GOLF ROUNDUP : Hill Reaches the Top in More Ways Than One

Mike Hill doesn’t have to be called Dave Hill’s brother anymore.

He’s the No. 1 golfer in his family.

He’s the No. 1 golfer on the senior tour.

He’s the No. 1 money-winner in all of golf this year.

And it’s all because of the $150,000 he earned for winning the season-ending Champions tournament at Dorado, Puerto Rico, Sunday, to run his season total to $1,065,657.

That’s almost twice the amount--$573,724--he earned during a 16-year career on the regular tour.

That’s even more than the $979,430 Corey Pavin earned as the leading money winner on the PGA Tour, making it the second year in a row a senior golfer has been the sport’s top money winner. Lee Trevino did it last year.

“No. 1,” Hill said after the victory, his fifth of the year which probably clinched the senior player of the year award. “You think the players might vote for me now?”

Hill has come a long way from the days he played the regular tour in the shadow of his older brother, Dave, and worked as a heavy-equipment operator before he became eligible for the over-50 set.

Hill, who won this tournament a year ago but finished second to Trevino on the money list, won this time with a closing 67 and a 202 total, 14-under par on the Dorado Beach resort course.

“Winning the money title was really important to me,” Hill said. “I’d played in 34 tournaments this year to try to give myself a chance to achieve it. On the front nine there it didn’t look like it was going to happen. Then things turned around and I played great on the back.”

After blowing a two-shot lead on the front, Hill was two behind Jim Colbert going to the 13th tee.

Hill made three consecutive birdies, taking sole possession of the lead with a wedge to within four feet on the 15th hole.

Colbert parred and Hill came to the 18th with a one-shot lead. Hill capped it with a 134-yard, nine-iron shot that nestled about eight inches from the cup.

“No question about it,” Hill said. “This is, by far, the biggest thing that has happened to me in golf.”

Colbert agreed.

“It’s been a dream season for Mike,” said Colbert, who finished second in the tournament with a 66 and a 204 total. “Who would have thought Mike would have the opportunity to do something like this when he came on the senior tour. I knew I couldn’t win the money-title, so I was just trying to win the tournament.”

Bob Charles had a closing 68 and was third at 205. George Archer, who led the money list coming into this event, didn’t really get untracked over the final 18 holes. He shot 70 and tied for fourth with Al Geiberger at 208.

Archer finished second on the season’s money list at $963,455 and Colbert, a rookie on the over-50 circuit, was third at $880,749.

Defending champion Betsy King defeated Dawn Coe, 2 and 1, in quarterfinal action at the rain-delayed LPGA World Match Play Championship at Princeville, Hawaii.

King fell one hole behind when Coe birdied the par-five, 495-yard third hole, but drew even with a birdie on the par-four, 390-yard seventh at the Princeville Resort’s Makai Course.

King claimed the next two holes with birdies and took the 13th with par before losing the 16th with a bogey. She halved the 17th to close out the match.

In other matches, Deb Richard defeated Kristi Albers, 3 and 2, Michelle Estill beat Tina Barrett, 4 and 3, and Chris Tschetter defeated Martha Nause, 1-up.

The day’s play began with Nause defeating Vicki Fergon, 1-up, to complete their second-round match that was suspended after 17 holes Friday because of rain.

Saturday’s play was postponed because of heavy rains that caused flash-flooding on Kauai, killing four people and causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

King faces Tschetter in today’s semifinals. Richard plays Estill.

Hiroshi Makino of Japan shot a 70 for an eight-under-par 276 total and a one-stroke victory in the Daikyo Open, Japan’s final professional tournament of the season at Onnason, Japan.

Joe Ozaki, who won the Golf Nippon Series last week, was tied for 49th, but finished the Japan PGA Tour as the leading money winner with $926,400.