GOLF / SENIORS VINTAGE INVITATIONAL : Southland Remains Land of Plenty for Rodriguez, Who Wins by a Shot

When Chi Chi Rodriguez stepped up to his 15-foot, curving downhill putt on the 18th hole Sunday at the Mountain Course of the Vintage Club, a three-way playoff loomed.

But immediately after hitting the putt, Rodriguez turned away. He knew he had won the $75,000 first prize in the Vintage Arco Invitational.

The putt ended the hopes of Don January and Mike Hill, who had already finished the 54-hole Senior PGA event at 207, nine under par. Rodriguez finished at 10-under 206.

The popular Puerto Rican may want to move to Southern California. Three weeks ago he won at Ojai. The two victories have lifted him to the top of the senior money list with $229,169.

Rodriguez was so confident he would make the winning putt, he told playing partners Terry Dill and Jimmy Powell to go ahead and putt out.

How long was the putt?

“It looked like 60 feet,” he laughed. “It was 15 feet. It broke a foot, six inches left and six inches down.”

Hill and Rodriguez said they were rooting for January, 61, who hasn’t won on the senior tour for more than four years.

Going into the final round, January trailed the three leaders, Rodriguez, Dill and Powell, by three shots. But he chipped in for a birdie on No. 1 and went out in 31, five under par, to take the lead.

But his putting touch deserted him on the back nine and he made all pars. He was in position to seal the title but missed a four-foot putt for birdie on 17 and a nine-footer on 18.

“If I make the putt on 17, I know I would have birdied 18,” he said.

For the second year in a row the Monster, as the pros call No. 16, a 406-yard par-four over water, did in Mike Hill.

Hill, who has two second-place and two third-place finishes this year, said he would win the Vintage when he plays 16 in par all three rounds.

He pulled his drive on the hole away from the water into rocks on the left. The ball bounced out into the fairway. His second shot went into a deep grass bunker. He chipped to within four feet, but missed the putt.

“When I pulled the putt,” Hill said, “it beat me. If I make that, I wouldn’t have been so excited on the par-three 17th. But I pulled that shot and bogeyed again.”

January, at nine under after his sensational front nine, stayed in front until Hill, his playing partner, caught him with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 412-yard 12th. January fell behind when, Hill birdied from two feet after a tremendous drive and nine iron on the 440-yard 14th.

The pressure told earlier on the other two second-round leaders. Dill, a nonwinner on the tour, pulled his second shot out of bounds on the long par-five sixth hole while going for an eagle. Powell simply couldn’t get the putts to drop.

Rodriguez said he thought that when Hill took the lead on the 14th, it was all over.

“You never expect Mike to make bogeys when he goes out in front,” Rodriguez said. “But I was lucky. I was also patient. After I birdied the fourth hole, I made 10 consecutive pars.

“Pars are boring. They can cause you to lose interest. But I remained patient. When I made that 10-footer on 15 to go nine under, I felt good.

“But I wanted Don to win it. He is such a wonderful man and a gentleman. It would have been something to have the first super senior (older than 60) win a tournament.

“My goal is to finish No. 1 on the money list. I know that’s a tall order. I don’t have to worry about Jack (Nicklaus), because he won’t play enough tournaments. But beating Lee (Trevino) will be tough.

“I’ll tell you, though, there is a lot of competition out here. I have to win now, because soon we’ll have Raymond Floyd, Dave Stockton and Tom Weiskopf out here. Then, it will really be tough.”

Powell, who led the first round with a 66, and Dill had 72s and finished at 209. They were joined at seven under by Bobby Nichols, Bob Charles and Gibby Gilbert. There were times during the final round when all threatened to make a run at the top.

Defending champion Trevino never made a move and finished at 212, tied for 12th place.