Colbert Makes Circus Shot, Then Heads To Tournament Win

Out of the sand, between the two palm trees, over the greenside bunker, next to the cup.

Sound impossible? Not for Jim Colbert.

Colbert made a remarkable recovery from a bunker on the third hole of a playoff, then made a 3-foot putt to beat Jim Albus in the Senior Tournament of Champions on Sunday at Dorado, Puerto Rico.

“That was a special shot,” said Colbert, who made the winning putt after Albus missed a birdie try from 10 feet.

Colbert elected to play a draw and his 6-iron shot split the trees, cleared the greenside bunker by 5 feet and rolled within 3 feet of the cup.

Colbert and Albus had finished 54 holes on the 6,740-yard Hyatt Dorado Beach East course with 7-under-par 209 totals. They played No. 18, No. 17 and then No. 18 again in the playoff.

Albus missed birdie putts inside 12 feet on the first two playoff holes, then watched his final effort roll over the right lip of the cup.

Colbert, who earned $148,000, had 17 pars and one birdie in closing with a 71.

John Morse, taking advantage of the par-5s, shot a 4-under 68 to win the $1.2 million Hawaiian Open by three strokes - his first victory on the PGA Tour.

At Honolulu, Morse, who held a twostroke lead entering the final round, finished at 269 over four rounds, gaining 17 strokes on the long holes at the Waialae Country Course.

When the round was finally over, and the crystal trophy that goes to the winner of the LPGA Tournament of Champions was in her hands, Dawn Coe-Jones relaxed and smiled.

Coe-Jones withstood rainy weather and an elite field of 38 other champions from the past two seasons to win by six shots, with Beth Daniel the distant runner-up. Coe-Jones’ closing 69 gave her a 72-hole total of 7-under-par 281 on the NorthSouth course at Grand Cypress at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.