Pavin putts his way to title
It was the 46-year-old's first PGA victory in 10 years.
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Corey Pavin's putting prowess carried him to his first PGA Tour victory in 10 years.
The 46-year-old Pavin closed with a 3-under 67 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Madison native Jerry Kelly in the U.S. Bank Championship.
Pavin, whose last victory came in the 1996 Colonial, earned his 15th tour victory with precise putting and a timely eagle on the par-4 eighth. He finished with a 20-under 260 total.
Kelly also closed with a 67. Jeff Sluman (64) was 17 under, Frank Lickliter (69) and D.J. Trahan (69) followed at 15 under and Woody Austin (65), Joey Sindelar (67) and Billy Andrade (68) were 14 under.
Much bigger payday
Pavin, who also won the tournament 20 years ago, became the eighth two-time champion in Milwaukee. While his first win here was worth $72,000, Sunday's check was 10 times that at $720,000.
Kelly said he wanted to go head-to-head with the leader in the final round. Before the tournament, Pavin seemed like an unlikely candidate, ranking 194th in driving distance and 175th in putting on tour.
But the 1995 U.S. Open winner scorched the short 6,759-yard Brown Deer Park Golf Course early with a PGA Tour-record 26 on the par-34 front nine Thursday. He finished the first round with a 61 and shot a 64 in the second to reach 15 under and tie the tour scoring record for the first 36 holes at 125.
Kelly had the backing of the partisan crowd expecting the Wisconsinite who lost in a playoff here in 1996 to finally win the tournament he calls a "major."
The gallery and even those outside the course loudly urged Kelly on as he tried to pump them up by waving his arms for more noise during his final round, especially down the stretch. Walking up one fairway, a man riding a bicycle in the subdivision across the street began shouting for Kelly hysterically.
But Pavin relished the chance to be the outsider and spoil everyone's fun.
Kelly, who started play Sunday two shots behind Pavin, spoiled his own chances.
He did not make a bogey, but missed 13 birdie putts, the closest from 7 feet, and did not make a putt longer than 5 feet.
After an eagle attempt on No. 15, Kelly birdied to move to 18 under, two strokes behind Pavin. But he again missed birdie putts on Nos. 16, 17 and 18.
Senior British Open
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Loren Roberts had blown a five-stroke lead, and now he watched Eduardo Romero line up a 30-foot putt on the first playoff hole to win the Senior British Open.
Well short of the green in two, Roberts still had one thing going for him: his faith in his remarkable putting ability.
Roberts pitched to 12 feet, then Romero hit a poor first putt that left the Argentina star some 4 feet from the hole. Roberts made his putt and won the title when Romero missed.
"I made it more of a contest than I should have," said Roberts, who won the first three tournaments of the year on the Champions Tour.
"But the conditions were tough and I battled my swing today. But I never gave up and I have leaned on my putter for 25 years and I figured that, as long as I could get a look at a par putt, I would have a chance. And I did."
The two players went to the playoff after they finished tied at 6-under 274 at Turnberry. Roberts shot a 75 in the final round and Romero had a 71.
Romero knew he had blown a chance for the victory.
"He made a good putt and I missed a short one. Sometimes golf's like this," he said. "When I saw Loren made a couple of mistakes early on the back nine, I said to myself that it's not finished yet. You never know what can happen, especially on a links course.
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