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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Chapman joins lofty club

Englishman Roger Chapman picked up his second Champions Tour major victory this season. (Associated Press)

Roger Chapman earned the right to be mentioned in the same sentence with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Hale Irwin.

Not bad for a self-described former European Tour journeyman.

The Englishman shot a 4-under-par 66 on Sunday to win the U.S. Senior Open by two strokes at 10 under at Indianwood in Lake Orion, Mich. He won the Senior PGA Championship by the same margin two months ago on the other side of Michigan.

Chapman, Nicklaus, Player and Irwin are the only players to win the U.S. Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship in the same year.

“It’s a true honor,” Chapman said.

Before this year, his career highlight was a European Tour win in Brazil in 2000.

Bernhard Langer (72), Fred Funk (67), Tom Lehman (68) and Corey Pavin (68) finished tied for second at 8-under 272 at the Champions Tour’s fourth of five majors.

Pullman High graduate Kirk Triplett shot a final-round 71 and finished at 281.

Entering the final round, it seemed as if the only lingering question was how easily Langer would win.

Langer, though, found out what the first- and second-round leaders – Tom Kite and Lance Ten Broeck – did the previous two days: It’s not easy to stay consistent at Indianwood.

Langer took a four-shot lead into the final round and closed with a shaky 72.

Scottish Open

Jeev Milkha Singh beat Francesco Molinari in a playoff to win the Scottish Open at Inverness and secure a late berth in next week’s British Open.

A final-round meltdown by local hope Marc Warren left Singh and Molinari tied at 17-under 271. The 40-year-old Indian won by draining a 15-foot birdie on No. 18.

Singh shot a bogey-free 5-under 67 to tie for the lowest round of the day. Warren and overnight leader Molinari (72) dropped shots down a tough closing stretch into the wind.

A fierce westerly wind and occasional heavy rain proved too much for top-ranked Luke Donald (73) and Phil Mickelson (74), who finished tied for 16th at 12 under.

John Deere Classic

Zach Johnson won the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill, on the second playoff hole, hitting his second shot to a foot for a birdie to beat Troy Matteson.

After Johnson and Matteson double-bogeyed the 18th on their first playoff hole, Johnson hit a 193-yard second shot from a bunker to 12 inches from the cup, again on the 18th. Matteson needed to sink a 43-footer to match Johnson’s birdie, but didn’t get the putt to the hole.

It was Johnson’s second win of the season and ninth of his career.

Johnson birdied three of the last six holes in regulation, taking the lead until Matteson sank a 60-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th. Johnson shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 to finish at 20-under 264. Matteson shot a 69.

Scott Piercy finished third, two strokes back after a 65.