Huston, He Has No Problem With a $1.4-Million Season

L.A. Times Archives

Oct. 26, 1998 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

John Huston is no stranger to comebacks.

Beset by nagging injuries and poor play, Huston decided to use a one-time exemption to play the PGA Tour this year and responded with a $1-million season.

“It certainly worked out great,” he said.

On Sunday, it got even better.

With a display of accuracy and timely putting, Huston rallied from four strokes off the lead and closed with a six-under-par 66 to win Disney’s National Car Rental Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Huston, who finished at 16-under 272, became the seventh player to win at least twice on the PGA Tour this year. It was his fifth victory in an 11-year career, three of them coming when he trailed going into the final round.

Huston won $360,000 to put him at $1.4 million, by far his best season in 11 years on tour. He also moved up to 12th in the Presidents Cup standings, giving him a good chance to make the team with a strong showing next week in the Tour Championship.

“It’s definitely been my best year,” Huston said.

Huston hit every green in regulation in the final round and missed only seven all week.

Davis Love III, who finished one stroke back, had a chance to catch Huston with booming drives on the last two holes, but he didn’t give himself a decent birdie try. He closed with a 71.

The final full-field tournament of the year determined the top 125 players on the money list who keep their full-exempt cards for 1999. Larry Rinker, 135th going into the Disney, closed with seven consecutive pars for a 68 that left him in a tie for 12th. He made $42,000 and moved up to 120th. Blaine McCallister shot a 66 in the final round and got the 125th spot on the money list by $4,204 over P.H. Horgan III.

Juli Inkster pulled away from Annika Sorenstam over the final three holes, beating the world’s top player by three strokes in defending her title at the Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf at The Villages, Fla.

Inkster began the final round trailing Sorenstam by one stroke. Playing in a twosome with the Swede, Inkster shot a six-under 66 to finish at 13-under 275.

Her 66 matched the Tierra Del Sol course record that she and Sorenstam set in Saturday’s third round. The victory was Inkster’s first of the year and worth $137,000.

“The key for me was that I didn’t blow any shots, I didn’t give her any shots, I didn’t give her any breaks,” said Inkster, who won this tournament last year when it was played in South Korea. “She’s the best player in the world. It was key for me to go out, play my game and not give in to her.”

Jay Sigel shot a final-round three-under 68 to win the Kaanapali Senior Classic at Kaanapali, Hawaii.

Sigel posted a 12-under 201 total to become the tournament’s first wire-to-wire winner, finishing two strokes in front of fast-closing Hugh Baiocchi and Larry Laoretti. Sigel, who earlier this year won the Bell Atlantic Classic, earned $150,000.

Bob Burns of Granada Hills, Calif., jumped from No. 14 to No. 1 on the 1998 Nike Tour money list by winning the tour’s season-ending championship at Mobile, Ala., while Casey Martin finished 48th and failed to qualify for the PGA Tour.

At season’s end, the Nike Tour’s top 15 players earn their PGA card. Burns won with a five-under total of 283. Martin shot a 316.

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Final Results

Winners on the major tours Sunday (Complete scores and top 30 PGA players who qualify for this week’s Tour Championships, Page 12):

PGA $2-MILLION NATIONAL CAR RENTAL

CLASSIC--Par 72

John Huston: 67-70-69-66--272 -16

Davis Love III: 73-64-65-71--273 -15

Brent Geiberger: 72-70-68-65--275 -13

Tom Purtzer: 69-68-72-67--276 -12

Rocco Mediate: 67-70-71-68--276 -12

Jesper Parnevik: 66-72-69-69--276 -12