Ever since he shot that shocking course-record 64 on Friday, this Rives McBee fellow was supposed to go and take his proper place in the middle of the pack at the Showdown Classic. It was time for the Trevinos and Chi Chis to take over and for McBee to go back and join the Chuck Mehoks and J.C. Goosies of the Senior Tour.
That seemed to be happening Saturday when McBee made a few bogeys and fell back to a tie for second with a 70. Sunday was the day for the big guns to charge to the front. If not Trevino then perhaps George Archer or Mike Hill or Don Bies.So who was leading as the final group stood on the final green?
Rives McBee.
But he left a 30-foot uphill putt five feet short, a distance he had just missed from on the previous hole. Several thousand fans were watching along with Mr. Senior Tour himself, Lee Trevino, who was standing in the shadows waiting for a playoff if McBee should miss. Some fans were aleady heading for the playoff hole.
McBee's putt curled around the inside edge of the cup and fell in the back side and he grinned and punched the air with his fist.
For the 51-year-old from Irving, Texas, it was his second Senior win. He won the RJR Bank One Classic at Lexington, Ky., last September.
"They say your first is the hardest, but I think the second is. It's certainly more emotional" said McBee, who earned $52,500. "This is something I've dreamed about all my life, to beat the best players in the world."
In his other win, McBee didn't have a Lee Trevino to beat out as he did at Jeremy Ranch this weekend. And that made this one even sweeter.
"He's been the best all year, and when you play the game's best, you always want to win," said McBee, who used to travel by car with Trevino 25 years ago on the regular PGA Tour.
McBee's final-round 68 gave him a 14-under-par 202 total, which smashed the previous Showdown record shared by Miller Barber and Tom Shaw. Trevino and Bies finished one stroke behind, while three players, Dale Douglass, Hill and Archer finished four shots back at 206. Bies, the second-round leader, lost the tournament when he made a triple-bogey at the par-4 6th hole.
After 13 holes Sunday, the six players in the two final groups were all lined up in neat order. McBee was 14-under, Trevino 13, Dick Rhyan 12, Bies 11, Hill 10 and Archer 9, along with Douglass.
McBee had been tied with Trevino going into 13 and as he watched the Merry Mex get in some sand trouble up ahead, he said to himself, "You can't wait for them to give it to you. You've got to win it yourself."
He promptly birdied 13 with a 15-foot putt and followed with a 15-footer at 14 to go ahead by two. "That's when I felt it was mine," said McBee.
At 16 he told his caddy, "We didn't get here by laying up, give me my driver," and hit another great drive. But he missed a 7-foot putt for birdie and had his lead cut to one because Trevino had already birdied. McBee bogeyed 17 when he 3-putted from 30 feet, just after Trevino also bogeyed.
As McBee got ready to drive on 18, Trevino rolled his birdie try from 30 feet above the hole. It looked to be halfway down, but it spun completely around the hole and stayed out. Trevino fell over backwards and the crowd groaned. McBee needed a par to win at 18 and he got it.
Although he sank a lot of putts, McBee credited his win to his driver. "The driver has definitely been the key to my success. The driver put me in position to win this week."
Early on, McBee ran off three straight birdies at 2, 3 and 4, the latter coming from 20 feet. He bogeyed 6 but still won the hole as Hill made double bogey and Bies that terrible triple.
At No. 9, McBee had made up his mind to lay up with his second shot at the dangerous par-5. But he hit "probably my best tee shot all week," and ended up just 123 yards from the pin. "I think I can hit any green from 123 yards, at least I'd better." He chipped within three feet and made it for eagle.
Trevino declined to come to the press tent for an interview afterwards, saying he had a plane to catch. After going in the locker room for a couple of minutes, he emerged and had one comment as he rushed by. "I played good, but Rives played much better . . . I gotta run, I've got a 6:38 flight."
Trevino didn't exactly endear himself to a lot of Utahns during the week. He groused throughout the Tuesday Skins Game about being there. He wouldn't grant any interviews until Thursday and when he did, he was merciless on one reporter for making a mistake in a story. He frustrated a lot of fans by giving few autographs. His caddy, Herman, complained all week too about Jeremy's hills and whatever.
Bies also had a plane to catch, but he took a few minutes to discuss his final round.
"The triple bogey on 6 was the whole tournament," he said. "It was the first time I went over par on any hole and it cost me."
After hitting in the hazard on his drive, Bies hit his third shot 40 feet above the hole. He left his par putt three feet short, then lipped out on his next putt and saw the ball go three feet to the side. When he missed that putt, it was a 4-putt triple-bogey. He later made four birdies, but it wasn't enough.
Rhyan, who had tied for second here two years ago, sneaked up on the leaders Sunday, going 5-under through 14 holes, 12-under for the tourney. He missed a 4-foot birdie try at 15 that would have put him within one shot of the lead. Then at 16, after hitting within a few yards of the green in two, he did his best imitation of a Sunday afternoon hacker.
Although he had plenty of green to work with, Rhyan plopped his third shot short into the sand trap. His blast from the trap went clear across the green to another trap. Then with most of the gallery already shaking their heads in embarrassment, he hit his fifth shot just a few inches, staying in the trap. He finally got out and made double bogey. In all, Rhyan's misadventures at 16 cost him about 10 grand as he finished a shot behind the three players at 10-under.
Among the local players, Bob Betley did the best, birdieing the final hole for a 70 and a 210 total. The 10th-place finish earned him $9,000. Ex-Utahn Billy Casper faded to a 77 Sunday and finished at 218 in a tie for 30th. Dick Peacock and Lanny Nielsen were way back at 229 and 231, respectively.
The Showdown is already penciled in on next year's Senior Tour schedule and will be played the week of Aug. 5-11.
*****
(ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
How they finished
Rives McBee $52,500 64-70-68-202 -14
Lee Trevino $25,500 67-68-68-203 -13
Don Bies $25,500 66-66-71-203 -13
Dale Douglass $17,000 70-69-67-206 -10
George Archer $17,000 67-68-71-206 -10
Mike Hill $17,000 66-68-72-206 -10
Rocky Thompson $11,500 70-69-68-207 -9
Dick Rhyan $11,500 69-68-70-207 -9