Hail Irwin As Golf’s First $2 Million Winner

Golf

Hale Irwin was far from being as spectacular as he was the previous two days, but he still managed to hang on Sunday, coming up clutch on the final hole to win the Vantage Championship in Clemmons, N.C., and become professional golf’s first $2-million man.

Irwin, who won this Senior PGA Tour event in 1995 and tied for second last year, shot a 2-under-par 69 for an 18-under 195 total for 54 holes. That won by one shot and earned the $225,000 top prize and the place in golf history. But the win didn’t come without some tense moments down the stretch - and another gutsy showing from Irwin, edging Dave Eichelberger, who started the day eight shots off the lead but shot a final-round 62.

After Irwin’s short winning putt, he did a high-five lap with the crowd, reminiscent of his 1990 U.S. Open win, and then hugged his wife Sally.

Irwin has averaged a little more than $100,000 in his 20 senior tour events en route to his $2 million. Tiger Woods is about $50,000 shy with several events left.

PGA Tour

Davis Love shot a 4-under-par 68 for a four-stroke victory over fellow Georgian Stewart Cink in the $1.2 million Buick Challenge in Pine Mountain, Ga.

Love, who led Cink by two strokes after three rounds, wound up with a course- and tournament-record total of 21-under 267.

Steve Lowery, who started the day 13 shots behind Love, shot a course-record 60 and wound up tied for third at 272 with Hal Sutton, the 36-hole co-leader with Love.

LPGA Tour

Annika Sorenstam, the leading money-winner on the LPGA Tour, shot a 3-under-par 69 for a two-stroke victory over Kelly Robbins to repeat as champion of the CoreStates Betsy King Classic in Kutztown, Pa.

Sorenstam won her fifth title of the year with a 14-under 274 total. Her $90,000 put her at $1,055,039 for the year.

Tournament host Betsy King began the day tied for the lead with Sorenstam. But her 72 left her in a four-way tie with first-round co-leader Catriona Matthew (70), Wendy Doolan (66) and Julie Inkster (67).

Europe

At Berlin, Germany’s Bernhard Langer shot a final-round, 2-under-par 70 and won the German Masters for the third time, by six strokes over Colin Montgomerie.

Langer, who began the closing 18 holes with a seven-stroke advantage after a course-record 60 Saturday, finished at 21-under 267.

Montgomerie fired a 68 for 273, one stroke ahead of Thomas Bjorn of Denmark (69).