SENIOR PGA Stadler spoils Watson's chances

Craig Stadler took advantage of an accurate putter.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- Tom Watson will have to wait a little longer for his next victory embrace with Bruce Edwards.
Watson was hoping the Senior Players Championship would be the tournament he could win for Edwards, the longtime caddie who has Lou Gehrig's disease.
Watson entered Sunday's final round at the TPC of Michigan tied for the lead, but shot a 3-under 69 to tie for second, three shots behind winner Craig Stadler.
Stadler, making his fourth start on the 50-and-over tour, followed a 7-under 65 on Saturday with a 66 to finish at 17-under.
"It just wasn't to be today," said Watson, whose 64 in strong gusts Friday was one off the course record. "The golf course was there for the taking, and we couldn't take advantage. I played OK, but Craig played better and beat us."
Strong support
The story of Edwards' struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has made him and Watson overwhelming crowd favorites. Even their fellow competitors are rooting them on.
"I think all of us are pulling for ourselves first and for Bruce and Tom second," said Tom Kite, who tied the course record with a 63 on Sunday to tie for second with Watson and Jim Thorpe.
"It's a very sad story because Bruce is such a wonderful man, but we all hope the publicity he's getting will help them find a cure for the disease," Kite said.
Edwards was allowed to use a cart at the tournament, hauling Watson's clubs and beating his boss to the ball on every hole. He'll miss this week's British Open, which Watson has won five times.
Stadler took advantage of a hot putter.
"I played pretty solid," he said. "I had two good putting days in a row. It's been a while since I putted consistently well."
Making a charge
Kite and Thorpe both made charges in the final round, which had to be halted two hours because of thunderstorms.
Kite's round included eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey.
Thorpe made three straight birdies on the inward nine for a 65.
Meantime, Stadler birdied the first hole and nearly birdied the second, then dropped a shot at the par-5 third for his only bogey of the day.
He had a tap-in birdie at No. 5, ran in a 45-footer on No. 6 and made a third straight birdie at the par 5 seventh after hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker and blasting out to 2 feet.
His putting for the week was third-best in the 79-man field.
On some holes, Stadler didn't even need the putter, such as the par-3 12th, where he chipped in for birdie from the fringe.
His one hiccup with the flat stick came on 13, the 506-yard par-5. After two blasts to reach the green in two, Stadler three-putted for par.
Stadler's share of the $2.5 million purse was $375,000.