Ginn Directs His Way to Senior Players Title

Stewart Ginn might finally be recognized in the United States for his golf more than for his resemblance to Steven Spielberg.

Ginn shot a six-under-par 66 Sunday to win the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich., the fourth and final senior major of the year.

The 53-year-old Australian, who joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1999 after playing professionally all over the world, finished at 14 under to win by one stroke for his first tour victory.

Ginn, whose beard and flowing locks remind many of Spielberg, said he just laughs when people say he looks like the famous movie director.

“If it could help me get reservations or tables or get me into movies looking like him, that’s fine,” he said before rushing to catch a flight to his home in Malaysia. “I kind of find it quite funny.”

Jim Thorpe had the best day with a 65 and closed at 13 under along with Hubert Green and third-round leader Mike McCullough, who began the day one stroke ahead of Green and four ahead of Ginn. Green shot a 70, and McCullough had a 71.

“I knew someone was going to come out of the pack,” Thorpe said. “I just felt like Hubert and Mike had already used up their big round of the weekend.”

Ginn made four consecutive birdies from Nos. 10-13 to take the lead for good at 14 under.

He maintained his lead with a par-saving putt at 16 after his tee shot landed in the left rough and his second in a bunker. He birdied 17 to take a two-shot lead over Green, McCullough and Thorpe.

“When I holed it at No. 17 and made the up-and-down at 16, I thought, ‘This is my week,’ ” Ginn said.

Ginn, who was second once last year, hadn’t finished better than a tie for third this year, at the Legends of Golf in April. Since then, he’s finished as low as a tie for 69th--at the Senior PGA Championship--and no better than a tie for 17th.

Ginn began the tournament tied for 35th on the money list and earned $375,000--jumping to 16th--with his first victory since the 1995 Golf Digest Japan Championship.

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Rachel Teske pulled away from rookie Beth Bauer with four birdies in a six-hole span to win the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic at Sylvania, Ohio, by two strokes.

Teske’s sixth victory in as many years on the LPGA Tour and second of the year was worth $150,000. She won the Ping tournament to start the 2002 season.

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Three days away from his 48th birthday, Eduardo Romero took advantage of a late collapse by Fredrik Jacobson to win the Scottish Open at Luss in a playoff and become the third-oldest winner on the European tour.

Romero closed with a one-under 70, forcing the playoff by making a 10-foot par putt on the final hole.

Then he hit a 315-yard drive down the 18th fairway and hit a pitching wedge from eight feet for a birdie to collect his eighth tour victory and a check for $560,000.