Bob Tway back in winners circle after eight years
IN: News | US PGA | Bell Canadian Open (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 08 Sep 2003
When Bob Tway won the MCI Classic back in 1995, there was little reason to believe that it would be the last occasion he would make an acceptance speech for more than eight years.
In those eight years and 233 starts since his last win, there have been 46 top tens, including four seconds and five thirds but an all important victory had proven elusive. This year however, especially early in the season when third at the Ford Championship and second at the Bell South, the signs have been there to suggest that his eighth win on the USPGA Tour was not such a distant hope.
Tway has shown himself to have the game for the more traditional courses. Wins at courses such as Westchester, Inverness (PGA), Torrey Pines and Hilton Head highlight a game built around percentage play and a fine short game and when he got the chance on such a fine golf course as the Hamilton Golf Club, he was always going to be hard to hold out.
Hidemichi Tanaka, the Japanese star in just his second year on the PGA Tour, had led into round four after a late surge on Saturday to regain the lead. He looked to be faltering when he dropped shots early in his final round although with the scoring difficult, he was never far out of the equation. The runs on Sunday would come from Bob Tway, who started three back of Tanaka, Brad Faxon who was in joint second place overnight and two behind and Tom Pernice who began the day tied with Faxon, who would also challenge down the stretch. It was tournament golf at its fascinating best.
Tway was faultless in round four with an eagle at the fourth and a late and timely birdie at the 17th followed by a crucial par saving fifteen footer at the last. He was joined by Faxon who was unable to birdie the last and, when Pernice was unable to save par from short of the green to join the pair, the two veterans headed for the 18th tee to sort it out. It took three holes before Tway emerged the winner with a bogey at the eighteenth after Faxon had made a real mess of the hole.
I have always enjoyed watching Tway play the game. He copped a lot of unfair flack for upstaging Greg Norman at Inverness in 1987 to win the USPGA when holing from a bunker at the last. Many did not stop to think that he had placed himself in position to win and took advantage of it when the opening came. The 44-year-old, now eight time winner on tour, deserves greater respect for what has been a fine career to date and, given his current form, it may not yet be over.
Faxon has also been winless for more than three years although he too had been playing well this year with five top tens leading into this week.
Tom Pernice, despite a bogey at the last, managed to hold on to third place ahead of K.J. Choi and Tanaka. Vijay Singh after a first round 75 closed quickly to share 7th with Fred Funk.
Steve Allan was the best placed of the Australaians in 11th place and it was an important finish for him. His cheque for $US96,000 takes his earnings to $US608,000 for the season and his full playing privileges for 2004 are assured. It has been a fine effort by Allan, playing without the luxury of full status in 2003.
Peter Lonard came from 40th to share 14th with his last round 67, Mathew Goggin was 23rd, last week's winner Adam Scott 32nd, Aaron Baddeley 42nd and Paul Gow 67th.
The USPGA Tour now heads to Illinois for the John Deere Classic.
