Golf Roundup : Dave Hill Shoots 68 to Win at Rancho Murieta

Dave Hill took advantage of Orville Moody’s bogey on the 16th hole to win the $350,000 Senior Gold Rush Sunday at Rancho Murieta.

Hill shot a final-round four-under-par 68 to get his seventh PGA Senior Tour title. His nine-under-par total of 207 gave him his second tournament win this year.

“I hit the ball awfully solid today,” said Hill, who was helped by a golf tip from fellow Senior Tour pro Phil Rodgers after his two-under-par 70 on Saturday.

Hill said Rodgers’ advice especially helped him off the tee.

“But I putted well all week,” he said. “I putted better than I have in 15 years.”

Hill scored birdies on the first two holes and finished with four birdies. He also knocked in an eight-foot eagle putt on the 490-yard, par-5 11th hole. Hill produced pars on the last six holes.

Moody, who missed a 12-inch putt on the 180-yard 16th hole, also had a 68 but finished one stroke back at 208.

“I played well all day,” said Moody, who strung together five birdies beginning at No. 8 to charge into the lead at No. 12, one stroke ahead of Hill.

“I didn’t repair a ball mark well enough on the 16th hole and the putt turned straight left and did not even touch the hole. From a foot away, that is pretty hard to do.”

Don Bies finished with the day’s best score, 65, breaking by one the course record held by Peter Thomson, Harold Henning and Butch Baird. Bies finished third at 209.

Dottie Pepper Mochrie shot an even-par 72 for a three-shot victory in the Karuizawa 72 Tokyu Ladies Open at Karuizawa, Japan.

Mochrie, who started the final round one shot behind Japan’s Atsuko Hikage, had two birdies and two bogeys over the 6,406-yard, par-72 Iriyama course. She finished with a 54-hole score of 211 and earned $45,000.

Miki Oda fired the day’s best score, a 69, and tied for second at 214 with Britain’s Laura Davies, the first-round leader, who had a 71.

Aiko Takasu shot a 70 and was next at 215. Hikage shot a 78 for a 216 and finished fifth.

Amateur Michiko Hattori, a student at the University of Texas, shot a 71 for 217 and tied for sixth with veteran Michiko Okada, who had a 73.

Defending champion Tammie Green shot a 74 and was among five players tied at 222.

Gordon Brand Jr. of Scotland sank an 18-foot eagle putt on the final hole at York, England, to win a $480,000 PGA European tournament by one stroke over Derrick Cooper and clinch a spot on the European team for the Ryder Cup.

Brand’s round of eight-under-par 64, matching his first-round score at the Fulford Golf Club course, gave him a total of 16-under 272 and the $80,000 first prize.