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Wire servicesTom Watson dedicates second senior major of the year to longtime caddie and friend Bruce Edwards, who has ALS.
ALOHA, Ore. - This one was for a friend.
Tom Watson made a 4-foot birdie on the final hole Sunday to win the Jeld-Wen Tradition - the final major this season on the Champions Tour - by one stroke.
Afterward he dedicated the victory, his second major on the senior tour this season, to caddie Bruce Edwards, who has ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. There is no cure for ALS.
"I promised Bruce I was going to do it. I promised I was going to win for him," Watson said. "He said that it was the first of many that he'd be on the bag for me. I hope he's right."
Watson, Tom Kite, Gil Morgan and third-round leader Jim Ahern were tied for the lead at 14 under after 17 holes.
After Morgan shot par on the hole, Watson's third shot from the bunker on the par-5 No.18 bounced toward the hole.
He made his winning putt, wrapping up the day with 2-under 70 for 15-under 273, then retreated to the scorer's room to watch Kite and Ahern.
"I was ready for a playoff," Watson said.
Ahern, known more for long drives than his putting, missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish with a par 72 and 14-under 274. Kite, the 1992 U.S. Open winner, missed a 5-footer that would have forced the playoff, finishing with 71.
"You've got to make those if you're going to win the tournament," said Kite, obviously frustrated.
Watson, who won the Senior British Open, birdied the par-5 No.15 for a one-stroke lead over Morgan. But on the next hole, Watson hit into the water for bogey to fall to 14 under.
"After bogeying 16, I said, well, I lost it here," he said.
Morgan, a two-time winner of the Tradition, shot par on the final hole to finish with 68 and at 14 under for the tournament.
Morgan won in 1997 and 1998 at the Desert Mountain Club. The Tradition moved to Oregon this year after 14 years in Arizona.
Ahern started with a one-stoke lead, but had a roller-coaster final round with four bogeys and eagle.
Ahern, who noted he had never led - after any round - in a major before, won the Music City Championship in June, his second career win on the senior tour.
"I figured it would take 15 - someone in that group was going to finish at 15," he said.
Morris Hatalsky, last season's rookie of the year on the Champions Tour who won the Columbus Southern Open this season, finished with 72. He was at 13 under with Bruce Summerhays, who shot 66.
Watson finished with the group at 14 under as he rounded the corner - but bogeyed the next hole. He birdied the par-4 No.12 to return to the co-lead, then made a well-placed shot from the bunker of the par-3 14th to save par.
Kite had a chance to birdie the same hole and take the lead outright, but his putt stopped just short of the hole.
It was Watson's sixth overall victory on the Champions Tour. He has won 39 times on the PGA Tour with eight majors.
Defending champion Jim Thorpe shot 71 to finish three back. Jack Nicklaus, who has won the Tradition four times, was in contention most of the day, but bogeyed the par-3 No.11. It was the ninth and final tour event this season for Nicklaus, who finished four strokes back.