Lietzke wins again

Bruce Lietzke wasn't about to allow a bad opening round hurt his chances of winning the Audi Senior Classic.

Undeterred by an opening-round 75, Lietzke moved into contention with a 66 in the second round and closed with a flourish Sunday, shooting a 5-under-par 67 to claim his third Senior PGA Tour title in 14 starts.

Lietzke had three birdies on the back nine of his bogey-free round, finishing at 8-under 208 on the tree-lined Capultepec course that stretches to 7,119 yards at an altitude of 7,800 feet.

``I had a bad day on Friday, it was not very encouraging for me,'' Lietzke said. ``It was windy Friday, but on the weekend it was calm and I hit it close. I think the weather had an effect on my win here because it was nice all weekend.''

Lietzke's opening round was the highest by an eventual winner since Hale Irwin opened with a 77 at the 1998 U.S. Senior Open in Los Angeles. Lietzke is also the first player to win a tournament after an over-par round since Allen Doyle won the 2001 State Farm Classic after opening with a 1-over 73.

Lietzke, who won the 3M Championship last August and the SAS Championship in September, took the victory in stride.

``Winning is great, but it isn't the most important thing for me,'' said Lietzke, a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour. ``My family and friends are more important.

``I dearly love to win, and while it's not most important, it's pretty cool to win.''

Lietzke, who opened the final round five shots off the lead, played the front nine in 2 under and added consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-12, and rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 17 en route to his third victory in 14 senior tour starts.

``My confidence was very good this week,'' said Lietzke, who earned $255,000 for the victory. ``Good conditions and tough pin placements played to my strengths.''

Gary McCord and Hale Irwin shared second place, one shot behind Lietzke at 7-under 207.

Irwin shot a 5-under 67, and McCord had a round of 69 that included a bogey at the 16th and a birdie putt that stopped an inch short of the hole on No. 17.

``I haven't been playing, and I haven't been practicing much,'' said McCord. ``My short game and putting aren't sharp right now.''

Lietzke rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie on the fourth hole and chipped within 3 feet after missing the green on the 526-yard, par-5 eighth hole. He rolled in the birdie putt and finished the front nine at 2-under 34.

On the 622-yard, par-5 11th, Lietzke hit a driver, 3-wood and sand wedge and rolled in a 15-foot putt for birdie. He lofted a sand wedge to within 2 feet and added another birdie on No. 12.

Lietzke scrambled for par on the 460-yard 14th. After hitting his approach into a greenside bunker, Lietzke recovered and made a 5-foot putt for par. On the 15th, he settled for another par after missing from 5 feet.

``The par at No. 14 was very positive for me,'' Lietzke said.

Lietzke got to 8-under by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 17.

``I had been looking at the leaderboard on the last four or five holes,'' Lietzke said. '' I thought if I could make two birdies on the last five, I could win. I just made one, but still won.

``This is a very nice golf course. This is a very tough golf course. My score was only 8-under-par, usually scores are much lower.''

McCord, who followed an opening 74 with a 6-under 66, offset a bogey at the first hole with a birdie at No. 5, and rolled in a 70-foot putt for eagle at the eighth. He made a 5-foot birdie putt at the ninth for a 3-under 33 on the front nine.

McCord birdied the 11th and 15th, but bogeyed the 12th and 16th. He left an 8-foot putt one inch short and settled for bogey on No. 16.

``I just kind of gutted it out today,'' McCord said. ``I made one from downtown on the eighth.

``I had a good putt at 17 from 8 feet, but it came up one inch short.''

Ed Dougherty, who held a two-stroke lead after the second round, shot a 3-over 75 and finished in a five-way tie for fourth place with Jose Maria Canizares (68), Danny Edwards (68), Dana Quigley (69), and Bruce Fleisher (73).

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