GOLF ROUNDUP : Andrade Wins by Two for Two in a Row

While golf’s international stars faded and failed in the stretch run Sunday, Billy Andrade seized command and went on to his second consecutive PGA Tour victory.

“Just like last week, coming down the stretch, I felt like I was in control,” Andrade said after his two-stroke victory in the Buick Classic at Harrison, N.Y.

He established that control with a one-under 34 over the difficult back nine at the Westchester Country Club, shot 68 for the day and had an 11-under-par 273 total.

“I was just feeding on last week,” said Andrade, 27, who scored his first victory in a playoff at the Kemper Open a week ago.

He also had a little inadvertent help from Hale Irwin, Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman.

The 46-year-old Irwin, the defending champion here as well as in this week’s U.S. Open, and Ballesteros, the Spanish star who had won three of four starts in Europe coming into this event, each led or shared the lead on the back nine.

Norman, attempting a comeback from what he called “a case of burnout,” was within two strokes of the lead with eight holes to go.

Each of those three played the back side two over and took themselves out of it.

“One of those days,” Ballesteros said after he landed in the sand on three consecutive holes and made bogey on two of them.

Irwin’s shaky finish left him with a two-over 73 in his last competitive round before the U.S. Open.

Brad Bryant, who has not won in a 14-season career and missed the cut in 10 of 13 previous starts this year, came on to salvage second with a round of 71 and a 275 total.

Nolan Henke, who had a share of the lead until a double bogey on the 15th hole, shot a 70 and tied Irwin for third at 276.

Ballesteros, with a 71, was tied at 277 with Wayne Levi and Larry Rinker. Levi closed with a 67 and Rinker had a 71.

Norman also had a 71 and was finished at 279.

Jim Albus, a club pro from Long Island, shot a closing-round 70 for a nine-under total of 279 on to win the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich., by three strokes over Dave Hill, Charles Coody and Bob Charles.

Albus, pro at the exclusive Piping Rock Country Club at Locust Valley, N.Y., has played in very few events on either the regular or senior PGA tours. He had never met Lee Trevino until they were paired in the final round.

Albus, the first-round leader, started the final round at seven under, three behind Trevino. He was still at seven under at the turn after an up-and-down front nine. Three birdies on the back nine won it for him while Trevino and Hill were stung with triple-bogeys on the homeward holes.

The winner pocketed $150,000 of the $1-million purse.

Trevino, knowing he had to make a move, tried to reach the par-five 17th in two, but hit his second shot in the water. His fourth shot went from a bunker back into the water and he finished with an eight.

Defending champion Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course, closed with a 73 and was at 289.

Jane Geddes delayed Amy Alcott’s entry in the LPGA Hall of Fame with great saves on the final two holes to win the Atlantic City Classic at Somers Point, N.J., by one shot.

Geddes, who started the day two shots behind Alcott, had a final-round 69 and finished at five-under-par 208 in the 54-hole event at the Greate Bay Country Club. The victory was the ninth of her career and it earned her $45,000, pushing her winnings this year to $192,301, fifth best on the tour.

Alcott had a 72 to finish at 209, along with Cindy Schreyer, who was seeking her first victory. Each earned $24,000.

Alcott, who has 29 victories, needs one more to become the 12th player to meet the Hall of Fame standards.