By JAYMES SONG
Associated PressKAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii – Fred Funk won the Champions Tour’s season-opening MasterCard Championship Sunday, making birdie on the final two holes to shoot 7-under 65 and win by two shots over Allen Doyle.
The 51-year-old Funk, coming off a 10th-place tie last week in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open, finished with a 21-under 195 total for his third Champions Tour victory in 14 starts and his second title in Hawaii in two years.
Doyle, who blew a four-stroke lead, had a 68.
Funk screamed “Yes!” and raised his club in the air after he chipped in from 20 feet on No. 17. He then holed a 7-foot birdie putt on the 54th hole, after hitting a spectacular shot out of the white-sand bunker from 149 yards.
Jay Haas, seeking a record third consecutive money title and player of the year award, closed with a 67 to tie for third with Bernhard Langer (65) at 17 under.
First-round leader Tom Purtzer had a 69 to finish fifth at 16 under.
The wind was down most of the day until late in the afternoon when it changed directions and shook the palm trees and most of the players, except Funk, who earned $300,000 in the first of 29 Champions Tour events.
Funk opened the season on the PGA Tour, tying for 25th in the Mercedes-Benz Championship and 10th at Waialae. He will now head to Oahu to defend his title at the Turtle Bay Championship, which he won by 11 strokes last year.
Funk made his move on the back nine. He tapped in for birdie on the par-5 10th to move to 17 under and trim Doyle’s lead to two strokes. Most of the leaders birdied the hole except Doyle, who missed his approach to the right and ran a chip past the hole.
Doyle lost a stroke on the next hole when he missed the green short and his chip died 10 feet from the hole.
Funk tied Doyle for the lead by sinking a 26-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. Funk nearly holed his second shot on the 13th from 94 yards. He tapped in for birdie.
The 59-year-old Doyle, seeking his 12th Champions Tour victory and his first since the 2006 U.S. Senior Open, fought off the challenge by making a 21-foot putt for birdie to keep the pace.
Funk missed short birdie putts on Nos. 14 and 15 that would’ve given him the outright lead. But he was able to apply more pressure on Doyle, who parred the final five holes.
Doyle, who dropped 20 pounds in the offseason, was relaxed and loose as he walked the front side. The New England native discussed the Patriots’ victory over the San Diego Chargers with his caddie.
Final scores with relation to par and earnings from the MasterCard Championship, played Jan. 18-20 at the par-72
Hualalai Golf Course in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii:
| 1. Fred Funk |
$300,000 |
|
67-63-65--195 |
|
|
-21 |
| 2. Allen Doyle |
188,000 |
|
63-66-68--197 |
|
|
-19 |
| 3. Bernhard Langer |
118,000 |
|
66-68-65--199 |
|
|
-17 |
| 3. Jay Haas |
118,000 |
|
65-67-67--199 |
|
|
-17 |
| 5. Tom Purtzer |
91,750 |
|
62-69-69--200 |
|
|
-16 |
| 6. John Cook |
80,000 |
|
67-68-66--201 |
|
|
-15 |
| 7. Loren Roberts |
70,000 |
|
68-65-69--202 |
|
|
-14 |
| 8. Craig Stadler |
62,500 |
|
68-67-68--203 |
|
|
-13 |
| 8. Tom Watson |
62,500 |
|
66-68-69--203 |
|
|
-13 |
| 10. Bob Gilder |
50,000 |
|
66-69-69--204 |
|
|
-12 |
| 10. Brad Bryant |
50,000 |
|
66-68-70--204 |
|
|
-12 |
| 10. D.A. Weibring |
50,000 |
|
64-69-71--204 |
|
|
-12 |
| 13. Scott Simpson |
34,250 |
|
69-69-67--205 |
|
|
-11 |
| 13. Tom Jenkins |
34,250 |
|
66-71-68--205 |
|
|
-11 |
| 13. Mark Wiebe |
34,250 |
|
65-69-71--205 |
|
|
-11 |
| 13. Jim Thorpe |
34,250 |
|
63-68-74--205 |
|
|
-11 |
| 17. Ben Crenshaw |
28,000 |
|
68-69-69--206 |
|
|
-10 |
| 18. Jerry Pate |
24,000 |
|
66-75-66--207 |
|
|
-9 |
| 18. Lonnie Nielsen |
24,000 |
|
68-72-67--207 |
|
|
-9 |
| 18. Eduardo Romero |
24,000 |
|
65-72-70--207 |
|
|
-9 |
| 18. Mike Reid |
24,000 |
|
67-70-70--207 |
|
|
-9 |
| 18. Denis Watson |
24,000 |
|
67-66-74--207 |
|
|
-9 |
| 23. Keith Fergus |
18,500 |
|
72-72-64--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 23. Lanny Wadkins |
18,500 |
|
67-73-68--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 23. John Harris |
18,500 |
|
65-71-72--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 23. Dana Quigley |
18,500 |
|
70-67-71--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 23. John Jacobs |
18,500 |
|
66-69-73--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 23. R.W. Eaks |
18,500 |
|
67-67-74--208 |
|
|
-8 |
| 29. Morris Hatalsky |
15,500 |
|
70-68-71--209 |
|
|
-7 |
| 30. Hale Irwin |
14,750 |
|
72-70-68--210 |
|
|
-6 |
| 30. Mark McNulty |
14,750 |
|
65-69-76--210 |
|
|
-6 |
| 32. David Edwards |
14,000 |
|
69-72-71--212 |
|
|
-4 |
| 33. Bobby Wadkins |
13,250 |
|
73-72-68--213 |
|
|
-3 |
| 33. Curtis Strange |
13,250 |
|
67-71-75--213 |
|
|
-3 |
| 35. Tom Kite |
12,500 |
|
70-76-68--214 |
|
|
-2 |
| 36. Scott Hoch |
12,000 |
|
72-69-74--215 |
|
|
-1 |
| 37. Peter Jacobsen |
10,813 |
|
73-74-69--216 |
|
|
E |
| 37. Bruce Lietzke |
10,813 |
|
72-73-71--216 |
|
|
E |
| 37. Gil Morgan |
10,813 |
|
69-73-74--216 |
|
|
E |
| 37. Pete Oakley |
10,813 |
|
67-74-75--216 |
|
|
E |
| 41. Lee Trevino |
10,000 |
|
71-72-74--217 |
|
+ |
1 |
Posted: 1/20/2008
print
email
discuss
