Before Tiger Woods, there was Jay Sigel.
A decade before Woods wowed fans and scared pros with his poise and potential, Sigel was the country's most dominant amateur golfer and the last to win consecutive U.S. Amateurs before, well, Tiger.But while the 20-year-old Woods has gained stardom in a few weeks on the PGA Tour, a more mature Sigel waited much longer to make his professional mark.
"You know, it's absolutely amazing to get paid for something that you have done as a hobby all your life and had so much fun at," said Sigel, who shot a steady 72 and won the Senior Tour Championship on Sunday. "I still approach it the same way."
Sigel won $280,000 for his second Senior PGA Tour victory and his first since 1994, the year he finally decided to cut back on his Philadelphia insurance business and turn pro.
"What I've had, I mean no one has experienced that I know of, for that period of time and had a business and family," Sigel said. "I am a very, very lucky person."
Sigel was very skilled at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club, site of the season's final event. So skilled, that attention switched from his easy victory to Jim Colbert's successful run at Hale Irwin for the season's money crown.
Sigel won U.S. Amateurs in 1982 and 1983, the British Amateur in 1979 and three Mid-Amateur titles in 1980s. He was also on a record nine Walker Cup teams and was captain in 1983 and 1985. That's a pretty good record to bring to the pro tour.
"If I had turned pro, and I have said this a million times, I could have failed," he said. "A lot of guys do. It's a hard game. Instead, I got the opportunity to get married, get into a business, have children - pretty much a normal life."
Sigel said he saw a challenge with his 50th birthday approaching and learned, with a victory at the GTE West Classic only weeks into his season, that he could compete with the Seniors.
This year, he had won $814,690 before the Senior Tour Championships but had no victories. Now after two seconds, two fourths and 11 top-10 finishes on tour, he may have taken care of a few questions.
"I've been close so many times and have not won," Sigel said. "Am I going to do it or not going to do it?"
Colbert trailed Irwin by $312,000 in the money race six weeks ago, but came into this tourney only $66,004 behind.
Irwin seemed a lock to hold on after shooting a 70 and watching Colbert bogey No. 17. But Colbert, who caught Dave Stockton for the 1995 money title by winning the Senior Tour Championship, stared down an 18-foot birdie putt and watched it curl into the cup on the final hole for a 69.
Colbert finished with a Senior's record $1,627,890 - $12,121 better than runner-up Irwin.
"That is the way it should be," Colbert said of his putt. "I mean, you should control your own destiny."