Sauers holds off chasers

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2002 Air Canada Championship | Wrap | 02 Sep 2002

Well it may not have followed the exact script of five of the last six years at this event, but the win of Gene Sauers in the final staging of the Air Canada event comes close to it. Five of the last six winners of this event have been first time winners on tour and although Sauers has won previously on tour it has been so long this will seem like a first win.

It is true that the 40 year old from Georgia did win on the Buy.Com Tour in 1998 but this is his first win on the USPGA Tour since the 1989 Hawaiian Open. He last played the main tour full time in 1996 and in between times has mixed his play on the USPGA Tour (whenever he has been able to get starts) with the Nike/Buy.Com Tours, winning the Nike Carolina Classic there in 1998. He has played well the last couple of weeks on the secondary tour, with top tens in each of his last two starts, including a fourth last week at the Permian Basin event. This however is a somewhat different league and to be able to hold off such players as Lowery, Allenby and Singh down the stretch indicates the mindset that this man has. He has now eliminated any concerns about his immediate future in golf with the two year exemption this win earns.

Starting the last round with a one shot lead over Robert Allenby and Peter Lonard, Sauers was rock solid with two birdies and no bogies and it was left to those chasing to apply the pressure. The first to crack surprisingly, given his consistency all year, was Peter Lonard who was four over through five holes but recovered with a strong back nine for seventh. Allenby and Lowery also bogied in the early part of their rounds and although they, Craig Barlow and Vijay Singh all threw down challenges of some variety or other Sauers was clearly not going to budge. In the end he won by a shot over Lowery, with Allenby. Singh (last round 65) and Barlow in third one shot further back.

The victory was worth $US630,000 and instead of waiting around to see if he gets a start this week at the Bell Canadian Open (he was seventh alternate) he can make his own plans.

Allenby earned $US180,000 for his tie for third, with Lonard another substantial cheque ($US112,000) for seventh. John Senden, who so desperately needed a good finish in the closing weeks of the year, produced his best finish of the season with a last round 66, despite a double bogey at the last. Senden picks up $US94,500 for his ninth and moves to the brink of security in terms of next year’s playing rights. He now has around $US440,000 with $460,000 looking to be somewhere around the mark needed.

Greg Chalmers had one of his better finishes of late in 14th, Rod Pampling 30th, Michael long and Grant Waite 42nd, Phil Tataurangi and Steve Allan 53rd with Ogilvy 70th, his cause not helped by a seven over par eleven at the last.

The Air Canada event is now on shaky ground regarding its future. Air Canada has fulfilled their commitment in terms of sponsorship over the last three years and the organisers are currently looking for replacements.

Final Round – Australasian Scores
T3 -13 Robert Allenby
T7 -11 Peter Lonard
T9 -10 John Senden
T12 -9 Frank Nobilo
T14 -8 Greg Chalmers
T30 -5 Rod Pampling
T42 -3 Michael Long
T42 -3 Grant Waite
T53 -1 Phil Tataurangi
T53 -1 Steve Allan
T70 4 Geoff Ogilvy

• Missed Cut *
  Paul Gow
  Aaron Baddeley
  Craig Perks
  Bradley Hughes
  Mathew Goggin
  Steve Elkington