GOLF ROUNDUP : Weiskopf Relishes Beating Nicklaus

This time, Tom Weiskopf got to soak up the applause on the 18th hole while Jack Nicklaus played the role of gracious runner-up.

Weiskopf, a perennial runner-up during his heyday on the PGA Tour, played 22 holes with only one bogey Sunday to win the U.S. Senior Open at Bethesda, Md.

His first shot of the day was an eight-foot par putt on the 15th green, where he was when play was called because of darkness following a rain delay on Saturday.

He missed the putt for his lone bogey of the day, but it was smooth sailing from there on, as Weiskopf pulled away from Isao Aoki and withstood a charge by Nicklaus, whose five-under-par 67 included the 17th hole-in-one of his professional career.

Nicklaus also had five birdies, but he started the round five shots back. His late surge left him in second place, four strokes behind.

It was the second major championship for Weiskopf, who won the 1973 British Open. But he finished second in the Masters four times and was runner-up in the 1976 U.S. Open. He also took second behind Nicklaus in the 1993 Senior Open.

“This is almost as good as the British Open,” Weiskopf said. “I’m extremely excited. The goal I’ve always had is to be a part of the USGA and have my name on one of their trophies.”

After his par putt on the final hole, Weiskopf doffed his cap to the gallery and accepted congratulations from Nicklaus.

“I’m very pleased for Tom,” Nicklaus said. “Tom has had a hard time finishing golf tournaments, trouble winning when he’s played very, very well.”

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Jim Gallagher recovered from a sand trap on the last hole and made a 12-foot par putt to avoid a three-way playoff and win the FedEx-St. Jude Classic at Memphis, Tenn.

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Michelle McGann sank a three-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to beat Katie Peterson-Parker and win the $550,000 Youngstown-Warren LPGA Classic at Warren, Ohio.

Peterson-Parker had a two-shot lead going into the final hole of regulation play but sailed a chip shot 40 feet past the cup and took a bogey, while McGann birdied the hole to force the playoff.