Champions tour in Naples

There were typical, somewhat nasty, breezes pushing golf balls around the fairways at TwinEagles Golf Course in Naples throughout the weekend. They did not affect Colin Montgomerie significantly, as he carded a five-under-par 67 to lead the field after the first round.

I spent the day following Rod Spittle, Marco Dawson and Gene Sauers. Dawson played well and finished at three under—two strokes back of Montgomerie. Spittle bogeyed the first hole, recovered to birdie the third. He also birdied the 11th, and finished the day at one under par.

“I played pretty well today,” Spittle said after the round. “Good, steady golf.”

Several opportunities to birdie holes fell just short, or rimmed the cup. These putts were not short ones—all outside 10 feet—but they were not dropping, and that affected the bottom line.

I believe Spittle was in the sand only once, and on that occasion, chipped close enough to hole the putt to save par. He played methodically, as did his playing partners. In fact, many of the fans observing these pros on the Champions Tour remark at how accurate they are. On most holes, it comes down to the simple game itself. Par four: drive, chip, two putts, par.

Spittle ended the tournament with three identical scores of 71 for each round. That placed him in a group that included Fuzzy Zoeller. They received $14,920 for their efforts. Dawson finished at nine under par and pocketed $54,400.

The tournament ended in truly amazing fashion. Lee Janzen trailed Bart Bryant by one stroke as they headed to the 18th tee. That hole can be a real killer, as the pin is set near the edge of a nasty water hazard. It is reputed to be the second most difficult hole to birdie on the entire tour. Both players drove to the centre of the fairway. Janzen chipped to within 12 feet. Bryant pared the hole, and Janzen, remarkably, sunk his birdie putt. They headed back to the 18th tee for a playoff.

Bryant chipped his second shot into the drink, and Janzen won easily. It was an understandably emotional win for him. Janzen’s last tournament win was the US Open in 1998. Esteban Toledo finished third, followed by Scott Dunlap and Montgomerie. Bryant tied the course record with his final round 62, which he began with an eagle on the first hole.

I followed Spittle for most of the tournament. He is surrounded by family, for the most part, on his rounds: children, grandchildren, friends, in-laws and his wife, Anne. Even a few supporters from Ohio State, his alma mater. Occasionally, a fan would holler, “Nice shot, Chippewa,” Spittle’s home town. He marks his ball on the green with a Canadian dime.

Two other Canadians were in the hunt. Stephen Ames finished at four under par, while Jim Rutledge was three over, ending with a sparkling round of 68.

It is great opportunity to see many of your favourite golfers, up close and personal. Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Bob Gilder, Steve Pate, Jeff Sluman, Duffy Waldorf and Mark O’Meara, just to name a few. The boys head to Arizona in a couple of weeks to continue the tour. You can follow their exploits on the Golf Channel.

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