Golf Roundup : Magee Has Some Fun, Wins Some Money in First Victory

Andrew Magee was having too good a time to get nervous while going for his first PGA victory.

Magee shot a 6-under-par 66 Sunday to win the $400,000 Pensacola Open by 1 stroke over Bruce Lietzke, Tom Byrum and Ken Green at Gulf Breeze, Fla.

“I was having a good time, laughing and whistling and listening to my favorite Elvis tunes,” Magee said. “I was having a blast. I didn’t think about winning.”

Magee, 26, made $72,000 to bring his 1988 earnings to $240,354. His previous best finish was a tie for third this year at the Bay Hill tournament.

Magee, from Scottsdale, Ariz., finished with a 17-under-par 271. He had 8 birdies to more than offset his 2 bogies on the final round.

Magee finished the third round tied for second with Green, Lietzke and Ray Stewart, 4 strokes behind Byrum, who shot a 71 Sunday.

Magee credited Byrum with indirectly helping him improve his putting in the last 2 rounds. He said he read a newspaper article in which Byrum said he putted well in his round of 64 Friday because he squared his stance.

“So I went and squared my stance up Saturday and Sunday and I putted super,” Magee said.

Green, playing just ahead of Magee, had a chance to force a playoff but 3-putted the par-4 18th for a bogey and a 67. Byrum needed a birdie on the final hole to tie Magee but settled for par after missing a 25-foot putt.

Greg Norman shot a 2-over-par 73 to win the $160,000 New South Wales Open by 1 shot over Craig Parry and record his first victory since the Italian Open last May.

Norman carded a 72-hole total of 7-under-par 277 and had a 5-shot lead at one point in the final round.