total of 269.

His total was 19-under par on the 7,166-yard, par-72 Fairway Oaks course and propelled him to what appeared to be certain victory.

But Brooks, the leader through three rounds rolled in a 55-foot putt for an eagle to force the playoff.

Then at the playoff hole, Brooks’ first putt from 45 feet scooted 5 feet past the cup and he missed it coming back.

The victory, Purtzer’s first since the 1984 Phoenix Open, was worth $72,000 and increased his 1988 money winnings to $189,454.

Brooks earned $43,200 for second place, his biggest winnings since a playoff victory at Hartford in July.

Purtzer, who plays out of La Quinta, slashed 5 shots from par for a 31 going out, got it 6 under at the par-5 14th and appeared to win it at the 72nd hole with a 15-foot eagle putt.

Brooks closed with a 67.

Buddy Gardner birdied 4 of the last 5 holes for a 65 and took third place with a 17-under-par 271, two behind the leaders.

This was the last Gatlin-Southwest tournament on the PGA tour. Started in 1981 during an oil boom, the tournament survived 8 years. It finally fell victim to declining oil prices. But it won a loyal following from many of the players and will resurface next fall on the Senior PGA circuit.

The $450,000 World Matchplay Golf Championship final between Scotland’s Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo of England was postponed after rain waterlogged the greens and fairways at Wentworth, England.