MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — The Big Tree stole the Big Chief's thunder in the final round of the AT&T Canada Senior Open.
The Big Chief, Mississaugua's famous par-5 12th hole that derailed Jack Nicklaus in the 1965 and 1974 Canadian Opens, was upstaged Sunday by the towering chestnut tree that guards the left side of the 18th green as Walter Hall fought off Ed Dougherty.
Hall made two scrambling pars on the closing hole Sunday, the second on the first hole of a playoff to become the tour's record fourth straight first-time winner.
"Heaven forbid they ever lose that tree," Hall said. "I'm thinking about going out and kissing it. . . . That's really a great spot for a tree. It's a huge part of that hole, especially with the back left pin for someone like myself or Ed who fades the ball."
Dougherty was thinking about reducing the tree to kindling after bogeying the hole in regulation to drop into a tie with Hall and missing a 20-foot par putt in the playoff.
"I'd blow the tree up," said Dougherty, who bogeyed No. 18 three times in five tries. "You better get me out of Canada or that tree might not be there tomorrow."
Hall, the 54-year-old former North Carolina appliance sales manager, two-putted from 35 feet in the playoff for his first victory after six runner-up finishes in five seasons.
"It's been a fantastic week," Hall said. "I was very fortunate today. I didn't play my best, but thank goodness I had my putter in the bag. It saved me time after time."
With the wind gusting to 20 mph and lightning and rain delaying play for 1 hour, 19 minutes late in the round, Hall parred the final 12 holes of regulation for a 1-under 70 to match Dougherty at 15-under 269. Dougherty finished with a 66.
"I hung in there and scrambled my little fanny off," Hall said. "Fortunately, I got through it."
Both players struggled on No. 18 in regulation, with Dougherty returning from the delay to make his first bogey of the day. He hit his second shot into the grandstand behind the green, and missed a 15-footer for par.
Hall, the third-round leader, made a 4-foot par putt to force the playoff after pulling his drive into the thick rough.
"All I could try to do was chase something up there in front of the green and take my chances with my pitch and putt," Hall said.
Dougherty, who won in Kansas City, Mo., in May for his second senior title, had four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine and birdied the par-5 12th to reach 14 under. He birdied No. 15 to tie Hall, and took the lead with a 15-foot birdie putt on 16.
Bruce Fleisher closed with a 68, his 24th straight round of par or better, to finish third at 14 under.
A three-time winner this year, Fleisher earned $115,200 to push his tour-leading total to $2,175,182.
He also moved 67 points ahead of Allen Doyle in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, with the winner getting a $1 million annuity. Doyle shot a 67 to tie for eighth at 9 under.
Argentina's Vicente Fernandez shot a 68 to finish fourth at 13 under, and Jim Thorpe was another stroke back after a 72. Thorpe opened with a course-record 63 and led after the first two rounds.