Franco Milwaukee’s best
Carlos Franco’s two favorite places in America are Milwaukee and New Orleans, where he’s won twice at each stop for his only PGA Tour wins.
The Paraguayan who spent his free time fishing for bass at a friend’s pond during the week rather than practicing his golf game, shot a 3-under-par 67 Sunday to win the U.S. Bank Championship, which was known as the Greater Milwaukee Open when he won it in 1999.
Franco’s 13-under 267 bested Fred Funk (66) and Brett Quigley (69) by two strokes each on a cool, breezy day at Brown Deer Park.
“I’m double happy,” Franco said.
Not only for his two wins in Milwaukee but because his family was here to witness it.
His wife, Celsa, had only watched her husband play on TV since he began playing on the PGA Tour full-time five years ago.
And what did she have to say to him after he won $630,000, his biggest paycheck ever?
“She doesn’t speak to me, only crying,” Franco said.
Patrick Sheehan (70), Billy Andrade (67) and Olin Browne (67) finished three shots back, tied for fourth.
Defending champion Kenny Perry (70) tied for seventh, his worst finish in five trips to Milwaukee, where he had been in the top five the last four years.
Franco is the seventh two-time winner in Milwaukee. He began the final round tied with Quigley and Sheehan atop the leaderboard, his first 54-hole lead since the 2000 COMPAQ Classic of New Orleans, which he won in a playoff to defend his ‘99 title.
Senior British Open
At Portrush, Northern Ireland, club pro Peter Oakley shot a 2-under 70 to fend off Tom Kite and Eduardo Romero and win his first Champions Tour title.
Oakley, the pro at The Rookery in Rehoboth Beach, Del., who had to qualify for the tournament, chipped out of a greenside bunker and rolled in a 10-foot par putt on the 18th at Royal Portrush to win the major championship by one stroke.
His only other tournament victory came at the PGA Club Professional Championship in 1999.
Oakley shot a 4-under 284 over the four days and won $295,000 — almost 12 times his previous best.
His career earnings entering the tournament totaled $54,309, with his biggest check being $14,801 after finishing tied for 35th at last year’s U.S. Senior Open.
In eight previous Champions Tour tournaments, Oakley’s best finishes came at the 1999 U.S. Senior Open and the 2002 Senior PGA Championship. He finished tied for 32nd at both.
Tom Kite shot a 69 and Eduardo Romero a 67 to tie for second at 3 under. Mark James, who won the Champions Tour’s previous major two weeks ago, the Senior Players Championship, finished another stroke back in fourth place after a 70.
Irish Open
At Drogheda, Ireland, Brett Rumford of Australia fired a 5-under 67 for a four-shot victory.
Irishman Padraig Harrington and Raphael Jacquelin of France also shot 67s and shared second place, four shots behind. Overnight leader Peter Lonard was another shot behind after closing with a 73.
Rumford finished with a 14-under 274 for his second win on the European Tour, earning him $382,000.
“I can tell you I’m really burning inside,” he said. “There’s no feeling like this.”
The Perth native, who will be 27 on Tuesday, birdied the second, third and fourth holes to pass Lonard on the leaderboard.