Mark Calcavecchia thought his best days on a golf course had slipped away.
His performance at the Canadian Open in Vancouver, British Columbia, proved he was wrong.
Calcavecchia battled his putter in the final round Sunday and made just one birdie on the weekend, but ended a four-year winless streak by closing with a 1-over-par 71 for a one-stroke victory.
“I’ve got to admit I never thought I’d win again, let alone on a golf course like this, in a tournament this big,” the 45-year-old Calcavecchia said after becoming the tournament’s oldest winner.
The 1989 British Open champion, who picked up his 12th career victory, had not won on the PGA Tour win since the 2001 Phoenix Open, and his on-and-off struggles with the putter had eroded much of his confidence.
“I have my moments where I’m pretty good (but) as I said the other day, I have a lot of self-doubt and a lot of demons that float around inside of my head,” he said.
Calcavecchia, whose only birdie since the second round came at the 475-yard, par-4 fifth on Sunday, had a 5-under 275 total, the highest winning score for a full-field, non-major PGA Tour event this year.
Ben Crane closed with a 66, and 2004 U.S. Amateur champion Ryan Moore had a 70 to finish tied for second.
Calcavecchia ended any chance of a playoff by sticking his second shot at No. 18 within 6 feet of the pin and then lagged the putt to within tap-in range.
“I felt like it was a 36-hole day,” Calcavecchia said. “Thank God we ran out of holes. I saved my best drive and my best iron for the last hole and knew I could two-putt from 6 feet. How embarrassing to lag from 6 feet.”
Crane, who won at Milwaukee in July and also finished second at the Booz Allen Classic in June, matched the day’s best round. He started the tournament with a 74 and at that point wasn’t sure he’d be around on Sunday.
“I just wanted to see if I could slip in there and make the cut,” Crane said. “Sometimes unexpected things happen.”
Moore, who turned pro after the U.S. Open and missed the cut in two of his previous four events, birdied the last hole for his finest finish.
“I gave myself a couple of good opportunities that just slid by,” Moore said. “I’m happy with how I played and finished, especially making birdie on the last hole.
“I had it within my grasp. It was really close and hopefully I can seal the deal next time.”
European Tour: Retief Goosen blew a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole but escaped with a one-stroke victory at the German Masters in Pulheim, his third title in six weeks.
The two-time U.S. Open champion led by two shots entering the last hole and closed with a 5-under 67 to finish at 20-under 268.
Henrik Stenson (68), Jose Maria Olazabal (66), Nick Dougherty (68) and David Lynn (67) all finished at 269 in the $3.8 million tournament.
Goosen sent his tee shot into the brush on the 18th. The South African was forced to take a drop and blasted a 150-yard shot from the rough within 3 feet of the cup. But he missed the putt and was left with a bogey. Stenson and Dougherty, playing behind him, had a chance to catch him but parred the final hole.
Goosen won his 12th title on the European tour and passed Michael Campbell as Europe’s top money leader with the $629,000 first prize.
Asian Tour: Australia’s Adam Scott shot a 6-under 65 to coast to a seven-stroke victory in the Singapore Open.
