Roberts grabs his chance, wins Boeing Classic on final hole

Published 10:56 pm Sunday, August 30, 2009

SNOQUALMIE — Mark O’Meara was brilliant most of the day, but he ended up leaving the door open with an untimely miscue on the final hole.

It was all the opening Loren Roberts needed.

Moments after O’Meara left his tee shot in a bunker on the short, par-5 18th hole, leading to a par, Roberts played the same hole flawlessly for a birdie and a one-shot victory Sunday in the Boeing Classic at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge.

With O’Meara staying loose on the nearby practice range, hoping for a possible playoff, Roberts reached the green in three shots and left his approach just 2 feet from the cup. After tapping in, he reacted with a vigorous fist pump before raising both hands overhead in triumph.

“I played really good today,” said the 54-year-old Roberts, a California native. “I drove the ball really well and hit a lot of good quality shots.”

He put together a round of 7-under-par 65 on Sunday eight birdies and one bogey and had a three-day total of 18-under 198, breaking the tournament record of 199 set by 2005 champion David Eger.

It was the third win of the season for Roberts, following victories at the ACE Group Classic in mid-February and the Senior British Open in late July. He earned the first-place paycheck of $270,000.

The 52-year-old O’Meara, who remains winless on the 50-and-over Champions Tour, started the day two strokes behind Roberts, but quickly pulled into a tie and at times was atop the leaderboard. He had nine birdies and one bogey for an 8-under 64 and a 17-under total of 199.

“Obviously, I’m pleased with the way I played today,” said O’Meara, who finished second for the fourth time this season and the eighth time overall on the Champions Tour. “I knew if I played well I’d have a chance to win. I gave it everything I had, but I came up one (stroke) short.

“It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing, but second is not bad. But when you come close like I have and don’t break through … today could’ve been a big breakthrough day for me, but unfortunately I’m going to have to wait until next week.”

O’Meara, who was playing one threesome in front of Roberts, left his tee shot on No. 18 in a fairway bunker and was close enough to the front edge that he had to chip out with a wedge.

“I needed to hit a real good (drive) there today,” O’Meara said. “I tried to go at it a little harder and I kind of flip-hooked it a little bit. It was not a very good shot.”

O’Meara was able to reach the green with his third shot, but two-putted from 25 feet for par. As he walked off, he knew he might have let the tournament slip away.

Likewise, Roberts stood on the 18th tee realizing he had a great opportunity to win.

“My caddy asked me, ‘Do you want to know what (O’Meara) did?’” Roberts said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, why don’t you tell me.’ He said he made a par, and then I thought, ‘Well, game’s on now.’”

Roberts played the final hole prudently, staying left off the tee to avoid the bunker that claimed O’Meara’s ball, and then laying up 50 yards short of the green. His short pitch was a dandy, rolling up to a back pin and then curling in behind the hole to 2 feet.

As the last player in his threesome to putt, Roberts had a few minutes to close his eyes and ponder his final stroke.

“I was just asking for a little peace, asking for a little calmness over this putt,” he said. “(I just wanted) to get up there and hit the best putt I could hit, and I was trying to get right and get calm … so I could get up there and knock it in.”

And he did, leaving O’Meara to gather his clubs from the practice range and head for the clubhouse.

“I can’t sit here and tell you that I’m not disappointed,” O’Meara said. “But the guy who beat me is a heck of a player. He putts good, he chips it good, he doesn’t make many mistakes and he hits it straight. He’s a fine player.

“You can’t give an inch out here, and if you do they’re going to take advantage of it,” he added. “Loren birdied the last two holes and my congratulations to him.”

The day began with six contenders, but the other four fell away one by one. The first was Mark McNulty, a co-leader with Roberts through two rounds at 11-under 133. He bogeyed the par-5 first hole with a four-putt, and went on to a round of 3-over 75. He finished eighth at 8-under 208.

Next to drop out was Craig Stadler, who teed off at 8-under 136. He reached 10-under with birdies on the first two holes, but never made a serious challenge. He finished at 3-under 69 for a three-day total of 11-under 205, leaving him sixth.

Bernhard Langer was tied with O’Meara to start the day, and birdied three of the first five holes, but his bid also ran out of steam. He ended up with a 5-under round of 67 and a 14-under total of 202, putting him tied for third with Dan Forsman, the fourth contender, who shot a 6-under 66.

The day’s best round belonged to Hal Sutton, who had a round of seven birdies and an eagle for a 9-under 63. He ended up at 12-under 204 to place fifth.

Notes

Attendance at Sunday’s final round was estimated at 30,000, a one-day record, and the three-day estimated total of 67,500 was a tournament record. … Defending champion and two-time winner Tom Kite shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday and finished at 5-under 211, tying for 16th. … Jeff Coston, a teaching pro at Blaine’s Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, had a 2-under 70 in his final round and finished tied for 50th at 1-over 217. … Fred Funk, the Champions Tour points leader, finished tied for 55th and saw his lead over Roberts shrink to 86 points.