CHAMPIONS TOUR Zoeller captures seniors opener

He birdied the final three holes to beat Dana Quigley by one shot.
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Fuzzy Zoeller was more excited about his new trophy than his $268,000 check.
"The money's great, but this is history," he said, holding his Waterford crystal prize. "This means more to a golfer than all the money in the world. It really does."
Zoeller won the season-opening MasterCard Championship on Sunday, birdieing the final three holes for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke victory over 2003 winner Dana Quigley.
Zoeller was winless last year after taking the Senior PGA Championship in 2002.
"I win every day I'm out there," he said. "I've had three back surgeries and I'm still walking and I'm still playing the game. I might not come home with hardware, but I'm winning."
Won it on final hole
Zoeller, third in the event last year, made an 18-foot birdie put on the 54th hole to finish at 20-under 196.
"Twenty-under was the number I set in my mind and I got to it," he said.
Quigley closed with a 65.
"It was so much fun out there," he said. "Great playing with Fuzzy. We fed off each other."
Zoeller also loved playing with Quigley, his playing partner for the last two rounds.
"We're friends. We're competitors. We like to beat each other's head in," Zoeller said. "He is a great competitor. I thought today, if I beat Dana, I had a shot at winning the tournament."
Battle to the finish
Zoeller, Quigley, second-round leader Doug Tewell, and Craig Stadler jockeyed for position on the back nine until Quigley and Zoeller both birdied No. 17 to go up by a stroke.
Zoeller, 52, found an opening when he hit the green with his 52-degree wedge shot from 116 yards on the 410-yard 18th, while Quigley's shot found the left bunker.
"Fuzzy just made one more putt than I did," Quigley said. "I played well enough to win."
After Zoeller sailed his 7-iron shot into the back bunker and bogeyed the 434-yard second hole, he made a charge up the leaderboard with five straight birdies. That gave him the share of the lead with Tewell.
Took first lead at 10th
Zoeller made the turn at 32 and sank a 31/2-foot birdie putt on the 566-yard 10th to take his first lead. His round included nine birdies and one bogey.
After five straight pars, he birdied No. 16 when he bent a 12-foot putt left to right and into the cup. Zoeller putted just 12 times on the back nine and 26 times during the final round.
"It was a great week of golf. I wish I could pinpoint one thing that I did great and one thing I did bad, but it seemed the whole week just gelled," said Zoeller, a 10-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Stadler matched the tournament record with a 63 to tie for third with Tewell (69) at 198. Stadler's round included an eagle and seven birdies.
Nicklaus finishes strong
Jack Nicklaus, who turned 64 on Wednesday, shot a 67 to finish sixth, five strokes off the lead. It was the first time on the Champions Tour that he carded three rounds in the 60s in a 54-hole tournament, and his best finish since tying for fourth in the 2001 U.S. Senior Open.
"I had some nice putts. I hit some great shots. I drove the ball well," Nicklaus said. "I certainly have nothing to complain about. It's been a long time since I've been in contention in a golf tournament and it was kind of fun."
The MasterCard is the first of 30 official events on the 50-and-over tour. The event included senior major champions in the last five years and tour winners in the last two seasons.
The record 39 players included six members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Arnold Palmer, 74, finished in last place at 11-over 227 after a 75.