Pooley beats Watson in epic playoff

The playoff duel matched five-time British Open winner Tom Watson against qualifier Don Pooley, whose last big golf moment occurred in 1987.

Watson, who earlier roared back from a five-shot deficit, appeared destined to add a U.S. Senior Open title to the U.S. Open crown he won 20 years earlier.

But Pooley never backed down -- even if he did back away from several key putts.

Pooley made a 10-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole Sunday to end an epic clash with Watson and become the first qualifier to win the U.S. Senior Open.

More than five hours after the duo teed off as the final twosome of the afternoon, Pooley finally ended the drama -- and his 15-year winless drought on the PGA Tour.

After Watson's birdie-chip from the rough went wide of the hole, Pooley was poised to hit the potential winning putt before stepping back. He then returned to drain one of the most important shots of his career.

Pooley stepped away from several putts down the stretch, but said it had nothing to do with being overwhelmed by the situation.

``It wasn't that I was nervous; my thoughts weren't where I wanted them,'' he said. ``My mind was going in places where it shouldn't have been going.''

Pooley qualified for the tournament by winning a playoff, and won it the same way. The $450,000 first-place check was his biggest since his last win on the tour, the 1987 Memorial.

``It was a great thrill playing with Tom Watson, whom I have great admiration for,'' he said. ``He usually beats me.''

Pooley became the sixth golfer to win the tournament in his first try, and the 12th to make his first win on the senior tour a major championship.

``To win the U.S. Senior Open as my first senior event, it doesn't get any better than that,'' he said. ``That is tops.''

Watson trailed by five shots with 10 holes left in regulation before rallying, but ended up in second place for the fourth time in 10 tournaments.

``I'm finishing second way too many times,'' he said. ``I feel like Phil Mickelson to Tiger Woods. It's not a lot of fun to finish second.''

Watson's 4-under-par 67 and Pooley's 70 left both at 10-under 274.

After the golfers battled through 18 holes and a three-hole playoff in which the cumulative scores were totaled, the players returned to the 18th hole for a sudden-death format.

Pooley ended a run of 17 straight pars with a 12-foot birdie putt, but Watson also made a birdie from the same distance. Pooley then made the winning shot on the 77th hole of the four-day tournament.

``I did what I had to do to catch him,'' Watson said. ``In the end, it wasn't good enough.''

The playoff began on No. 16, where both golfers recovered from errant tee shots to make par. Then, on 17, Pooley saved par with an outstanding approach from a bunker. After Watson parred 18, Pooley missed a 6-foot birdie putt that would have given him the championship.

Pooley, who shot a tournament-record 63 Saturday, began the day with a 3-shot lead over Watson. He birdied two of the first three holes, then got his lone bogey of the day before starting his run of pars.

Watson used a run of six birdies in eight holes to pull even with three holes remaining. He then bogeyed No. 16 to fall a stroke back, but rebounded with an 8-foot birdie on 17 to again draw even.

``I was proud of that shot at 17,'' Watson said. ``There were quite a few shots I was proud of, but a couple of ugly ones, too, that prevented me from winning.''

Tom Kite, who started five shots back, shot a 68 to finish third at 277. Kite was in the hunt until he missed a 6-foot par putt on No. 15 to fall four shots off the pace.

``I putted better than I have for a long time, so that's encouraging for the rest of the year,'' Kite said. ``But it is very disconcerting to play as inconsistently as I did.''

Ed Dougherty was fourth at 278 after a 70 in which he parred the final eight holes.

``I hung in there pretty good today,'' he said. ``Fourth place isn't bad.''

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