Sutton holds on win second title a month

Hal Sutton is one golfer who won't shy away from comparisons to Tiger Woods.

"If ya'll think that I deserve to be mentioned in the same paragraph (with Woods), then I feel good about where my game is right now," Sutton told reporters today after winning his second tournament in a month.

The hero of the Ryder Cup Matches used some gutsy play down the stretch to shoot a 1-under-par 71 to capture the $3 million Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic.

"Tiger Woods sets the expectations high, doesn't he?" Sutton said of the world's No. 1 player. "If you want to play in the same game with him you have to elevate your own thinking. I'm certainly trying to."

Sutton, who will turn 42 on April 28, beat Woods four weeks ago in The Players Championship by one stroke. He held a one-shot lead over Andrew Magee, with whom he was paired, with four holes left at Forest Oaks Country Club.

And once again Sutton was clutch, nailing a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 15, while Magee bogeyed for a two-shot swing that enabled the 20-year PGA Tour veteran to pick up his 13th career victory with a 14-under 274.

"This isn't his first rodeo. He knows what to do," Magee said of Sutton. "He knows to hit the greens and put the pressure on the other guy. That's exactly what he did."

The $540,000 first-place prize moved Sutton to $2.3 million, his best season as a pro. It was also the fifth time in his career he's won two tournaments in a season.

"A lot of times as a player you see your game evolving in the direction that you want it to evolve before maybe the public sees it," said Sutton, who hit 12 of 14 fairways in his final round. "Maybe your scores aren't indicative of the way you played. But inside, you as a player, know that, 'Hey, it's coming, just keep being patient."'

Sutton really won this event in the first two days, going 13-under and building a big lead as he shot a 64 on Friday. He was just 1 under over his final 36 holes.

Magee's 1-under final round was good enough for second place, three shots behind Sutton. Magee hasn't won since 1994, but has seven second-place finishes since then.

"I know, I've thought about that," Magee said of his runner-up finishes. "I'd like to win a tournament -- absolutely."

Mark Calcavecchia and Dudley Hart tied for third, another shot back. Calcavecchia fired a final-round 65 to make a late charge, while Hart had a 70.

Magee pulled within one shot as he escaped with a drive into the right woods on the par-5 13th hole. He parred as Sutton bogeyed, but Magee wasn't so lucky two holes later as he hooked the ball off the tee into the left woods.

He punched out into the fairway and was actually 15 yards closer to the green than Sutton. But his approach shot from about 111 yards came up short of the green, while Sutton stuck his shot close to the pin.

Magee's chip was 8 feet short and he missed his par putt after Sutton had put the pressure on, rolling his 10-footer into the center of the cup.

"I think I was disgusted with the fairway shot and lost my concentration," Magee said about his poor pitch. "That's not where you want to be there, chipping for birdie. The fans were yelling like Hal's shot was really close. It influenced the way I hit my shot."

Calcavecchia missed his last two cuts and didn't break 70 in his previous three rounds at Forest Oaks, yet carded the best 18 of the day to close at 10-under 278.

He birdied three of his final four holes for his best round of the year and best finish since he tied for third in the 1999 Canon Greater Hartford Open.

Magee got off to a terrible start off the tee. His first two drives found the right rough. However, he was able to scramble and salvage par before closing within two of Sutton, who three-putted the third hole from 20 feet.

Magee gave a shot back on the next hole, leaving his first chip in the high rough for a bogey.

Sutton moved in front by four shots on No. 6 with an 8-foot birdie putt. But Magee responded a hole later, hitting a beautiful approach shot within 6 feet for a birdie as each player made the turn at even-par 36.

Minutes later, Sutton pulled back in front by three by matching birdies with Hart. Magee also was putting the heat on with birdies at Nos. 10 and 11, before fading at the fateful 15th hole.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page