CHAMPIONS TOUR Allen Doyle cruises to FleetBoston win

Doyle surpassed $1 million in earnings for the fifth straight year.
CONCORD, Mass. (AP) -- When the first clap of thunder sent the FleetBoston Classic leaders into a maintenance shed for cover, Allen Doyle had a three-stroke lead with three holes to play. So defending champion Bob Gilder knew he was competing for second place.
"I told him he's getting cheated out of his TV time," Gilder said of their conversation during the 1 hour, 38 minute rain delay. "I wish I could have put some heat on him. I wish I could have made it a little more interesting. But nothing was going to rattle him today."
Doyle shot 67 on Sunday for his first Champions Tour victory in two years, finishing at 15-under to win by three strokes. Starting the day with a two-shot lead, he eagled No. 5 and then coasted to victory, making par on the last 10 holes.
"I knew that someone else was going to have to come get me," he said after collecting the $225,000 check. "A lot of the time, if you put it in cruise control, there's time to put it in a higher gear. But I didn't need to."
Strong showing
Doyle shot 68 and a tournament-record 63 in the first two rounds over the 6,591-yard, par-71 Nashawtuc Country Club course. With his eighth senior tour victory -- including two majors -- he surpassed $1 million in earnings for the fifth consecutive year.
Gilder shot 68 on Sunday and Bruce Fleisher had a 66 to tie for second, three strokes back at 12-under. D.A. Weibring and Tom Purtzer were another shot back.
Doyle may have ended the chase when he hit a 3-wood 261 yards to within 2 feet of the fifth hole. When he picked up another stroke with a birdie on No. 8, his closest pursuer was four strokes back.
Down the stretch
That's when Doyle went on his run of pars, aiming left of the pin on the par-3 17th to stay away from the water on the right and then hitting a 3-iron off the tee on the 521-yard 18th to avoid any possibility of trouble.
"I don't like playing as conservatively as I did on the last two holes," he said sheepishly. "But there was no way I was going to let it slip away."
Fleisher got as low as 13-under with a birdie on No. 14, but gave the stroke back on the next hole with a bad chip shot. Gilder was as many as six strokes back and never closer than three.
NHL Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr was 4-over for 36 holes to win a charity tournament of hockey players during the tour event. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ben Clymer was second by two strokes and former Boston Bruins forward Cam Neely, whose foundation is one of the beneficiaries of the event, was tied for third at 13-over with Phoenix goalie Brian Boucher.