Vintage Roberts gets better with age
IN: News | US PGA | Texas Open at LaCantera (2002) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 30 Sep 2002
47 year old Loren Roberts, in his 556th start on the USPGA Tour, won his eighth event by taking out the Valero Texas Open by three shots.
Roberts, who played Ryder Cup in 1995 and Presidents Cup in 1994 and 2000 has, like a good wine, gotten better with age and now in his late forties it would appear that he is playing as well as he has at any stage of his career. At $US1,710,000 he is just $230,000 short of his best year ever (2000) and looks set to eclipse that in the next few weeks.
Roberts started the last round with a one shot lead over Bob Tway, Matt Petersen and Garrett Willis and quickly established a break as he put together a faultless last round of 64 to eventually win by three from Fred Funk, Fred Couples and Willis.
For Couples this was a very pleasing show of form. This was the best finish that Couples has recorded since his win at the 1998 Memorial. In between times he has played around twenty events per year without a lot of success but this will help to get him keen again you would think. For Fred Funk this was the fourth second place finish in his last eight starts.
Steve Allan who has battled all year was the leading Australian in 14th place his best finish all year in twenty five starts. In fact in fifty six starts since joining the tour in 2001 this was his best finish. The $US61,000 that he picked up for his placing will get him closer to the top one hundred and fifty which is important if he is to be playing at least some events next season. It seems likely that he will need to return to the Tour School in November/December but if he can earn a couple of good cheques between now and then he may be back next year for some events irrespective of how he goes there. He may well be the type of player who will eventually prove successful on the PGA Tour
Phil Tataurangi in a return from recuperation from a minor heart problem was 18th. John Senden and Steve Elkington tied for 29th, Mattie Goggin 34th, Grant Waite 44th, Paul Gow 61st and Bradley Hughes 61st.
