Zoeller Laughs All the Way to the Bank : Golf: He takes home $205,000 to top Stadler, Jacobsen and Rodriguez in made-for-TV match at Dove Canyon.

It wasn’t always great golf, but everybody seemed to be having a good time. The possible exception was Donny Burke Jr., 2, who ran onto the 18th green during the final moments of the Pro Stakes Golf Championship at Dove Canyon and picked up Chi Chi Rodriguez’s ball.

Rodriguez took the ball back, autographed it and then handed it to the boy. Then he autographed his glove and put it on the boy’s hand. Burke stood frozen, looking as if he was about to cry.

Nobody was crying in the end though--not even Rodriguez, who finished last in medal play and the challenge portion of the $500,000 event. For two days and 18 holes of four-over-par golf, Rodriguez won $65,000.

They played this one mostly for laughs and a lot of money. Low score for the 18 holes was worth $40,000, and the winner of the challenge event got $175,000. And Fuzzy Zoeller had the biggest smile when it was over.

Zoeller finished second in the medal play with an even-par 71 and won the challenge event with 16,650 points. He took home $205,000. Craig Stadler earned $140,000 for winning the medal play at one under par and finishing second in points (9,050). Peter Jacobsen, who shot a 73 and had 3,100 points, won $90,000.

The banter between the golfers in the designed-for-television event continued after the event.

“This is the first time you’ve played on a weekend in a long, long time,” Rodriguez said to Zoeller during a news conference. “When was the last time you made a cut?”

Saturday, the players earned points on the front nine in categories such as longest drive in the fairway, closest to the pin, birdies, pars and a host of others. Going into Sunday’s final nine, during which the players were allowed to bet their points in the same categories, Stadler had the lead with 7,650 points. Zoeller was second with 7,450, Jacobsen third with 7,400 and Rodriguez had 4,500.

Heading to the tee at the 385-yard, par-four 18th, Zoeller led with 10,650 points and Rodriguez, who had the “challenge honors,” trailed with 4,200. Rodriguez challenged the field to a closest-to-the-pin contest for 2,000 points apiece. Had he been closer to the hole then all three, he would have gone from last to first.

But Rodriguez, who hit his approach shot first, went over the green and everyone else hit the green, dropping Rodriguez to minus-1,800 points.

“I’m the only pro golfer to ever finish a tournament and have to give out IOUs,” he said.

Jacobsen then challenged Zoeller, wagering 2,000 points that Zoeller couldn’t make a 15-foot putt. Zoeller rolled it into the heart of the cup, ensuring his victory. Zoeller made the same bet on Jacobsen’s 12-foot putt, which slipped past the right edge of the cup.

“Santa Claus can rest easy now,” Zoeller said of his winnings. “This was really a lot of fun. I got so tied up in the challenge part of it, that I almost forgot the medal play.”

Zoeller, who won consecutive Skins Games, said: “I don’t know what it is about these funny deals, but I seem to be pretty good at them.”

Sunday, the shot-making wasn’t always great, but the shot-taking continued at full volume.

On No. 13, Jacobsen wagered 500 points against the field on closest to the pin. When Jacobsen’s tee shot rolled through the green and a couple of inches onto the fringe, Zoeller said, “I just hate to see that” and burst into laughter.

Rodriguez challenged the field to closest to the pin for 1,000 points on the 202-yard par-three No. 10. Stadler was the only player to hit the green.

Rodriguez got 1,000 points from Jacobsen on No. 12 when he wagered that Jacobsen couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker. Jacobsen had a bad lie near the back of the bunker and very little green to work with. His blast from the sand carried 20 feet past the cup and he missed the putt.

Jacobsen dropped another 1,000 points on the 138-yard, par-three 13th, and Stadler lost 1,000 on No. 14 when he challenged the field to 500 points for closest to the pin. Rodriquez, who birdied the hole, and Zoeller were the only two to hit the green.

Zoeller won 1,000 points on both 16 and 17 closest-to-pin challenges to take a commanding lead into No. 18.

Rodriguez was out of it by the time the foursome reached the 18th green, but he was still in the mood to have some fun with a 2-year-old.

“This is the youngest thief I know,” Rodriguez said, holding the youngster.