You are viewing: May 2008

Haas Wins at Oak Hill

Jay Haas survived a wild final round at a stingy Oak Hill to hang on and win his second Senior PGA Championship in three years. Haas endured a five-bogey, one-birdie round of 74 to finish the tournament at 7-over 287 and claim the title.

Haas calmly converted a 2-foot par put on No. 18 for his 11th victory on the Champions Tour and second Senior PGA Championship after wining in 2006 at Oak Tree. He also becomes the 13th player to win at least two Senior PGA titles. Haas relied on a full arsenal of FootJoy products this week, including Classic Tour golf shoes, a SciFlex glove and FootJoy Performance Outerwear .

You would be accurate in saying the players “survived” Oak Hill this week. Haas’ 7-over was the highest winning score in relation to par in the 69-year history of Senior PGA, shattering the previous high of 2-over set by Sam Snead in 1970 at PGA National at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It also marked the second-highest winning score in Champions Tour history, two short of Arnold Palmer’s 9-over at the 1981 Senior Open at Oakland Hills.

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Lorena Wins Sybase Classic

Ochoa closed with a final round 1-under 71 Sunday to win her third consecutive Sybase Classic and her sixth victory of the season. Ochoa is quickly approaching her win total from last year (8) when she ascended to the #1 world ranking and was named Player of the Year. The victory is Ochoa’s 22nd since April 2006 and the first place check made her the fastest player on the LPGA to reach $12 million in career earnings.

Ochoa was pursued all day by a group of players but managed to maintain her lead despite cool, wet conditions that shortened the tournament to 54 holes. With her lead cut to one on the 18th tee, Ochoa reached the par five in three shots. When her closest pursuer missed her putt to tie, Lorena calmly two-putted to victory.


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Clutch Performance

FootJoy player Ryuji Imada claimed his first PGA TOUR victory Sunday, winning the AT&T Classic with a par on the first playoff hole after his opponent hit his approach in the pond fronting the 18th green. It was a complete turnaround from last year at the same tournament when Imada got into a playoff with Zach Johnson at the TPC Sugarloaf, only to lose when he knocked his second shot into the same pond (43 balls found the pond this week). Imada has been a runner-up three times on the PGA TOUR, including earlier this season at the Buick Invitational and the PODS Championship.

Imada, who wore Classics Dry Premiere during the final round, needed a birdie on the 72nd hole in regulation just to get in the playoff. Trailing by a stroke, he was right of the green on his second shot with a 3-wood, but chipped up to 4 feet and made the putt for a 5-under 67. Imada averaged 27.25 putts per round this week, the best among all the players.

A native of Japan, Imada had plenty of fans cheering him on at TPC Sugarloaf; he attended the nearby University of Georgia. As he walked off the green after his winning putt, a few fans woofed it up. He’s certain to receive another warm welcome when he returns to the area about a year from now…not only to defend his first Tour victory but when he walks to the first tee at Augusta National for the first time.

“I know I get invited to the Masters now,” he said, breaking into a big smile. “I always dreamed of playing there since I was a kid. I can’t wait to see what it’s like.”

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