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Fleisher claims title as others fade

Bruce Fleisher parred the last 12 holes in Sunday's final round to outlast a host of challengers for the title at the U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club. Fleisher, who finished second in the Open last year, earned his 14th win and his first victory in a major since taking the Senior Tour by storm in 1999.

Fleisher posted a two-under 68 to come from four strokes down in the final round, setting a new Senior Open mark for largest come-from-behind win after 54 holes. His finished with a 72-hole total of even-par 280.

"This golf course was so difficult, I knew that no one really could run away with it," said Fleisher, who collected the first prize of $430,000 -- nearly $200,000 more than his previous biggest paycheck for his runner-up Open showing in 2000. "Par's a very good score around this golf course."

Gil Morgan carded 70 to join Japan's Isao Aoki in second place at one- over par. Aoki, the leader after completing the weather-suspended third round Sunday morning, struggled to shoot a closing 73.

Fleisher played in 408 events on the PGA Tour but won only once at the 1991 New England Classic, an event held about an hour's drive away in Sutton, Massachusetts. The winner of the 1968 U.S. Amateur, Fleisher joined Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win both the Amateur and the Senior Open.

Fleisher, named both Rookie and Player of the Year after winning seven events in 1999, was considered one of the favorites to win last year's Open at Saucon Valley. Although he opened the event with a record 64 and led each of the first three days, Fleisher's relative inexperience showed in the final round as he went on to squander a two-shot lead and finished three back of Hale Irwin, who set the tournament record with a 17-under-par performance.

Sunday's victory marked the third for Fleisher in 2001. He also won the Las Vegas Senior Classic in April and the Home Depot Invitational in May.

Fleisher was two-under on the day after birdies at the second and third holes. He dropped his only shot at the fifth, then offset the mistake with a birdie at No. 6. He parred out from there and made it to the clubhouse tied with Morgan, Aoki and Jim Colbert at even par.

Morgan was the first to officially bow out when he sailed his approach over the green at the par-four 18th. After taking a free drop from the stands, Morgan executed what looked to be a fine chip out of a bad lie. But his ball kept rolling on the hard, fast green and he wound just missing his long putt to save par.

Aoki slipped from the lead with his fifth bogey of the day after coming up short of the green at the 17th. His chance to force a playoff ended when he failed to birdie the par-four home hole.

Needing a birdie at the last for the outright win, Colbert hooked his approach well left of the 18th green. He picked his chip clean from the rough and it landed on the opposite side of the green, from where he chipped and two- putted for a disappointing double-bogey finish.

The 60-year-old Colbert, the winner of 20 events on the Senior Tour, had a 73 to tie for fourth with Allen Doyle (69) and Nicklaus (70) at plus-two.

Colbert surged into contention with consecutive rounds of 67. But he suffered three bogeys on the front nine Sunday before birdieing the 13th to grab a piece of a five-way tie for the lead.

At the difficult par-three 15th, Colbert holed out from a bunker to take the lead at one-under par. He bogeyed 16, however, after he left his 108- yard approach short and it rolled back off the front of the green.

Nicklaus, seeking his first victory since winning his eighth Senior major at the 1996 Tradition, was in the mix Sunday until he registered back-to- back bogeys at 15 and 16.

"I kind of enjoyed being in the hunt," said Nicklaus, who only weeks ago talked about giving up competitive golf because he felt his game was weak. "Standing on the 10th green, I turned around and I said, 'You know, I'm a little nervous.' I said, 'That's good. That's fun.'"

Larry Nelson, the reigning Player of the Year, was a leader on the front nine Sunday but bogeyed five of his last 10 holes for a 75. He tied Dave Stockton, John Mahaffey and Jim Ahern for seventh place at four-over 284.

Stockton, the 1996 Senior Open champ, turned in the day's best round of three- under 67.

Jay Sigel, who tied the Open record with a 64 on Saturday, finished with Bob Gilder, Dana Quigley and Irwin at minus-five.

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