Champions Tour 'warhorse' wins in week of mixed emotions

BY Bruce Young | Champions Tour | 2003 MasterCard Championship | Wrap | 03 Feb 2003

The first event of the renamed named Champions Tour, the Mastercard Championship has been won by fifty five year old Dana Quigley whose victory was his seventh since joining the tour in 1997. Not only has he been a prolific winner in that time but he has also been a prolific participator in events, this being his 202nd start in that time. In fact he has now played in 202 consecutive events for which he has been eligible on the Champions Tour. He typically plays around thirty-eight events on the Champions Tour each year.

Quigley won after his playing partner Larry Nelson had bogied the last to Quigley’s birdie. Fuzzy Zoeller, who was also tied for the lead with Nelson and Quigley heading into the last round, finished third with Stewart Ginn and Tom Watson sharing fourth.

For Watson it was an emotional week in Hawaii. His long time caddy and friend Bruce Edwards, recently diagnosed with the progressive neuro degenerative illness, Lou Gehrig’s disease (often called ALS) and has only a limited time with us. Edwards married his long time friend Marsha Moore who he had met on the road some thirty years ago in what must have been a moving ceremony in Hawaii and he has vowed to caddy on for as long as he can.

Edwards, one of the really good guys and cool dudes out there on tour, has worked for Watson, Norman and others but his main man has been Watson with whom he has shared six of Watson’s eight majors. He has worked for Watson over a twenty-eight year period. Alfie Fyles the British caddy was with Watson when he won the 1975 and 1977 British Opens.

For Stewart Ginn the event will yield $US90,000.

Jack Nicklaus in his first competitive round for some time was 11th including the best final round of 66. He did play in the Conagra Skins event last month where he won $160,00 but his is his first tour event for more than six months.