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Tewell survives shaky finish

Late bogeys don't help the winner, but runner-up Hale Irwin can't make up enough ground.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 18, 2002

LUTZ -- A hand-waving, leisurely stroll down the 18th fairway is what Doug Tewell preferred, and he did his best for most of Sunday afternoon to assure himself a drama-free victory.

But it wouldn't be that easy.

The finishing quartet of holes at the TPC of Tampa Bay offers no such luxuries, and bogeys at two of the final three did not help Tewell's cause. But when Bruce Fleisher's errant approach at the 18th found water, Tewell was the winner.

Cruising past the stumbling Fleisher, Tom Kite and Bruce Summerhays, Tewell's 2-under-par 69 was good enough to hold off a late rally by Hale Irwin for a one-shot victory in the 15th Verizon Classic.

"I think I was just in the right place at the right time," said Tewell, who has five senior titles, including two senior major championships. "It wasn't a textbook finishing round. I think under the circumstances, we know this golf course can be tough coming down the stretch. I feel very fortunate to have won."

Tewell, 52, the only player in the 60s all three rounds, finished at 203, 10 under par, and won $225,000 from the $1.5-million purse. He overtook third-round leader Fleisher, Kite and Summerhays, the day's final threesome that at times looked like average weekend golfers.

Each shot 75, yet Fleisher somehow came to the 415-yard, par-4 18th with a chance to tie. Tewell had made bogey and Fleisher needed birdie, but his 3-iron from 195 yards faded into the water.

"It was wonderful to even be in position to have a shot, as poorly as I played," said Fleisher, the 2000 Verizon champion who tied for third, three shots back, with Dave Stockton (68). "It was hard to believe. I was trying to hit it 20 feet left of the hole. I was off all week, to be quite honest with you."

Kite, who won the MasterCard Championship last month in Hawaii, appeared to be on all week. He opened with consecutive 66s, birdied the first hole Sunday to tie Fleisher for the lead and was closing on Tewell after 11 holes despite being unable to buy a putt.

But when Tewell made par at the par-5 12th after hitting his second shot into the water, Kite was unable to take advantage of the opening. He also hit his approach in the water, missed the green with his fourth and made double-bogey 7. He also found water on the par-5 14th and made another 7.

"That was a shocker of a round today," said Kite, who tied for fifth with Bruce Lietzke, four back. "I figure I gave away six shots on those two par 5s."

Irwin was left to lament the double bogey he made at the 15th hole Saturday after he had gone birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle at the 11th through 14th holes. That got him back into the tournament, before he hit his tee shot in the water at the next hole. "I look back at that. ... that was probably my Waterloo," Irwin said.

His 5-under 66 was the best of the day and one of 10 scores in the 60s. But Irwin started the final round tied for 15th, seven back of Fleisher.

"The problem was where I stood, not so much the score but how many players you have to pass to get there," said Irwin, who won the Feb. 10 event in Naples and posted his fifth straight top 10.

Tewell's name might not be well-known to the casual observer, but he won four times in his PGA Tour career and has added victories at the Senior PGA Championship and the Tradition, both majors. He lost in a playoff to Allen Doyle at last year's Senior Players Championship, another major.

An excellent tee-to-green player -- Tewell hit 41 of 42 fairways and 42 of 54 greens -- he often has struggled with his putter.

"Tee to green, he can probably beat just about anybody," Irwin said. "That gets you a lot of money. The ball going in the hole gets you a lot more."

Tewell's day began well when he holed a 50-foot putt for birdie at the first.

"You start thinking it might be my day," said Tewell, who added birdies at the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.

They would be his last. His 18-footer for par at the 12th turned out to be the turning point.

"I could have knocked that thing 6 or 7 feet by," he said. "I have to give Dana Quigley an assist there. The ball hit his coin (ball marker) and kind of veered it back toward the cup. Those are the type of things that happen when you win. You start to get the breaks."

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