Jacobsen endures 36 holes of pain to win Senior Open

ST. LOUIS — Peter Jacobsen’s sore hip nearly kept him out of the U.S. Senior Open. Nothing, not even playing 36 holes in one day could keep him from winning the title.

Jacobsen shot a 3-under 68 over the final 18 holes Sunday and was 12 under for the tournament to finish one stroke ahead of Hale Irwin. Jacobsen was able to rally past Tom Kite, who played 4 over for the last four holes — including a double-bogey on the final one.

Jacobsen was forced to pull out of two previous tournaments, following hip surgery, because the pain of walking 18 holes was too much to bear. He had to walk 36 on Sunday after rain washed out play Friday.

“I almost didn’t come,” said Jacobsen, who played his third Champions Tour event. “I came to St. Louis. Boy am I glad I did.”

It was the first time the field at a Champions Tour event played 36 holes in one day. Unlike regular Champions Tour events, carts aren’t allowed in the five majors.

Kite fell apart at the end, closing with bogey-bogey-par-double-bogey. With daughter Stephanie as his caddie, Kite shot a morning round of 6-under 65 that gave him a two-stroke lead. He ended up two strokes behind Jacobsen.

“Coming down the last few holes of a 36-hole round, you can feel the fatigue,” Jacobsen said. “It’s no fun to do that when you have a chance to win any championship.”

Kite didn’t speak to reporters after his second straight disappointing defeat. Last weekend, he lost the Senior British Open to Delaware club pro Pete Oakley by one stroke. He hasn’t won in 21 months, but has finished second seven times. Kite ended up tied with Jay Haas. Bob Gilder was fifth, another stroke back at 9 under.

Jacobsen, last year’s winner of the PGA Tour’s Greater Hartford Open, rallied from three strokes down with 12 holes to play. It was the first major victory of any kind for Jacobsen, known for his jovial attitude and rapport with fans.

“This is fun and games,” Jacobsen said. “I’m 50. I’m a sweaty fat guy and I’m playing golf.”

Kite, playing in a group ahead of Jacobsen, landed his drive on 18 in a fairway bunker. His attempt to get out hit the lip and bounced sideways a few feet away, and into a rough.

Moments after Kite’s double-bogey, Jacobsen earned his first win on the Champions Tour with a par on 18.

Irwin and Haas, who both have ties to St. Louis, thrilled the hometown crowd with late rallies. Irwin, who has a home just a few miles from Bellerive Country Club, birdied No. 17 to get to 11 under, but could only par 18. Haas, who grew up in nearby Belleville, Ill., birdied No. 17 to get to 10 under.

Jacobsen was under par for all four rounds, and was at his best Sunday despite the strain on his hip. He followed a 2-under 69 in the morning with a 3-under 68 in the afternoon.

Kite was 8 under during one 17-hole stretch. He was at 4 under during the afternoon round before struggling at the end.

Golfers worked at a slow pace while playing in breezeless 92-degree heat and high humidity. Some, with sweat-soaked shirts, sat on the grass during delays. Mark James took a large chunk of ice and rubbed it on his head.

There were no reports of heat-related illness.

Kite entered Sunday at 5 under, two strokes behind co-leaders Jacobsen and Craig Stadler. He went two ahead of Jacobsen after the morning round, but the lead didn’t last long. Kite bogeyed the first hole of the afternoon round, and Jacobsen birdied it. Jacobsen also birdied No. 2 to go back on top.

Kite regained the lead on the par-5, 541-yard fourth hole. His second shot landed within 20 feet, and he drained the eagle putt. He followed that with a birdie on the par-4 fifth and was ahead of Jacobsen by three shots with 12 holes to play.

Jacobsen pulled even when he birdied the par-4 13th, and moments later, Kite bogeyed No. 14 after landing both his drive and second shots in bunkers. He then missed a 25-foot putt. Kite followed that with a bogey on No. 16, as well, while Jacobsen bogeyed 15.

Stadler had a rather remarkable run of making par on 34 of the final 36 holes, a string broken up only by a double-bogey on the par-3 16th during the morning round and a birdie at No. 10 in the afternoon. He ended at 6 under.

PGA Tour

At Grand Blanc, Mich., Vijay Singh outlasted John Daly with a 5-under 67 to win the Buick Open at 23-under 265 for his fourth victory of the year and 19th of his career.

Daly, vying for a second win in one year for the first time, finished a stroke back after shooting a 66 and bogeying the 18th hole.

Tiger Woods started the day three strokes behind Singh, and pulled within a stroke while shooting a 66. He finished at 21 under, two strokes off behind the winner and tied with Carlos Franco (67) for third.

Defending champion Jim Furyk, who shared the second-round lead with Singh, finished tied for sixth at 17 under after shooting a 68.

Singh’s bogey at 18 created an opportunity for Daly to force a playoff, but Daly was unable to take advantage of the break.

Singh is just the third two-time Buick Open champion, and the first since Julius Boros won at Warwick Hills a second time in 1967.

European PGA

Luke Donald claimed his first European Tour victory, carding a 3-under 69 for a five shot victory at the Scandinavian Masters in Loddekopinge, Sweden.

England’s Donald, who plays primarily on the PGA Tour, finished at 16-under 272 at Barseback Golf and Country Club.

Sweden’s Peter Hanson (71) and Henrik Stenson (69) tied for second at 11 under.

Three-time Scandinavian Masters champion Colin Montgomerie, who made bogey on the last two holes, and England’s Ian Poulter (65) shared fourth place at 9 under. Montgomerie, who shot a 5-under 67, won two of his three titles at Barseback.

Donald, whose last victory came at the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau Classic, held a three-stroke lead after three rounds and led by at least two strokes throughout the final round.

Western Amateur

Ryan Moore of Puyallup, Wash., made a 33-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to beat Australian James Nitties and win the 102nd Western Amateur championship at Benton Township, Mich.

Moore, the NCAA individual champion from UNLV, also won the U.S. Public Links and Sahalee Players Championship titles this summer.

After Moore’s long birdie, Nitties missed a 12-foot putt that would have sent the match to a second extra hole.