Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 4, 1994 TAG: 9407040033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: PINEHURST, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Simon Hobday dropped his putter and jumped as if snake-bitten when his tap-in putt rattled into the bottom of the cup Sunday and made him the U.S. Senior Open champion.
"My hands were shaking. The putter was shaking. I couldn't do anything," the free-spirited South African said after tip-toeing through a minefield of disaster to the biggest victory of his career.
It wasn't pretty, and Hobday knew it.
He gave himself the choke sign - hand clasped to his throat - as he marched up the 18th fairway of the famed No. 2 course at the Pinehurst Country Club.
He started the final round bogey-bogey-bogey and then blew a three-shot lead with five holes to play. His 4-over-par 75 was the highest final-round score by a Nick Price wins Western Open again. B3 Scores in Scoreboard. B4 winner in the history of the event and the highest this year for a tournament winner on the Senior PGA Tour.
But it was good enough for a one-shot victory over Graham Marsh of Australia and former club pro Jim Albus and enabled Hobday to join Ernie Els in giving South Africa a sweep of the two American Open titles. Els won the U.S. Open two weeks ago at Oakmont, Pa.
It wasn't that he played just well enough to win, Hobday said, "the others played just bad enough."
He won with a 274 total, 10 under par.
Marsh, who made up four shots on Hobday over the last five holes, had a share of the lead until he missed the green on the final hole and made bogey. His final round of 70 put him in a tie at 275 with Albus, who had a closing 74.
Tom Wargo got into the title hunt over the last few holes as the struggling Hobday backed up to the field. Wargo pulled to two shots of the lead at one point but also missed the last green, made bogey and finished with a 70 for a 277.
He was tied with Dave Stockton, who closed with a 68 in the steamy, muggy heat.
Hobday, 54, who played most of his golf on the European tour before joining the American seniors four years ago, finished a weather-delayed third round of 5-under-par 66 Sunday morning.
That gave him a two-shot lead over Albus going into the afternoon's final round.
The lead disappeared immediately when Hobday bogeyed the first hole and Albus birdied.
It was the first of three consecutive bogeys for Hobday, each the result of a missed putt from inside 6 feet.
But he shook one in from about the same distance on the fourth and, when Albus chopped up the fifth with a double bogey, Hobday again had a three-shot advantage.
He held that margin going to the 14th, but drove into the right rough, hit his second to the right of the green, pitched long and three-putted for a double bogey-6.
Albus missed the green and bogeyed, but the lead was down to two.
On the 15th, Hobday again missed the green and again bogeyed. Now his margin was one over both Albus and Marsh, playing with him in the final threesome.
Hobday and Marsh each had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 16th, but Hobday, obviously in difficulty with his swing and his nerves, caught a bunker on the 17th, bogeyed again and dropped back into a tie with the steady Marsh. Albus trailed by one going to the final tee.
Albus and Hobday reached the green in regulation, but Marsh missed far to the right with his approach.
Hobday rolled a 30-foot putt down a depression, up a bank and to within a foot of the cup. Albus missed the 20-foot birdie putt he had to have to tie, and then Marsh, who had chipped to 12 feet, missed his par putt.
Hobday then tapped in the winning putt. "I don't ever remember ever having as many near heart attacks in a round," he said.
Vinny Giles of Richmond, Va., finished at 9-over 293 and missed being the low amateur for the second straight year. Johnny Stevens took low amatuer honors at 290.
J.C. Snead of Hot Springs, Va., tied for 50th at 295.
Keywords:
GOLF
by CNB