| Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, 6th September 1998
- Jeff Sluman won his first golf tournament in 19 months today,
and gave his best friend a special thrill, too. Rick
Bruder, who doesn't play golf, agreed at the last minute to caddie for Sluman
during the Greater Milwaukee Open. Today, as Sluman was heading toward his third
career PGA Tour victory, Bruder, who had never caddied before, was getting excited.
"He is
on cloud nine. It has been a wonderful week. He was really, really nervous out
there,'' Sluman said. "It was a lot of fun seeing him. He probably kept me
relaxed. I was kind of laughing inside at how nervous he was.'' Sluman,
who won the PGA Championship in 1988 and the Tucson Chrysler Classic last year,
bogeyed No. 18 for a 3-under-par 68 and a 19-under 265 total that earned him $324,000.
"Eighteen
certainly wasn't an artistic success, but I ended up with a check and that is
all that really matters,'' he said. "I feel my game is in really good shape.''
Sluman, 40,
beat Wisconsin native Steve Stricker by one stroke. Stricker,
who also closed with a 68, was the favorite of the gallery and the resident of
nearby Madison made it interesting at Brown Deer Park Golf Course. He
began the final round one stroke behind co-leaders Sluman and Chris Perry and
climbed back into contention with birdies on the final four holes, duplicating
what he did Saturday. "It's
a good thing for those last four holes because on the weekend I didn't play the
other 14 very well,'' he said. Stricker,
who became a father for the first time last Monday (August 31), had said that
winning what amounts to his backyard tournament would be "more special''
to him than any other. The
crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked up the 18th fairway. "I
got goose bumps and my hair was standing on end on my arms. It was a good feeling.
It just gives you chills,'' said Stricker, who earned $194,400 for second place.
Still, he found
fault with his game, which included a "terrible drive'' on No. 1. "I
made a mediocre round into a good round,'' he said. "It is disappointing
to come out on these last rounds and be a little bit nervous and not perform the
way I should. My confidence level just isn't there yet.'' Sluman
had an eagle on No. 6 when he chipped in from 20 feet from the heavy rough just
off the green on his third shot on the par-5 . He punched his left hand in encouragement
as his ball bent slightly left and rolled into the center of the cup. "Chipping
in from there really adds a lot of momentum to your round,'' he said. "From
there it just started rolling and I felt pretty comfortable.'' Sluman
played steady, controlled golf all day, needing just 12 putts on the first 11
holes as he chipped in from 45 feet on No. 5, a par-3. Perry
closed with a 71 and was tied for third at 268 with Mark Calcavecchia and Nolan
Henke, who both shot 69s. Perry,
a Minnesota native whose father Jim pitched for Minnesota, Cleveland, Detroit
and Oakland during his major league career, looked to win for the first time ever
on the PGA Tour. He first joined the Tour in 1984. Playing
with Sluman, Perry was one stroke behind before bogeying Nos. 8 and 9 and he never
recovered. He left birdie putts short on two of the last three holes. Reigning
PGA champion Vijay Singh, making his first appearance in Milwaukee and one of
the hottest golfers coming into the tournament, finished with a 70 and was at
278, and never challenged for the lead. First-round
leader Loren Roberts, who tied a tournament course record with an opening 62,
shot a 73 for a 277 total. Scott Hoch, who won the tournament last year and in
1995, finished with a 73 for a 279 total | 
