The Final Ford Senior Players Championship By John Wukovits his year’s edition of the Journeyman Ron Streck, who said Tom Watson. “It just seems Ford Senior Players warmed up for the tournament by everyone’s between five and eight- TChampionship—the final in putting siding on his garage the pre- under par after two rounds.” He a Michigan run that started in vious weekend after missing the cut added that he felt excited with the 1990—opened on Thursday, July at the Senior Open, matched Zoeller condition of his game. “That’s the 13, 2006 with a burst of birdies with his best golf of the year, a best I’ve struck the ball since earlier and low scores before limping to round that saw him record five in the year,” stated Watson, “so that’s the bogey-marked finale on straight birdies on the back nine. a good sign. I just can’t wait to get Sunday, July 16. It may not have out there again tomorrow to play.” been the most memorable tourna- “I like the golf course,” Streck ment in the long stretch in said following his round. “I’m Joe Ozaki notched the most Dearborn, Michigan, but it offered sorry we’re not going to play here spectacular round of the tourna- glimpses why the Champions Tour anymore. This is only my second ment. After parring the first hole, provides galleries with amazing year to play here, but I like the golf he ran off a string of eight straight artistry from veteran players. course. I think there are just birdies—tying a tour record—to enough difficult shots to make the post an incredible eight-under 28 Tournament play started on golf course go one way or the on the front nine. After parring the Thursday with a popular veteran other as far as the scores.” tenth hole, Ozaki birdied the and an unheralded performer tied eleventh, then stumbled a bit on for the lead. Fuzzy Zoeller, always A stable of twenty-three talent- the way in with a one-over 37. His a fan favorite with his quick banter ed golfers lurked within four shots 65, however, vaulted him into a tie and stellar play, registered a seven- of the lead, including Bruce for first place. under par 65 behind eight birdies Lietzke at 67, Jay Haas and Tom over the demanding TPC of Kite at 68, and Dana Quigley, Tom They were followed one shot Michigan course, a Jack Nicklaus Watson, and tour newcomer Fred back by Fuzzy Zoeller, who came designed layout in Dearborn. Funk at 69. in with an even-par round, two shots back by Loren Roberts, Jay “One thing you want to do on the Sweltering conditions that saw Haas, and Tom Kite, and three Champions Tour is get out of the temperatures soar into the 90s took shots by Fred Funk. Rain forced box,” explained Zoeller after com- its toll on the field during the sec- the suspension of round two with pleting his first round. “That’s one ond round. Twenty-nine players twenty players, including Ozaki, thing this year I haven’t been doing. stood within four shots of the lead, still on the course. Those twenty I’ve always put myself kind of in a which moved only to eight-under finished their rounds Saturday hole the first round. These guys out par, one stroke better than posted morning, before play commenced here like to shoot and shoot fast. on Thursday. Eight players ended on the third round. Everybody has got a six-shooter and the day tied for the lead, including they’re all very quick on the trigger. Tom Watson and Gil Morgan. Spectators hoping for someone It’s kind of nice to get out of the box to break out of the pack during the and play under par.” “It’s like that every year here,” third round were not disappointed. 24 F A L L 2 0 0 6 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 0 6 25 Loren Roberts needed only twenty- venous fluids, but they could do 13-foot putt to avoid falling into a five putts in his eight-under par, little for the other golfers who tie with Jim Thorpe. He made the bogey-free round of 64 to grab a watched their rounds crumble in a clutch putt to complete a four- two-shot lead over Lonnie Nielsen flurry of second-nine bogeys. under 68 and take the tournament. and a three-shot lead over Brad “All I was thinking was what Bryant and tour workhorse Dana Third-round leader Loren Roberts Lanny was saying out there,” said Quigley. increased his lead to five shots Wadkins of his older brother, before losing an errant drive ion the Lanny, busy in the CBS television Loren Roberts attributed the hazard at 11, which cost him a dou- booth. work he has recently put in on his ble bogey. A bogey at the 12th hole game for his great results. “I’ve and a second double bogey, this time Wadkins earned $375,000 for been working at my game pretty at the treacherous 14th hole, dropped his victory, plus a spot in next hard for the last four months. I him from the lead. May’s PGA Tour Players made a couple of adjustments, one Championship. in the golf swing and one in the Jim Thorpe, who had lurked putting stroke. Yesterday, about within a few shots of the lead all Some fan favorites attended the the last three or four holes, I hit week, now saw a win within his final Michigan version of the some better shots and made some grasp, but a bogey on 18 put him Senior Players Championship. better putts.” three shots behind Bobby Wadkins, Three legends—Gary Player, Chi a longtime player who had never Chi Rodriguez, and Lee Trevino— “I’m sad to see golf leave the Detroit area. It’s a great sports city.” Gil Morgan remained in the won on the regular PGA Tour. flew in as a way of saying thanks hunt with a one-under 71, placing Consecutive birdies from the 11th to the southeastern Michigan golf him five shots off the pace, but to the 15th holes vaulted Wadkins fans who long made the tourna- Tom Watson all but shot himself over his struggling competitors and ment a special one. out of the tournament with a 78. placed him in a comfortable spot to However, as play headed into win for the first time. The final edition produced Sunday’s final round, 14 golfers mixed reaction from the players. were within six shots of the lead. Despite the three-stroke margin Most hated to leave such an A shootout in the grand tradition of with one hole remaining, Wadkins appealing locale, but understood tournaments past loomed. almost squandered his good for- that economics propels every tune. He hooked his drive into the industry, including their own. The epic duel failed to material- hazard skirting the fairway’s left ize as one after another, leaders side, then plunked his third short “I’m sad to see golf leave the stumbled in the blistering heat that into a bunker guarding the green. Detroit area,” said defending saw Gil Morgan walk the fairways A poor blast out of the bunker left champion Peter Jacobsen to the with a wet towel draped around his him in heavy rough over the green, Heritage Newspaper Press & head and Jim Colbert leave the and had not a mediocre chip hit the Guide. “It’s a great sports city.” course on the 13th hole. pin at full speed, Wadkins might On the other hand, Lee Trevino have landed back in the original laid the reasons to money. “Once Paramedics stabilized the 65- sand bunker. With his lead evapo- you start losing the gallery, it’s year-old by administering intra- rating, Wadkins had to drain the time to go someplace else.” MG 26 F A L L 2 0 0 6 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E.