Golf Roundup : Another Miracle Shot Can’t Stop Norman From Winning This Time

Just when Greg Norman was coasting, he had another scare.

Norman, deprived of victory by miracle shots in several major tournaments, birdied the 17th hole Sunday to win the International tournament at Castle Rock, Colo.

Norman finished the tournament with 13 points under the modified Stableford scoring system used for this event, beating Clarence Rose by two points.

However, it was Chip Beck who threw fear into Norman with a 60-foot eagle putt on the 14th hole for five points, drawing him to within two points of the lead.

“It looked like he made it from halfway to Colorado Springs,” Norman said. “I’m thinking, ‘Oh, no, not again.’ ”

But Beck hit two shots into the water on the next hole and dropped back to seven points.

On the 17th, however, he put his second shot 15 feet from the flag and had a chance for another eagle that would have pulled him even. But he left the putt short.

A few minutes later, Norman took things out of doubt when he followed Beck to the 17th and made his decisive birdie.

The victory was Norman’s sixth on the PGA Tour and his first since winning the Heritage in April, 1988. It was worth $180,000 from the total purse of $1 million and lifted his season’s earnings to $531,930.

Norman, who now has won 63 tournaments around the world, extended his string of major tournament near misses this year when he lost to Mark Calcavecchia in the British Open playoff and missed a playoff for the Masters with a bogey on the 72nd hole.

Norman faced another playoff possibility until he birdied the 17th, breaking a tie with Rose, who was looking for his first victory in nine seasons on the PGA Tour.

Playing ahead of Norman, Rose birdied four of the last six holes to get a share of the lead at 11 points, but then could only sit and wait.

Al Geiberger shot his third consecutive 68 to win the $350,000 GTE Northwest tournament at Seattle, his first senior victory in 18 months.

Geiberger’s total of 12-under-par 204 on the 6,501-yard Inglewood Country Club course was three shots better than that of Frank Beard, who also shot a 68.

Orville Moody, the leading money-winner on the senior tour this year, was third at 208 after a 66.

Defending champion Bruce Crampton finished in a tie for fourth at 209 with Harold Henning, Miller Barber and Mike Hill. Crampton, who also won the Northwest Classic in 1986, had a 69. Henning also shot a 69, while first-round leader Barber had a 70 and Hill shot a 71. The victory was Geiberger’s fifth individual title in three years. He teamed with Harold Henning to win the Legends of Golf last April, but hadn’t won on his own in 18 months.

Brian Henninger of Eugene, Ore., set a tournament record in posting a five-stroke victory in the $110,000 Queen Mary Open at Lakewood Country Club.

Henninger fired a four-under-par 68 in the final round to finish at 20-under-par 268, five shots better than the tournament record in the 18-year-old event. He took home $20,000, the largest paycheck of his three-year pro career, with the victory.

Brad Bell of Sacramento finished in second place at 273 after shooting a final-round 66. He beat out Henninger a week earlier to win the California State Open.

Kevin Sutherland of Sacramento was third after a 72.