Haas rolls to third win of year

He’s the only player on the Champions Tour with
multiple wins this year.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jay Haas is threatening to turn the Champions Tour’s points race into a blowout.

Haas cruised to his third win of the season, shooting a 2-under 69 Sunday to take the Principal Charity Classic by three strokes.

Haas, the only player with multiple wins on the senior tour this season, finished with a 12-under 201 total. He led wire-to-wire and picked up his ninth career victory on the Champions Tour.

Defending points champion

Last year, Haas won the points race on the final day of the season. If he keeps playing as he has been, Haas won’t have to sweat it out this time.

Sunday’s win extended Haas’ strong lead in the points race and on the money list.

“I feel very confident. I feel like if I play well out here, I can win tournaments,” Haas said.

R.W. Eaks (64) and Brad Bryant (67) finished tied for second at 9-under 204. David Edwards, Jay Sigel and Mark James tied for third at 8 under.

Haas led by three shots heading into the final round, and started quickly with birdies on the second and fourth holes. That pushed his lead to five strokes over Edwards, who bogeyed No. 3 and quickly fell out of contention for the lead.

Haas’ birdie putt on No. 4 epitomized his weekend at the Glen Oaks Country Club, which he was playing for the first time.

Sinks tough birdie putt

Stuck at least 20 feet behind the hole on a severe incline, Haas lightly tapped the ball and sent it racing toward the cup. Had it missed, the ball likely would have rolled off the green. Instead, it slammed into the back edge of the hole, popped in the air, circled the lip and fell in.

Denis Watson, who was playing in Haas’ group, let out a chuckle, realizing that the day would belong to Haas.

“I could have had 100 putts and probably not have one go in the hole,” Haas said. “For me to hold serve there and make that putt ... it certainly made things a little more comfortable coming down the stretch.”