It didn't matter to Loren Roberts that he backed in to the title in the Nestle Invitational.
It did not concern him that the victory was achieved with his ball in his pocket, his day's work done, while he stood and watched from behind the 18th green at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club.After more than 12 years of struggle without a victory on the PGA Tour, "I'll take it anyway I can get it," a delighted, grateful Roberts said Sunday.
The 38-year-old veteran became a first-time winner as the beneficiary of major mistakes by Fuzzy Zoeller and Vijay Singh, each of whom dropped two shots on the last two holes and handed Roberts a one-stroke victory.
The triumph did more than provide Roberts with $216,000 from the total purse of $1.2 million. It changed his stature in the game, he said, and rid him of a title he admitted "was beginning to bother me."
"I've been out here a long time and I've made a lot of money," Roberts said. "But that doesn't cut it out here. You're just a day laborer until you win."
The victory, of course, provided him with a step up in class, enabling him to shed the dubious distinction of having the greatest career money winnings without winning a tournament.
"I was getting sick of reading that every time I saw my name in print," he said.
All that changed with his bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 and 275 total, 13 under par, that was completed well ahead of the other contenders.
Roberts, waiting by the 18th green, didn't think it would be enough. He'd dropped a double-breaking 30-footer for birdie on the ninth and a 32 on the front nine, then played the back side in 35.
But he did not birdie the vulnerable, par-5 16th, a lapse he anticipated would be costly.
"I didn't think I had a chance," he said.
Zoeller and Singh each two-putted for birdie-4 on that hole and each went to 14 under, one ahead of Roberts.
But Zoeller pulled his 3-iron into the gallery on the par-3 17th, the ball bounced off a spectator's head and into the water, leading to a double-bogey.
"A bad shot at the wrong time," Zoeller said.
Singh three-putted the 17th for bogey, dropping back into a tie with Roberts, then drove into the rough, failed to reach the green and bogeyed the 18th, handing Roberts the victory.
Zoeller, with a 69, and Singh, 71, tied for second place with Nick Price, who had a closing 70. Singh, a native of Fiji, also was runner-up in this event a year ago.
Larry Mize, who underwent arthoscopic surgery on his right knee less than two weeks ago, was alone at 277 after a 69. Greg Norman, with a 67, and Tom Lehman, with a 71, were next at 278.
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At Phoenix, Laura Davies left her driver in the bag most of the day on the longest course on the LPGA schedule and shot an error-free 3-under-par 70 Sunday to win the Standard Register Ping.