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Hale Irwin Wins Senior PGA by One Stroke

Posted on: Monday, 31 May 2004, 06:00 CDT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Hale Irwin birdied the 18th hole to win the weather-plagued Senior PGA Championship by one stroke over Jay Haas on Monday.

Irwin led after each round and finished at 8-under 276 to win the event for the fourth time. He won it three years in a row starting in 1996.

Irwin, who will turn 59 on Thursday, was the oldest winner of the event since Pete Cooper won in 1976 at age 61.

Haas, playing in his first senior event after turning 50 in December, missed a 10-foot birdie putt on 18 as co-leader Irwin watched from the fairway.

Irwin's approach to the 535-yard par-5 landed on the lower tier of the undulating green, about 40 feet away. He rolled a hard-breaking putt within a foot and tapped in for the victory.

Haas, who has four top-10 finishes on the regular PGA tour this year, has not won a tournament since 1993.

Craig Stadler shot a final-round 69 to finish third, three shots behind Irwin.

Tom Watson had a final-round 73 and finished tied for fourth at 282 with Dave Barr (74) and Mark James (69).

Irwin was 9 under and led Haas by two shots with eight holes to go. Irwin then bogeyed 11 and 12 to drop into a tie.

Irwin made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 13th, then reeled off four straight pars to keep Haas one back. With a stiff breeze blowing in his face, Irwin pulled his approach to the par-4 17th into a bunker. He blasted out and two-putted for a bogey that left them tied with one hole to go.

Haas hit the fairway with his drive, but knocked a fairway wood over the green. He pitched past the hole and missed the birdie putt to the right.

"Pretty poor effort," he said. "It was just a push."

Haas watched from the scoring trailer and smiled when Irwin birdied. The two shook hands behind the green after Irwin won.

Irwin joined Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the same senior major four times. Nicklaus won The Tradition four times in the 1990s.

The win was Irwin's 40th on the Champions Tour. He won for the second time this year, marking the 10th straight year he's won more than once, a tour record.

The three-time U.S. Open champion won his seventh senior major.

Strong storms plagued the event from the start, forcing five delays in five days. Irwin was in the second fairway when play was suspended by rain on Sunday.

The wet weather gave way to sunny skies and winds gusting to 25 mph as play began Monday afternoon. Irwin parred Nos. 2 and 3, then scrambled for a birdie at No. 5 after driving into the right rough.

He had a downhill lie on his approach and pulled it short of the green. His pitch bounced twice, then rolled into the cup from 40 yards away. Irwin pumped his fist after the shot and high-fived caddie Kenny Harms.

He had chances to open a wider margin, but missed short birdie putts on 6, 7 and 8. He swung his putter over his head in frustration after lipping out a 5-footer at the par-3 eighth.

"Pathetic," he grumbled as he grabbed his driver from Harms and headed to the ninth tee.

Irwin made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 10th to move to 9 under.

Haas' best chance for birdie down the stretch came when he missed a 12-footer on 13. He two-putted from 25 feet on 17.

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