GOLF ROUNDUP : Trevino Finally Beats 67-Year-Old in Playoff

Lee Trevino won the golf tournament, but all he could talk about was the opponent he couldn’t put away until the fifth playoff hole--67-year-old Mike Fetchick.

Trevino birdied the fifth extra hole to win a $350,000 tournament Sunday at Scarborough, N.Y., in a four-way playoff, thwarting Fetchick’s attempt to add four years to his record for oldest winner of a Senior PGA Tour event.

“It astounded me how he can drive the ball,” Trevino said. “He had a great comeback.”

The victory was Trevino’s fifth this year and, with the $52,500 winner’s share, increased his tour-leading earnings to $392,633. In 10 starts in his rookie season on the senior tour, Trevino has finished out of the top seven just once.

Fetchick’s only victory as a senior was in the Hilton Head Seniors International in 1985 on his 63rd birthday.

“I’m disappointed I lost but happy I had the finish I did,” Fetchick said. “I’ve been using the fitness trailer. I want to play until I’m 110.”

Trevino and Fetchick left the other two members of their foursome--Chi Chi Rodriguez and Jimmy Powell--on the first playoff hole when each birdied the 419-yard, par-four No. 1 hole at Sleepy Hollow Country Club.

Alternating between the first and 18th holes in the playoff, the two golfers matched pars until they returned to No. 1 a third time.

Fetchick, who won just three times on the regular PGA tour to 27 times for Trevino, was on in two shots and slid a 13-foot birdie attempt six inches past the hole, missing the hole by a quarter of an inch. Trevino sank a six-footer to win the longest playoff in senior tour history.

“The key in a playoff was his drives,” Trevino said of Fetchick. “I stayed inside Mike on every putt. I did that on all five holes.”

Fetchick began the day in a four-way tie for eighth place, four shots behind two-time defending champion Bob Charles, but fought his way into the playoff with a 64 that gave him an 11-under-par 199 for three rounds. Rodriguez and Powell each shot 66, and Trevino had a 67.

Gary Player bogeyed the par-four 18th hole for a 66 and finished at 200, one stroke out of the playoff. Charles double-bogeyed the 156-yard 16th hole and wound up with a 70 to finish at 201, tied with George Archer, who shot a 66.

Gil Morgan, withstanding the wind gusts that helped blow away third-round leader Steve Jones, shot a two-under-par 69 to win the $1-million Kemper Open by a shot over Ian Baker-Finch at Potomac, Md.

Playing in wind swirling to 20 m.p.h., Morgan had six birdies and four bogies in an erratic round that gave him a 10-under-par 274 total and his first tournament victory since 1983.

Jones, who began the round with a three-stroke lead, opened with a birdie and three pars. But a bogey on the 359-yard, par-four fifth hole started his slide. He had five bogeys and a double bogey over the next eight holes, limping in with a 78 that left him at 280.

Morgan’s seventh victory in 18 pro seasons was worth $180,000 and pushed him past the $3 million mark in career earnings. Morgan, whose game has finally rounded into shape after a four-year comeback from rotator cuff surgery, has won a career-high $498,682 this season. His previous best was $306,133 in 1983.

Hale Irwin (69) and Scott Hoch (71) finished two strokes back and Denis Watson (68) and Tom Kite (70) followed at 277.

Cathy Gerring shot a one-under-par 71 to win a $300,000 tournament by one stroke at Hershey, Pa., for her first victory in six years on the LPGA tour.

Gerring started the day with a two-stroke lead and survived a charge by leading money winner Pat Bradley, who birdied four of the last six holes for a 68, tying Elaine Crosby for second.

Crosby, who started two strokes back, shot a final-round 70, missing a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 that would have tied Gerring.

Gerring earned a $45,000 check with a 54-hole total of eight-under-par 208 on the 6,348-yard, par-72 West Course of the Hershey Country Club.

Kathy Postlewait shot a 69 and Barb Mucha a 70 to tie for fourth at 210, while Jill Briles and Kate Rogerson each shot 68 to finish three back.

Mark James of England shot a five-under-par 67 to win the British Masters at Woburn, England, and give himself a timely boost for his upcoming U.S. Open debut.

Tied for the lead after the third round with Brett Ogle of Australia and David Feherty of Northern Ireland, James broke away to win by two strokes over Feherty, who had a 69.

Defending champion Nick Faldo of England shot his second 73 of the tournament to finish one over par and tied for 54th place.