Tom Watson snatches win with closing 64

Tom Watson figured third-round leader Jay Haas was in good position to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Turns out, Watson was wrong.

Watson rallied from a six-shot deficit with an 8-under 64 Sunday to win the Champions Tour's season-ending event at Sonoma Golf Club.

Surging up the leaderboard as Haas struggled with his drives and putting, Watson finishing at 16-under 272 for his second win of the year and eighth victory on the Champions Tour. He won the senior tour's final event of the season for the third time.

Before the final round, the Senior British Open champion told his daughter Meg that Haas was ``probably going to run away'' with the title.

``I really didn't expect to win. I didn't expect to make 10 birdies like I did,'' said Watson, who capped the 2000 and 2002 seasons with a victory.

Watson, the winner of 39 PGA Tour titles, earned $440,000 and also claimed the Charles Schwab Cup points race and a $1 million annuity.

Haas, going for his third win in four weeks, closed with a 71 and was a stroke back at 15 under. He said his poor putting likely cost him the title.

``I wasn't quite as sharp overall,'' Haas said. ``The greens seemed to pick up speed overnight.''

Rain softened the rough, but the sun baked the greens and kept them quick through the weekend.

Tom Kite had a final-round 67 and was third at 13 under. Mark McNulty was 11 under after a closing 68, and Loren Roberts and leading money winner and Schwab Cup points leader Dana Quigley were another stroke back in fifth after 70s.

Quigley, playing in the final pairing with Haas, tried to put pressure on his playing partner early. Also starting six stokes back, Quigley opened with three straight birdies, but gave strokes back with bogeys at Nos. 6 and 8 and fell off the pace.

Haas struggled with his putting early and made the turn in even-par after a birdie and a bogey on the front nine. He made consecutive birdies to open the back nine, despite hooking his drive at the 11th. He hit his second shot pin-high to set up a short birdie putt. He also hooked his tee shot at No. 12 and made another bogey as his lead dropped to a stroke.

He scrambled the rest of the way and offset a bogey at No. 14 with a birdie at the 16th.

``That whole stretch put some heat on my iron game,'' Haas said.

As Haas struggled, Watson made his move with birdies at Nos. 8, 9, 11 and 12, closing within two shots of the lead.

After hitting his second shot at the par-5 13th into a bunker short of the green, Watson left his third shot well short and chipped to 11 feet before saving par.

Watson made birdie at the 18th, prompting a roar from the crowd that had ringed the greens on the closing holes.

Haas had a chance to send the tournament into a playoff, but left an 18-foot birdie putt at the 18th about 7 inches short.

``That's what I'm out here to do. Compete and win,'' Watson said. ``It makes the winter months a whole lot better.''

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