LONG GROVE, Ill. -- Hale Irwin shot a 5-under 67 and got a little help from Bruce Fleisher in winning his second straight Ameritech Senior Open title and third in five years.
Fleisher, the Senior PGA Tour money leader, saw his chances for victory drown with a water ball on No. 16, and Irwin went on to win by a stroke.Irwin shot a 10-under 206 for the $1.3 million tournament at Kemper Lakes. It was his fourth victory this season, and second in three tournaments.
Even after Fleisher's water shot, Irwin's victory still wasn't secure. Raymond Floyd had a 45-foot birdie putt on 18 that would have tied Irwin and forced a playoff, but he narrowly missed it.
Fleisher and Floyd both finished at 9-under 207, tied with CBS color analyst Gary McCord. McCord had the best round of the day, shooting an eagle on the par-5 No. 4 and finishing with a 7-under 65.
Fred Gibson, a journeyman pro who was an unlikely co-leader after the second round, fell out of contention with a double bogey on No. 8 and finished at 5-under 211.
JAL BIG APPLE CLASSIC: At New Rochelle, N.Y., Sherri Steinhauer won a five-hole playoff over Lorie Kane in near darkness to capture the JAL Big Apple Classic.
Steinhauer birdied the 18th hole to force the playoff, then made a 25-foot birdie putt on the same green to finally end the tournament.
Steinhauer's putt came on what would have been the last playoff hole of the day at the Wykagyl Country Club because of darkness. The two players had previously played the par-5 18th four times, parring every time.