Another Champions Win for Roberts

Loren Roberts survived a battle on the final hole Sunday to win The ACE Group Classic, becoming the first golfer to open a Champions Tour season with three wins.

Roberts parred the last 12 holes, and Hale Irwin put his approach shot in the water on the closing hole at The Club at TwinEagles.

Playing in the group behind Irwin, Roberts two-putted from 35 feet to clinch the victory with a final-round 69 and 14-under 202 total, one shot ahead of Brad Bryant and R.W. Eaks.

Bryant birdied the last hole to finish with a 70, and Eaks had a 67 despite missing a birdie putt at the last hole.

Irwin double-bogeyed No. 18 after hitting a seven-iron from 162 yards into the water in front of the green for a 68, and tied for fourth with Tom Watson (67) at 204.

Don January, in 1981, and Larry Nelson, in 2001, each opened a season on the Champions Tour with two straight wins.

“The three wins this year, they’ve all come different ways,” Roberts said. “This one was definitely done with an ugly stick. It was a pretty ugly back nine today, but I holed a couple of putts when I had to.”

The record for consecutive victories on the tour is four by Chi Chi Rodriguez in 1987. Roberts, 50, who won his fourth tournament in nine tour events, joins Bob Charles (1987), Lee Trevino (1992), Gil Morgan (1997-98) and Craig Stadler (2004) in winning three consecutive tour events.

“I wanted to put a little mark somewhere in the record books,” Roberts said. “I did think about that a little bit on the back nine.”

Irwin, who has won a record 44 times on the tour, was going for his third victory in Naples. He won in 1998 and 2002, the latter at TwinEagles. Irwin tied for second last year.

“It was a very comfortable distance,” said Irwin about his approach shot on the final hole. “The lie was a little tight. The ball was above my feet. I needed to hit it solid and I hit it heavy.”