BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Having waited two decades to finally win his first big tournament, Michael Allen has his eyes on another prize.
“This gives me the exact scenario I want,” he said with a laugh after shooting a 3-under-par 67 on Sunday to win the Senior PGA Championship by two shots over Larry Mize. “I’m going to be the first guy ever to win a senior tour event before he wins his first PGA Tour event.”
Then he smiled, lifted his champagne flute and took a long sip.
The 50-year-old journeyman ended his lengthy victory drought with two late birdies to capture the first Champions Tour major of the year — in his debut on the over-50 tour. He almost didn’t accept the special exemption to come to suburban Cleveland because he still has his regular tour card and considered playing in the richer Byron Nelson.
Smart move, playing with guys his own age.
Allen had earlier rounds of 74, 66 and 67 to finish at 6-under 274.
“I don’t know, had he won?” Mize wondered when he was asked about Allen, a frequent playing partner on the PGA Tour. “I can’t remember.”
No, he hadn’t. Not on the big tour, anyway.
Allen collected $360,000 for his first win of any kind since the 1998 Greater Austin Open on the Nationwide Tour. His only other win came in the 1989 Bell’s Scottish Open on the European Tour.
Mize also shot a 67, as did Bruce Fleisher, who finished third. Tom Watson, who began the day seven strokes behind Allen, had the low round of the day — a 66 — and was fourth.
Sabbatini wins by two
IRVING, Texas — Rory Sabbatini won the Byron Nelson Championship, holding on for a two-stroke victory over Brian Davis. Sabbatini shot a 6-under 64 to finish with a tournament-record, 19-under 261 for his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Davis, whose closing 64 gave him his third career runner-up finish, made a 26-foot eagle putt at the 546-yard No. 16 to get to 17-under. But Sabbatini responded with a tap-in birdie on the same hole, after his 21-foot eagle try slid just past.
Footnotes.
Yani Tseng of Taiwan won the LPGA Corning (N.Y.) Classic by one shot over Soo-Yun Kang and Paula Creamer.
Tseng shot a 5-under 67 in the final round and won when Kang missed a 3-foot par putt on the final hole. Tseng finished at 21-under 267 for her second career win.
• Paul Casey of England won the BMW PGA Championship in Virginia Water, England, with birdies on his last two holes for a one-shot victory that moved him to No. 3 in the world.
The Associated Press
