Father’s Death Spoils Senior’s Playoff Victory

Golf

The joy of Dana Quigley’s first professional victory was quickly tempered with the news of his father’s death.

Quigley made a 2-1/2-foot par putt on the third playoff hole to defeat Jay Sigel and win the $1 million Senior PGA Tour Northville Classic at Jericho, N.Y., on Sunday.

After the presentation ceremony, Quigley received a phone call from his brother, Paul, informing him that 82-year-old Wallace Quigley had succumbed to cancer only hours earlier at a hospital in Providence, R.I.

“I saw him on Thursday and seriously thought about withdrawing from the tournament,” Quigley said through tears. “I didn’t win it soon enough for him. I wished he could have seen me win.

“I should have known he was getting worse since I received four phone calls from my family this morning. I didn’t put one and one together. However, I’ll remember this day forever.”

The 50-year-old Quigley, who made the field as a Monday qualifier, shot a 2-under-par 70 Sunday and finished with a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 at the 6,842-yard Meadow Brook Club. Sigel, who bogeyed two of the final four holes, shot a 66.

Quigley, who said he intends to play in the First of America Classic which begins Friday in Ada, Mich., collected $150,000, the largest check of his pro career. He is the first Monday qualifier to win a senior tour event this season and the first since Vincente Fernandez in the 1996 Burnet Senior Classic.

Jose Maria-Canizares of Spain, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, missed a 4-foot par putt on 18 and had a 71 to drop into a three-way tie for third at 205 with Ray Floyd and Hubert Green.

Buick Open

While Ernie Els could produce just one birdie all day, Vijay Singh played almost perfect golf, closing with a 6-under-par 66 for a 15-under 273 total to win the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich.

Singh was two strokes better than six others, including Els, who shot a 74.

Curtis Strange, Joe Ozaki, Russ Cochran, Brad Fabel and Tom Byrum all tied with Els. Ozaki closed with a 69, Cochran and Byrum 67s, Strange and Fabel 71s.

Singh, 34, who had only three PGA Tour wins - none since 1995 - before winning the Memorial Tournament in May, started the final round five shots behind Els.

Tiger Woods, who turned at 6-under, birdied four of the first seven holes on the homeside for a 68 and 278.

“I never got anything going on the front nine,” said Woods, who hadn’t played since the British Open. “It was kind of frustrating. On the back nine, it just kind of clicked in. I found something in my golf swing that helped.”

Woods earned $43,500 and his total of $1,821,895 for the year breaks the PGA Tour mark of $1,780,159 set last year by Tom Lehman.

Walker Cup

A stunning American combination of youthful talent and rock-solid experience was simply too much for Britain-Ireland as the U.S. team reclaimed the Walker Cup with remarkable ease.

A near-sweep of the morning matches at Scarsdale, N.Y., meant the United States needed to win just one point in the eight afternoon singles matches to reclaim the Cup it surrendered when the Tiger Woods-led team lost 14-10 in Wales two years ago.

That point came fittingly when John Harris, the veteran star of the U.S. team, won the 13th hole to close out Michael Brooks 6 and 5.

The match gave the U.S. team an insurmountable 12-1/2-4-1/2 lead with seven matches still on the course.

“It’s been a couple of years of remembering what went on in Wales,” said Harris, who is 6-0 in Walker Cup singles matches in his career.

The victory gave the United States a 31-4-1 record in the international team competition first played in 1922.

LPGA

Deb Richard shot a 5-under-par 67 and held off a late charge from Chris Johnson for a one-stroke victory in the LPGA Friendly’s Classic at Agawam, Mass.

Richard underwent back surgery 1-1/2 years ago and her best finish since was a second at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in April.

Johnson, who closed with a 68, eagled the par-5 17th to go 10-under, but she could only par No. 18 and finished with a 278 total at the 6,381-yard Crestview Country Club course.

Brandie Burton was third at 280 after a closing 68 and Pat Hurst had a 71 to finish at 283.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, finished at 292, nine shots ahead of Clarkston’s Robin Walton, and earned $3,523.

Czech Open

At Karlstejn, Czech Republic, Bernhard Langer claimed his 50th career tournament victory at the Czech Open, firing a bogey-free 8-under-par 63 to win by four strokes over third-round leaders Ignacio Garrido and Niclas Fasth.