Golf Roundup : Sheehan Defeats Okamoto in a Playoff

Patty Sheehan made a short par-putt on the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat Ayako Okamoto, who bogeyed, and win the LGPA’s Rochester International at Pittsford, N.Y.

It was the first victory of the year for Sheehan, who shot a one-under par 71 and finished with a four-day total of 10-under 278.

Okamoto could have won the $300,000 tournament on the final hole of regulation, but she missed a six-foot birdie putt. In the playoff on the par-four No. 18, she missed a 12-foot putt for par after her second shot ended up in front of the green on the right side.

Sheehan, who won $45,000, took the lead Saturday with a double-eagle on her next-to-the last hole, got into the playoff with an eagle on the same hole Sunday.

Tom Byrum won his first title in four years on the PGA Tour, shooting a three-under-par 68 to win the $900,000 Kemper Open at Potomac, Md. by five strokes with a tournament record 268 total.

Byrum, who won $162,000, entered the final round with a two-stroke lead over Tommy Armour III, pulled away with three consecutive birdies on the fourth, fifth and sixth holes. Byrum clinched the victory with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-four 16th hole. That gave him a four-shot lead, and he ended the day with a pars on 17 and 18 to finish at 16-under.

Armour, Jim Thorpe and Billy Ray Brown finished in a tie for second. Thorpe shot a 67 to earn $67,200, his biggest paycheck since 1986. Armour had pars on the final 12 holes for a 71 and Brown shot a 67 after making birdies on the opening three holes.

Byrum, who missed the cut in nine of his 16 previous tournaments this year, bettered the Kemper record of 270 by Bob Menne in 1974 and Tom Kite two years ago.

Homero Blancas won his first tournament since 1973, making five birdies to beat Bob Charles and Walter Zembriskie by two strokes at the PGA Seniors $300,000 Doug Sanders tournament at Houston.

Blancas, in his second year on the Seniors Tour, made three birdies on the back nine to offset three bogeys on the front nine and finish at two-under-par 70. He won $45,000, raising his 1989 earnings to $56,855.

Nick Faldo, winner of the U.S. Open last April, won the British Masters by completing a record total of 21-under-par 267 to capture the $510,000 event at Wobrun, England, by four strokes.

Faldo, who won the European PGA Championship last week on his home course in Virginia Water, England, had five birdies and no bogeys, shooting a 66 on his final round to win his second consecutive European Tour event.