Advertisement

GOLF ROUNDUP : One-Stroke Victory Nets Olazabal $360,000

Share
From Associated Press

Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain won the World Series of Golf on Sunday at Akron, Ohio.

Olazabal, who won the Masters in April, joined Nick Price of Zimbabwe as the only multiple winners on the American tour this year with a one-stroke victory over a field of most of the best players in the world.

He won it with a final round 67, including a critical save of par on the final hole, to earn $360,000 from the purse of $2 million and push his earnings to $969,900 in only eight U.S. starts this year.

Olazabal, a runaway record-setting winner of this title in 1990, came from three shots off the pace this time and said it might have been the more pleasing victory.

Advertisement

“Very tough conditions today,” Olazabal said of the showery, windy weather.

This one came on a 269 total, 11-under par.

Scott Hoch, who missed a birdie putt of less than two feet on the 17th hole, birdied the last from about six feet to match par 70 and take second alone at 270. That finish provided him with a place on the United States’ inaugural President’s Cup team that will play an international team next month at Lake Manassas, Va.

*

Tom Weiskopf, who considered withdrawing from the Franklin Quest Championship after the death of friend Bert Yancey, beat Dave Stockton in a playoff to win the event at Park City, Utah.

Weiskopf shot a final-round 69 to overtake Stockton, who finished with a 70, before making a 25-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win his first Senior PGA Tour event.

“It means so much to me to win this trophy for Bert,” Weiskopf said. “Wherever you are, guy, thank you. I love you.”

In dedicating the victory to Yancey, Weiskopf said he would have his friend’s name added to his own when the trophy is engraved.

Weiskopf chased down Stockton with birdies on the last three holes of regulation to finish at 12-under 204.

Advertisement

Weiskopf said he decided to remain in the tournament because Yancey, who died Friday of a heart attack, would have wanted him to try to win the championship.

But those comments varied from statements Weiskopf made Friday after learning of Yancey’s death.

“My golf game is not important right now,” the distraught Weiskopf had said. “I don’t know whether I’m going to play.”

Weiskopf was just as somber on Sunday despite the victory.

“We traveled together for 15 years,” he said of Yancey. “This is going to be difficult for me not having Bert here. I loved him. I won this tournament because of him.

“I didn’t win this thing. Bert made me win this. If you want to talk about destiny, the last three holes would have to be it.”

*

Colin Montgomerie withstood a challenge by home favorite Bernhard Langer and won the German Open at Duesseldorf, Germany.

Advertisement
Advertisement