Player’s Only Real Problem Is Staying Dry : Senior golf: He overcomes rain and a shot into the water to win as Nicklaus and Trevino fail to make a move.

Gary Player was his own worst enemy Sunday en route to earning a two-stroke victory in the 51st PGA Seniors Championship.

He three-putted from two feet at the second hole and, after a two-hour rain delay, hit his second shot into the water at the 16th for double bogey.

Otherwise, Player might have coasted to victory in the $450,000 tournament at PGA National Golf Club. As it was, he finished with one-over-par 73 on the 6,630-yard Champion course for a 281 total.

“I’m very pleased to win this for the third time,” Player said at a quick awards ceremony in the pressroom. “With Lee and Jack in the field, it means so much more.”

With a flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York waiting in order to make his connection back to Johannesburg, South Africa, Player literally ran from the pressroom.

“I’m going home to see my family,” he said. “If I miss this flight, it will take me two extra days. I’ll only be home for 20 days as it is. I hope you will excuse me.”

In second at 283 was former champion Chi Chi Rodriguez, who had the day’s low score, a 66. He started the final round trailing Player by nine strokes.

Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus, who were expected to make a run at Player, never got close. Playing in the final threesome with Player, Nicklaus shot a 71 and Trevino had a 72. They tied for third at 285.

“Neither Lee nor I could ever got anything going,” Nicklaus said. “The strength of my game this week was making the six and seven-foot putts, but today nothing happened.

“Gary played a good, solid round of golf. I would have had to have 68 to catch him, and I could have if I’d made any putts.”

Nicklaus had 68 and 67 in the first and third rounds here.

It was the first start in the PGA Seniors for both Trevino, who won three of his first four starts on the PGA Senior Tour this year, and Nicklaus, who won his first outing on the tour two weeks ago.

Trevino carelessly whiffed a tap-in birdie putt at the par-five sixth hole moments after making bogey at the short fifth, hitting his tee shot into the water.

Nicklaus had only one birdie all day, from two feet at the par-four 14th hole, where he hit the ball out of bounds en route to 78 in the second round.

Player was cruising at nine-under-par and with a four-stroke lead over Rodriguez when the first interruption of play came at 5:03 p.m.

Trevino hit his tee shot onto the green at the short but dangerous par-three 15th hole, but before Nicklaus could hit, lightning was spotted in the distance.

As is a golfer’s right when lightning is seen, Nicklaus refused to play and headed for shelter. Player had no choice but to follow as he was the third to hit from the tee.

Thirty-seven minutes later, they were able to complete the hole before rain and more lightning began pelting the course. This time, the delay was for one hour 21 minutes.

Upon returning to the course, at the 16th tee, Player hit his drive left of a cartpath and was unable to clear a lake with a metal-headed fairway wood. He took double bogey, but parred the last two holes as darkness began to create more problems.

Player’s seven-under-par total equaled the scoring record for the PGA Seniors since it’s been staged at PGA National, beginning in 1982. Previous winners at 281 were Player in 1986 and Larry Mowry last year.

It was Player’s third victory in this event in five years, the others coming in ’86 and ’88. He was eighth in both 1987, when Rodriguez won, and last year.

Only Sam Snead has won the PGA Seniors more often, six times between 1964 and 1973, long before there was a Senior PGA Tour.

The victory was worth $75,000, raising his senior earnings for 1990 to $174,486.

Frank Beard of Palm Desert was low among the three Southern California survivors of the 36-hole cut Friday. He closed with 77 for 298. Jerry Barber of Los Angeles made 78-301 and Harlan Stevenson of Bonsall was at 78-314.