Colbert's lead reduced to two

Jim Colbert tapped in a 6-inch birdie putt on the final hole for a 3-under-par 69 today and a two-stroke lead over Dana Quigley after two rounds of the TD Waterhouse Championship.

Colbert, who shot a course-record 61 on Friday, was at 14-under-par 130 going into Sunday's final round. Quigley, with a 67 on Saturday, stood at 132.

Bunched at 8 under were Fred Gibson, Dave Lundstrom, Roy Vucinich, Jim Thorpe and local favorite Tom Watson, whose 6-under-par 66 was the best round of the day on the 6,820-yard Tiffany Greens course.

Watson and Colbert, both Kansas City natives, were paired with Quigley for Sunday's final round in a dream threesome for the gallery.

Colbert, a Kansas City native who hasn't won on the Senior PGA Tour since undergoing cancer treatment two years ago, was 4 under for the day and five strokes ahead of Quigley when he double-bogeyed the par-5 16th.

Quigley, playing with Colbert, made a short birdie putt for a three-stroke swing. Quigley then birdied the 17th to get within one stroke, but had to roll in a 15-footer from the fringe to save par on No. 18 and avoid falling three back.

"I've always known the putter is the great equalizer," said Quigley, who spent much of the day scrambling for pars. "It makes up for a lot of bad swings. I was very, very lucky on No. 18."

Colbert, who birdied the first eight holes of the back nine Friday, made three birdies in a row before encountering trouble on the 16th. His third shot, from about 35 yards in front of the green, sailed too far and he wound up two-putting for a 7.

"I probably tried to do too much with that lob shot on 16," said Colbert. "I'd made three birdies in a row, I'm thinking if I get another one here, it's adios, boys. Greed is terrible."

On the next hole, Colbert missed a 6-foot birdie putt and Quigley made a 3-footer.

"I can't play much better," said Colbert, who missed several short birdie putts. "I've never seen anybody who could outplay their putter. But I putted much better at the end. I felt like I got in a position where I could make some."

Watson, after a slight adjustment in his swing, made two eagle putts and shot his lowest round of the year.

Trailed by a huge gallery, Watson dropped a 3-foot putt eagle putt on the par-5 1st hole, which he bogeyed on Friday, and rolled in a 45-footer for an eagle-3 on No. 11. They were his first two eagles on the Senior tour.

"When you make an eagle on the first hole, it sets a tone for the day," said Watson. "It gives you breathing room, and you can attack the golf course.

"I was still a little bit nervous. but after making the eagle on the first hole, the nerves were channeled in the right direction."

Quigley characterized his scrambling 67 as "a gift from the golf gods."

"Two shots isn't very much in a golf tournament," he said.

Watson, playing competitively in Kansas City for the first time since he won the Missouri Amateur Championship in 1971, has said repeatedly how much he would love to win this event.

"You guys put so much pressure on him even before the tournament started," said Colbert. "But he's over that now. He'll come out gunning. He's our best ball-striker, the best I've seen."

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