Gary Player, shut out through
the first 18 holes, staged the biggest comeback in the history of the Senior
Skins Game today with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win four skins and
a $220,000 jackpot.
Player trailed throughout
the match as Senior PGA Tour rookie Tom Watson jumped off to a big lead, winning
$210,000 with seven skins through the first 14 holes at the Mauna Lani South
Course on Hawaii Island.
Jack Nicklaus finished in third
place with four skins and $90,000 and Arnold Palmer's three skins was good for
$80,000.
Although he failed to win
a skin through the first 18 holes, Player started gaining momentum late in the
round, putting together consecutive birdies over the final three holes. The holes
were halved, however, with Watson matching the birdies.
It was the biggest turnaround
since 1991 when Nicklaus holed out on the third extra hole to go from $25,000
to $310,000 and wrest the championship trophy from Lee Trevino.
The title was Player's
first since he won the inaugural Skins Game in 1983 and the skin on the first
extra hole was his first since the 12th hole in the 1989 tournament.
Nicklaus got the event
off to a big start, rolling in an eagle on the 535-yard first hole.
Watson, the youngest in
the quartet at 50, moved ahead of the group with birdies on the next two holes
and built a seemingly insurmountable lead when he birdied the 413-yard 14th.
It was worth five skins and his $170,000 put him $100,000 ahead of Nicklaus.
But none of the players
was able to pick up another skin after the 14th to set the stage for Player's
amazing comeback.
This year's purse totaled
$600,000. The first six holes were worth $20,000 each, the next six $30,000,
the next five $40,000 and the the 18th $100,000.
The four have won a combined
225 tournaments, including 45 majors, and $28.3 million on the PGA and Senior
PGA Tour, excluding Watson who is in his first full campaign on the 50-and-over
circuit.
All 18 holes were played
on Saturday, but, for television purposes, the first 12 holes were shown on Saturday
with the final six holes televised on Sunday as a prelude to the Super Bowl.
