GOLF / SENIORS AT OJAI : Devlin Gets Soaked to End Drought

It wasn’t weather fit for a frog, let alone the golfers Sunday at the Ojai Valley Inn.

A frog sought shelter in the press tent about the time the final round of the $750,000 FHP Health Care Classic was called off because of heavy rain.

Four hours later, Bruce Devlin braved a downpour to sink a 19-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat Dave Eichelberger and win his first Senior PGA title in his ninth season.

It was an emotional moment for the Australian, who contemplated retiring before getting a tip that straightened out his game early this year. It finally paid off, and his prize of $112,500 was within $20,000 of the most he has won in a year.

At the behest of ESPN and the tournament sponsor, the playoff was held more than four hours after it was decided the final round couldn’t be played.

One PGA official, who did not want to be identified, grumbled, “Right after they called it off, the playoff should have been played. They could have teed off on 16 (a 419-yard par four) and finished it under reasonable conditions.”

With the delay, they had to find two par-threes holes that weren’t under water. With an extra two or more inches of rain falling in the four hours, no fairway was playable.

First, they played No. 11, which was shortened 30 yards to 164. Both two-putted for par.

On 17, shortened to 163 yards, Devlin hit a six-iron into the fringe and Eichelberger hit his seven-iron 30 feet past the pin. After Eichelberger’s putt sailed 10 feet past the cup, Devlin confidently knocked the putt into the cup. It had been 23 years since Devlin, who won eight times on the regular tour, last collected first prize. That time it was $40,000.

“I don’t know what to say,” Devlin said. “I’m speechless. You know it isn’t easy to climb out of a dark hole. After eight PGA wins and 50 or 60 around the world, I didn’t expect it to take so long. Maybe it’s the start of something big.”

The two golfers, who were tied at 10-under-par 130 after 36 holes, agreed to the delay because they felt obligated to TV and the sponsor. But Eichelberger felt it put him at a disadvantage.

“I felt I had an edge on the long par-four,” he said. “But by the time we played, the fairways were rivers. We were fortunate the threes were playable.

“I’m not happy about losing, but if I had to lose, I’m glad Bruce finally won.”

Among those disappointed by the cancellation were Dale Douglass, who finished third at 132, and Dave Stockton, Tom Wargo, Dave Hill and Buddy Allin at 133.

It was the fourth time the Senior PGA Tour had to have a playoff in the rain after the scheduled last round was canceled. All the others were in 1992.

It was the second time in six years at Ojai that rain shortened the tournament to 36 holes. In 1991, the first round was washed out. That enabled Chi Chi Rodriguez, suffering from flu, to make his starting time on Saturday, and he went on to win the tournament with an eight-under 132.