Tinkering Gives Win to Gilbert

After 33 years as a professional, in his seventh year as a PGA Senior Tour player, Gibby Gilbert is still tinkering with his swing, still spending the off season working on little things that might help him make a buck.

“I’m not out here necessarily to win tournaments, but to win money,” Gilbert said. “I want to finish as far up as I can.”

He earned $127,500 Sunday and won the Royal Caribbean Classic, the first full-field tournament of the senior season, at the Crandon Park Golf Course at Key Biscayne, Fla.

It was a lot more than he anticipated.

“I came here hoping to play well, but I didn’t expect to play well,” Gilbert said. “I had to do a lot of thinking out there, and I didn’t think it would be possible to play this well when you’re thinking about so many things.”

Gilbert took a one-shot lead into the final round, squandered it with a bogey on the first hole and then pulled away over the back nine to finish with a five-under-par 66 for the day and 11-under 202 for the tournament, four shots better than David Graham and five better than John Schroeder and Isao Aoki.

It was Gilbert’s sixth victory on the senior tour and brought his lifetime senior earnings to $2.96 million.

Dave Eichelberger, who moved into a tie for the lead when Gilbert bogeyed No. 1 and led by a shot through eight holes, struggled over the back nine and finished tied for 13th after a 73 that included a double-bogey on No. 18.

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Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin blasted from a bunker and made his putt to birdie the final hole and beat Fred Couples by one shot in the Heineken Classic in Perth, Australia.

Martin had a 72-hole total of 273, 15 under par over The Vines resort course after a final-round 71.

His only previous victory in 15 years as a pro was at the 1992 French Open.

Couples, who closed with a 67, was two shots ahead with two holes to play, but bogeyed the 17th after his second shot went astray. He parred No. 18 and was disappointed by his lack of killer instinct.

“When you get a lead, you should bury them,” he said. “The reality is, I don’t make many mistakes and I don’t make many putts. I have to be more aggressive and make more four- and five-footers.”

Frenchmen Jean van de Velde (68) and Marc Farry (68) and New Zealander Frank Nobilo (70) tied for third at 275.

John Daly finished last after a final round 76 left him 14 over at 302. He took only 130 minutes to play his final 18 holes.

Daly hit his driver “everywhere I could except the par threes” and played the first 12 holes in one under par before bogeying the 13th, 14th and 17th and closing with a double-bogey seven.