Hugh Baiocchi's 5-under-par 67 Sunday gave him a two-stroke victory over Bruce Summerhays in the Senior PGA Tour's Comfort Classic at the Brickyard Crossing and a tournament-record 20-under 196 total.
Baiocchi, who didn't have a bogey over the 54 holes, led Summerhays, his playing partner, by four shots until Summerhays made birdies on 17 and 18 to close the gap. But Baiocchi, using a new putting stroke, refused to fold even with temperatures around 90 and high humidity.The South African's effort was three shots better than the 199 established by George Archer in 1991 and equaled by Ray Floyd in 1992 when the seniors played at the nearby Broadmoor Country Club.
"To shoot 20 under - that's pretty damn good putting," said Baiocchi, who credited fellow senior Steve Veriato for a mid-week tip that salvaged his once-errant putting game. "It comes as a surprise. I haven't competed real well, and I was frustrated the last few weeks."
Baiocchi, who earned a career-high $172,500 for his second win in as many years, needed just 18 putts Sunday, and finished the tournament with 84.
Bud Allin and Isao Aoki shot final-round 68s and tied for third at202.
Hale Irwin birdied five of the last seven holes in a 68 and finished tied for fifth at 203 with Veriato, Ed Dougherty, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Terry Dill. That extended Irwin's streak of finishing in the top five in all 17 tournaments this season.
Summerhays, who had a final-round 68, said he couldn't have done much better.
"Hugh played wonderful golf," he said. "I played great, too, but not great enough."
Bell Canadian Open
OAKVILLE, Ontario - In a duel of bizarre bounces and heroic putts, Billy Andrade won the Bell Canadian Open on Sunday by purposely playing into the bunker and saving par to beat Bob Friend on the first playoff hole.
The victory - which felt more like survival - ended a seven-year victory drought for Andrade. He has won three times on the PGA Tour and has trailed going into the final round in all three.
"When you don't win for awhile, you don't know if you're ever going to win again," said Andrade, who finished at 13-under 275 and won $396,000. "But I had a funny feeling about this week."
He could have never dreamed how it would finish.
Andrade had a one-stroke lead over Friend going to the 508-yard closing hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club, the same hole where Andrade hit into the water in the third round for a double bogey that cost him the lead.
Friend, needing at least a birdie for a chance of a playoff, left his 3-wood short, but it somehow bounced over the bulkhead and skipped through the green into a back bunker.
Andrade, from 237 yards, also decided to go for the green but went in the water for the second straight day. He hit his fourth shot to 30 feet, then holed the putt for par, leaning over to watch it track to the cup and leaping into the air when it fell.
Friend, who earlier holed out a bunker shot for birdie on No. 9 and chipped from the front of the green to the back on the 17th to save par and stay in the game, blasted out of the bunker to 6 feet and rolled in the birdie to force the playoff.
"I don't think I ever shook as much as I did over that putt," said Friend, who earned $237,000 for the biggest paycheck of his career.
LPGA Safeco
KENT, WASH. - Patty Sheehan, a three-time winner of the Safeco Classic, shot a 5-under-par 67 Saturday and took a one-stroke lead over Annika Sorenstam as the two topped a star-studded leaderboard.
Rookie Se Ri Pak, who held a one-stroke lead after 36 holes, struggled with three straight double-bogeys Saturday and had a 2-over 74.
Sheehan, 41, who finished third here last year, had five birdies Saturday and was at 12-under 204.
Sorenstam, this season's money leader by a mere $6,000 over Pak, also had a third-round 67.
Pak and Juli Inkster, a two-time Safeco champion who shot a 67 Saturday, were five back at 209.
Australian Karrie Webb, winner of the last two events here, had a 69 and was at 210, tied with Laura Davies, 70, and Rosie Jones, 71.
Sherri Steinhauer, the first-round leader who was one shot behind Pak starting the third round, stumbled to a 75 and was at 211 on the 6,241-yard Meridian Valley Country Club course.
Pak, the 20-year-old sensation from South Korea, had a birdie on No. 2 to go 10 under for the tournament, but then ran into some serious trouble on the next three holes.