Haas survives to win Senior PGA
IN: News | Champions | Senior PGA Championship (2008) | Round Four | by Bruce Young | 26 May 2008
Jay Haas has survived an absolute endurance test at the Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester in New York, his final round of 74 good enough to get him home by one over 54 hole leader, Bernhard Langer.
For Haas it was his second win in this event two years after his first at Oak Tree and his 11th victory since joining the Champions Tour in 2004 at this very event. He was runner up that year and so now possesses two wins and runner up in this event.
“Yeah, the first time I won it I was pretty amazed at my emotion and what it meant to me,” said Haas when asked about his win two years ago. “I thought that one was awfully sweet, but I think this one is definitely better. Just knowing how much fun it was and what it meant to me the last time to do it again on this great golf course is – to have my name on that trophy again, alongside some of the great champions of the game is something that I can take with me for a long time.”
Langer led by one over Haas heading into today’s final round but a horror outward nine of 41 had him struggling. To his advantage however was that many of his nearest challengers were also struggling as the demanding layout claimed more than its share of victims.
Jeff Sluman the winner of the 1988 PGA Championship on the regular tour looked a chance to complete an impressive double when he took the lead briefly at four over par early in his final round but he fell away when dropping seven shots in his next 14 holes and eventually finished 9th.
Haas reached the turn today in 36 and at that point had a three shot lead over Sluman and four over Langer. Although he began to drop shots over the closing nine holes Haas had done enough to win although the event went down to the wire with Haas needing to producing a rock solid par at the last to hold out Langer by one. His winning total of 7 over par was the highest total in relation to par in the history of the event.
Scott Hoch, Scott Simpson and Joey Sindelar finished in a share of third while for Greg Norman, who finished in a share of 6th, it was a case of what might have been. Norman appeared to be a bit player as the event entered the final nine holes but produced some of the old Norman magic when he birdied 12, 13, 14 and 16 to get to 7 over and was very much in contention.
Then came disaster at the 17th when he pulled his second and took double bogey. Another bogey followed at the last and his chance was gone. Still, for the man who plays on such a limited schedule it was an impressive bid for an unlikely victory.
“It might go back the other way,” said a still frustrated Norman when asked if this would inspire him to play more often. “It doesn’t really – it takes a lot out of you. I’ve done this for 35 years of my life and it’s hard enough as it is, especially on a course like this. I have no interest in putting a schedule together other than what I’ve already stated.”
