Out of nowhere, Doyle wins U.S. Senior Open
KETTERING, Ohio (AP) – No one was even talking about Allen Doyle having a chance to win the U.S. Senior Open. That was precisely the way he wanted it. Doyle shattered the U.S. Senior Open final-round record Sunday, closing with an 8-under 63 to win his third Champions Tour major while others tossed away their chances.
“No one said a word to me, no one thought I had a chance,” Doyle said. “That’s the way it’s been for me from Day 1. It doesn’t bother me one bit. … It happens. You just have to put a low score up and make it happen.”
Doyle had a bogey-free round that included eight birdies, and he managed to avoid the trouble that knocked third-round co-leaders Craig Stadler and Loren Roberts, as well as D.A. Weibring and others out of contention. His final-round 63, which beat the course record by a stroke, was the lowest by a Senior Open winner.
Doyle beat the previous final-round score by four shots and finished at 10-under 274, one shot ahead of Roberts and Weibring. The victory, worth $470,000, was his 10th on the Champions Tour.
Women’s British Open
SOUTHPORT, England – After Jeong Jang had already wrapped up the Women’s British Open, Annika Sorenstam took a moment to contemplate her own failed bid for her third major title of the year.
“I’m not so disappointed. I think J.J. just played incredible,” Sorenstam said. “I think she would have been very hard to catch today. So my hat’s off to her. She played excellent.”
Indeed she did.
Jang, who led after each round and entered the day with a five-stroke lead, shot a 3-under 69 Sunday to finish 16-under 272 at Royal Birkdale and win by four shots. It was the first victory of her six-year LPGA career.
Sorenstam, trying for the 10th major of her career, already knew she had lost by the time she came to the final hole. To make matters worse, she lost her ball off the tee on the way to a double bogey at the 18th and wound up in a tie for fifth, seven shots back.
Sorenstam’s final-round 71 left her at 9-under 279 for the tournament. Sophie Gustafson, who won this tournament in 2000 before it became a major, was the closest to Jang after a 67 gave her a 12-under 276. Michelle Wie, the 15-year-old amateur playing her final tournament before returning to high school in Hawaii, birdied the last two holes for a 69 and finished at 10-under 278.