Leggatt claims first PGA Tour win

Ian Leggatt is through riding the bubble and touring the world with his golf clubs in tow.

The 36-year-old Canadian achieved golf's version of tenure Sunday when he beat Loren Roberts and David Peoples by two shots to win the Tucson Open, his first PGA Tour title.

``It hasn't sunk in yet,'' said Leggatt, who tied his career-low with a final-round 8-under-par 64. ``I'll be able to fix my schedule now. We're expecting a baby in May, and with my exempt situation, I can maybe take two or three weeks off.''

He had a 72-hole total of 20-under 268, the lowest score at Tucson since David Frost's 266 in 1988.

Roberts fired a 66, but hurt his chances with a late bogey and four makable putts in the last six holes that wouldn't drop. Peoples shot 67.

``I'm going to be 47 in June, so I came here to win this golf tournament and fell a little short,'' Roberts said. ``I think I hurt myself Friday and Saturday. I could have shot low both days and I didn't. Just treaded water.''

Kenneth Staton and Fred Funk came in at 271, Staton after a 64 and Funk after a 68.

Spike McRoy (64), Cameron Beckman (67), Russ Cochran (67), Chris Smith (68), Shigeki Maruyama (68), Bob Tway (69) and Greg Kraft (69) were grouped at 272.

Heath Slocum, who had the lead after shooting 64 on Saturday, shot 72 and 272 total. Andrew Magee and Brandel Chamblee, other members of the last threesome, both struggled to 75s and totals of 276.

The third straight first-time winner at Tucson and the 11th in the tournament's 56 years, Leggatt played for 10 years in South Africa, Asia, Canada and Australia before arriving on the Buy.com Tour in 2000.

He had to attend Q-school last year after just failing to keep his card as a top 125 money-winner. The $540,000 winner's purse is more than Leggatt's combined earnings since turning pro in 1990.

He entered two events each in 1999 and 2000, then made 12 cuts in 29 starts as a rookie last year and earned $368,862 -- finishing 133rd overall. He arrived in Tucson 79th on the 2002 money list after making three cuts.

This time, Leggatt played with purpose, an uncanny short game and a champion's nerve to catch and pass the 15 players who began the round with equal or better scores.

``I didn't allow myself to play defense,'' he said about running in front.

He faced a tricky situation on the 18th hole, a 465-yard, par-4, when his approach shot bounced over the green and into a bunker above the flag. Leggatt's next shot stopped 10 inches from the cup.

``My stats might not reflect it, but I've always been a pretty good bunker player,'' Leggatt said. ``The texture of the sand was good. If it had been a little softer, it might have been a more difficult shot. But more than anything, I tried to play really quick and keep in my mind what I wanted to do.''

It was his second straight brilliant shot from around green.

On the 17th hole, Leggatt chipped to within 5 feet and sank the birdie putt to open his two-shot lead.

He carded a tournament-best 6-under on the front nine to reach 18-under, also birdied No. 10 and then gave back a shot with a bogey on No. 13.

Roberts, playing a hole ahead, made four straight birdies in a surge ending at No. 11 to get within a shot, and shared the lead after Leggatt's bogey.

But Leggatt's chip on the par-5 15th stopped 2 feet from the hole and he made the putt to get back to 19-under.

``I couldn't really put any pressure on. That was the deal,'' Roberetssaid.

Divots

Slocum went 54 holes without a bogey until the fifth hole of the final round. ... Touchstone Energy has been the title sponsor for three years. ... McRoy, who began the round 8-under, had eight birdies in his first 11 holes to get within a stroke of Leggatt, but then parred out. ... Fred Funk extended his tour-best string of consecutive rounds at par or better to 34. ... Leggatt wasan Ontario and national speed-skating champion.

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