Record Victory for Hayes

J.P. Hayes won his second PGA Tour title, closing with a four-under-par 67 for a four-stroke victory Sunday over Robert Gamez in the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill.

Hayes had a 22-under 262 total on the TPC at Deere Run, the lowest score in relation to par in tournament history.

“I always believed I’d win again,” Hayes said. “I’m going to go out and give it 110% every tournament and that will never change.”

After beginning the round tied for the lead with Gamez at 18 under, Hayes birdied the first two holes to take control. Hayes had birdies on Nos. 11 and 17 in his bogey-free round.

Hayes earned a career-high $540,000, along with a two-year exemption on the tour.

Gamez, winless since 1990, bogeyed the second hole to fall three strokes back, and couldn’t pick up any ground on Hayes. Gamez earned $324,000, nearly doubling his earnings for the year.

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Gloria Park, 22, earned her second LPGA Tour victory by making a six-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Hee-Won Han in the Big Apple Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y.

Park won $142,500 and got a hug and an apology from her father after prevailing in her first playoff.

“I had a big fight with my dad last night about my putting stroke. I cried for two hours and couldn’t sleep,” Park said.

Park and Han, both from South Korea, held off Annika Sorenstam in the final group of the day and finished at 14-under 270. Sorenstam shot a one-under 70 and missed the playoff by one stroke.

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Bob Gilder’s even disposition held up better than his bogeyless streak in the FleetBoston Classic at Concord, Mass.

His calm and his birdie on the third extra hole gave him his second consecutive playoff victory on the senior tour as he defeated John Mahaffey, who surged into contention with a 65.

Mahaffey, who started the day tied for 10th and five strokes behind Gilder, played the round in seven under after playing the back nine in five under.

Gilder, who had played 64 consecutive holes without a bogey, picked the worst time to get one--on the 18th, a 521-yard par five.

Jim Thorpe needed to make only a five-foot putt for a birdie and the victory. But Thorpe went past the hole by six feet and just missed coming back.

Gilder shot 70 to finish at 13-under 203.

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Japan’s Noboru Sugai shot a three-over 74 to finish at three-under 281 and hold off Canadian John Irwin for a two-shot victory in the Senior British Open at Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

Five-time British Open champion Tom Watson had a triple-bogey seven on the second hole and shot an eight-over 79, finishing in a tie for 14th place.