Pate Avoids Lost Cause, Wins in Wind
Steve Pate needed only a final round of 75 Sunday to win the Honda Classic at Coral Springs, Fla., by three strokes in winds that gusted to 35 m.p.h.
Pate’s three-over-par final round was the highest by a winner on the PGA Tour since Larry Nelson had the same last-round total in winning the Greensboro Open 10 years ago.
Pate came within 15 seconds of suffering a lost ball in high rough near the 18th green in full view of the national television audience as a crew of more than a dozen combed a small area.
“Every weird thought in the world went through my mind,” said Pate, who won for the first time in three years.
Pate won with a 279 total, the highest winning total of the year by three strokes. Paul Azinger (72) and Dan Halldorson (70) tied for second at 282.
How windy was it? Curtis Strange shot an 86.
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