| Coal
Valley, Ill. 12th July 1998 -
Steve Jones says his putter hasn't worked well for him this year.
It was just that
putter that won him the Quad City Classic today with a 17-under 263 that gave
him a one-stroke victory over Scott Gump. Jones
won his eighth PGA Tour title by draining a 25-foot putt for eagle on No. 6 and
making a long par putt on the par-3 12th after his tee shot forced him to chip
to the green. "I
had the putter going my way. I was 4-under-par (on the front nine) with a bogey,"
said Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open champion. "The key was probably 12, when I
got up and down and made about a 20-footer for par and kept my momentum going."
He started the
final round in a four-way tie for third, three strokes behind leader David Toms,
who was defending his first championship. Jones birdied No. 1 with a 25-foot putt,
drained putts of six and four feet on Nos. 3 and 4 for birdie, and made a 15-foot
putt on No. 11 for his only birdie on the back nine in a 4-under-par 66. He
earned $279,000 for the win, his first since winning the Bell Canadian Open in
September. Gump,
who birdied No. 18 when his approach shot put him within two feet, had a 68 for
264. He was trying to become the seventh first-time winner on tour this year and
the third in as many weeks. Kenny
Perry shot a 68 and was third at 265. Toms
had a final-round 71 and was fourth, another stroke back. His tee shot on No.
16 left him an unplayable lie under a tree and he double-bogeyed to drop from
one stroke behind Jones to three. "I
had a chance to win but didn't capitalize on it," Toms said. Brad
Fabel, Fred Funk, Scott McCarron and D.A. Weibring all tied for fifth at 13 under.
Jones eagled
No. 6 when he drained a 25-foot putt and he salvaged par on No. 12 with a long
putt after his tee shot rolled off the green, forcing him to chip up. "I
had the putter going my way," Jones said. "It's a big boost for me because
I have not been putting well all year." His
other birdies came on a 25-foot putt at No. 1, a six-foot putt after a sand wedge
to three feet on No. 3 and a 15-foot putt on No. 11. Jones
said the victory is particularly sweet because he was able to play smart - and
patient. A motorcycle accident in 1992 and an injury to his left forefinger in
1995 while ripping up a backyard putting carpet forced him to rethink his game,
he said. "The
thing I was trying to do all week, I was just trying to be patient," Jones
said. "I've been really impatient with my game lately." He
was leaving Coal Valley immediately after the tournament for a flight to the British
Open. Casey
Martin shot a final-round 69 and finished at 4-under 276. It was enough for him
to earn his first PGA check -- $3,178 -- since his landmark lawsuit for the right
to ride carts in PGA tournaments because of a circulation problem in his leg that
makes walking painful. "I
played well the last few days. I just didn't score well," said Martin, whose
bogeys for the weekend included a 30-yard drive off the 18th tee Saturday. "I
know I can play with these guys. I just didn't show what I've got." He
said he is returning to the Nike Tour, where he hopes to finish within the top
15 to earn a 1999 PGA playing card. Sunday's
best round was a 6-under 64 by Scott Verplank, who finished at 12-under 268.
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