Late surge seals win for Tom Kite

Tom Kite claimed the SBC Senior Open by scoring birdies on 14, 15 & 18 on Sunday. Allsport

Tom Kite owned the last five holes at Kemper Lakes Golf Club this weekend and it meant winning the SBC Senior Open.

Trailing Bruce Fleisher by two strokes today, Kite birdied Nos. 14 and 15, saved par from greenside traps on the 16th and 17th, and completed his 4-under-par 68 with a 28-foot birdie putt on 18. He finished at 9-under 207, two strokes in front of Fleisher, who bogeyed the final hole.

On Saturday, Kite birdied four of the last five holes to take the second-round lead.

``Obviously the last five holes the last two days were key to my rounds,'' Kite said. ``That was a nice way to finish.''

Fleisher, playing one group ahead of Kite, went for the pin in the tight back right of the 18th green, but hit his approach shot long and into a bunker. He then pulled his 10-foot par putt left to finish with a 68.

``I took a gamble and I lost,'' Fleisher said. ``I thought a birdie could win the tournament. I probably should have tried to make 4 and see what Tom does.''

Kite said he didn't know Fleisher had bogeyed when he hit his approach on 18, and that he was aiming for the flag as well. Kite pulled his 7-iron to the middle of the green, and said the final putt was more comfortable once he realized he only needed to two-putt to win his second tournament on the Senior PGA Tour.

Kite's sand wedge set him up for birdie putts of eight feet and two feet on Nos. 14 and 15, respectively.

``I needed to get something going and quick,'' Kite said. ``You can't count on birdieing 16, 17 or 18. The birdie on 14 was huge in that it gave me some hope that I might be able to pull into a tie.''

Kite's sand saves on Nos. 16 and 17 weren't a surprise since he leads the senior tour in sand save percentage.

``I've been playing my bunker shots very well,'' Kite said. ``I felt very confident going in there and hit both of those up there close.''

Fleisher took second place at Kemper Lakes for the second straight year. His 7-under 209 was one stroke better than third-place finisher Bruce Summerhays, who had a 69 Sunday.

Fleisher birdied four of the first seven holes Sunday to take the lead at seven under. After a bogey at No. 10, Sunday's toughest hole, Fleisher birdied Nos. 12 and 13 to take a two-stroke lead over Kite.

``I felt I got off to a very good start,'' Fleisher said. ``I haven't been playing well of late. This week was a nice surprise, to be honest with you.''

Hale Irwin couldn't win his third consecutive tournament here, but he did shoot a tournament-best round of 64 to finish tied for fourth at 3-under 213 along with George Archer, Larry Nelson, Graham Marsh and John Bland. Irwin's 8-under day tied the lowest final-round score in tournament history.

Irwin made three birdies in a row on Nos. 7, 8 and 9 and again on Nos. 15, 16 and 17 in a bogey-free round.

Morning rains made the course more favorable for low scores, as 28 players broke par Sunday compared to only 25 sub-par rounds over the first two days combined.

However, only 10 players finished the 54-hole tournament under par.

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