GOLF ROUNDUP : Gallagher Smashes His Drought

Jim Gallagher Jr. took the long route Sunday to end a frustrating string of second-place finishes.

“Slumps end, I guess. I didn’t think they ever did,” Gallagher said after winning the Anheuser-Busch Classic at Williamsburg, Va., his first PGA Tour victory in nearly three years.

Gallagher used a 311-yard drive to set up an eagle on the par-five 15th hole.

Gallagher, four shots off the pace at the start of the day and playing six groups ahead of the leaders, closed with a six-under-par 65. He finished 72 holes on Kingsmill Golf Club’s 6,797-yard layout at 15-under 269.

Two strokes back was Chip Beck, who shot a 68. It was another shot back to Curtis Strange, Lanny Wadkins and Dave Rummels.

Dillard Pruitt, who began the day with a one-shot lead, bogeyed the last three holes to finish with a 74. He was in a large group at 10-under 274.

The victory was worth $198,000 for Gallagher, whose only other victory was the 1990 Greater Milwaukee Open.

Since then, Gallagher has built a reputation as a frequent contender often relegated to a runner-up role. In all, Gallagher has five second-place finishes. In 1992, he led the tour with three second-place showings, including one in this tournament.

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Nancy Lopez eagled the 18th hole to force a playoff with Deb Richard, then birdied the same hole in the playoff to win the $500,000 Youngstown-Warren LPGA Classic at Warren, Ohio.

Lopez, winning her 47th tournament, closed with a five-under-par 67 to finish at 13-under 203 at Avalon Lakes Golf Course. The victory was worth $75,000.

Lopez needed a 25-foot putt from the fringe for eagle to pull even with Richard, who took the lead with a birdie at the 13th hole and parred in from there. She matched Lopez’s 67.

Missing the playoff by a stroke were Pat Bradley, Hollis Stacy and career non-winners Missie McGeorge and Deborah McHaffie.

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Rick Rhoden shot a two-under-par 70 and beat Johnny Bench by four strokes in the $400,000 Isuzu Celebrity Championship at Stateline, Nev.