Even though Jim Colbert looked like a sure winner, almost everyone thought Ray Floyd could again come from six shots down and win the Senior Tour Championship.
Everyone except Colbert. On the practice range, the putting green and from the gallery, Colbert heard how he wouldn't be able to stand up to Floyd on the final day.And Colbert almost didn't, needing a 20-foot birdie putt on the next to last hole to pull out a one-stroke victory over Floyd, the defending champion.
"You don't play this game in a vacuum," said Colbert, who shot a 2-over 74 for a 6-under 283. "You hear that others are thinking Ray can do it and from the gallery saying it was deja vu while I was making all those bad shots. But with that putt, I said `Oh no, it wasn't."'
Colbert was ahead by six shots at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and in charge. But his patient and nearly flawless game of the first three rounds - just two bogeys in the first 54 holes - fell apart in the season-ending tournament.
He had a double bogey and four bogeys down the stretch that almost kept him from the the tour's money title and the $262,000 first prize. Colbert won for the fourth time this season, most on the tour, and won the Seniors' money title with a tour-record $1,444,386.
"It's the first time in my life I've ever been No. 1 at something and it feels pretty good right now," Colbert said.
Rocky Thompson had a 71 and was tied for third with Tom Wargo two shots back.
Dave Stockton started tied for second and needed only to finish third or better to win the money crown for the third consecutive year. But he missed makeable putts throughout the round and wound up with a 72, fifth at 2-under. His earnings of $83,900 left him almost $30,000 behind Colbert.
At Shenzen, China, Americans Davis Love and Fred Couples captured the World Cup of Golf title for a record fourth straight year Sunday, winning by a 14-shot margin.
The race for individual honors was much tighter. Love won in a playoff with Japan's Hisayuki Sasaki when Sasaki bogeyed the fifth extra hole. Both finished the regulation 72 holes in 21-under-par 267.
In the first major golf tournament in China, Love shot six birdies Sunday in a round of 5-under-par 67. Couples added a 69, giving the Americans a four-day aggregate of 33-under-par 543.
Australia jumped from fourth to second place at 557. Brett Ogle shot a 68 for a 278 total and teammate Robert Allenby had a 70 for 279.
At Melbourne, Australia, Liselotte Neumann of Sweden birdied the final three holes and won the Women's Australian Open golf title Sunday on the third playoff hole.
Neumann, who had led after all three previous rounds, needed the three birdies to join countrywoman and defending champion Annika Sorenstam and American Jane Geddes in a tie at 283 - 9 under par over the par-73 Yarra Yarra course.
On the third playoff hole, Sorentsam was in trouble off the tee, finding a fairway bunker with her driver.
Neumann, meanwhile hit a perfect drive and rifled a fairway wood to within 20 feet. Her eagle opportunity missed by 8 inches but she safely tapped in for a birdie and the title.