Funk rolls to Senior Open title

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) — Fred Funk took a back-nine victory lap in the U.S. Senior Open.

Funk won by six strokes and broke the tournament record with a 20-under total. He shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday at Crooked Stick.

“It’s something I really didn’t fathom happening, but the biggest thing is just getting my name on that trophy,” the 53-year-old Funk said.

Coming off a playoff loss to Loren Roberts last week in the Senior British Open, Funk broke the event mark of 17 under set by Hale Irwin in 2000 at Saucon Valley.

Funk, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, won his second senior major, following the 2008 JELD-WEN Tradition. He has five Champions Tour victories.

Funk was 13 under the first three days to take the lead. He birdied Nos. 2, 5 and 9 on Sunday for a 33 on the front nine and was on his way to routing the field.

The crowd knew what was happening, but Funk didn’t check the scoreboard until he got to the 17th green.

“I had a feeling I had a little bit of a lead,” he said.

Once he figured out where he stood, he simply had fun.

“It was a big relief to kind of freewheel it on 18,” he said.

Joey Sindelar (70) finished second at 14 under, Russ Cochran (68) was 12 under, and Roberts (64) and Greg Norman (73) followed at 11 under.

Funk felt he could have won the previous week if he hadn’t tried so hard to steer the ball. A week later, he let it rip with record-breaking results.

“Unless you win, you can always look back and find shots in four days that you wish you had back,” he said. “And I didn’t want to look back this week and say would have, should have, could have.”

The swing always has been a key part of Funk’s game.

“He hits as straight as any man on the planet,” said Roberts, who matched the course record with his 64. “That’s what you’ve got to do at an Open Championship because the rough is so tough. When he does that and gets the putter going — you see what he is doing — going lights out.”

Sindelar said he knew he wasn’t going to catch Funk. He entered Sunday thinking he could compete if he played the longer holes better, but it didn’t matter.

“I played the par 5s better, and I didn’t shank, and Fred still whooped me bad,” Sindelar said. “It was awesome.”

Sindelar said he wished the final day had been more competitive, but he said Funk is tough once he gets ahead. In the five events Funk has led on the Champions Tour heading into the final round, he has won four.