Sports
Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Golf
Win again eludes Pate
By BOB HARIG
Published February 21, 2005
NAPLES - One of these days, Jerry Pate will win again.
The Pensacola native sniffed the lead for a time on Sunday, then made a late push that came up three strokes short.
Pate, 51, had two seconds last year as a "rookie" on the Champions Tour but has not won since the 1982 Players Championship on the PGA Tour. He will try again at this week's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at the TPC of Tampa Bay in Lutz.
"It would be a good story," said Pate, who won the 1976 U.S. Open but saw his career cut short by a shoulder injury that required multiple surgeries. "I haven't won a tournament in 23 years. Of course I haven't played in about 20 years either. But it would be a fun thing for me and a great goal for me to accomplish in my life to win another tournament."
Pate's final-round 68 was good for a tie for fourth, three shots behind winner Mark James . He won $78,933.
DECENT DEBUT: The final hole of Curtis Strange 's first Champions Tour event did not go as planned. He bounced a ball off a bulkhead fronting the 18th green for double-bogey 6 and a back-nine 40 at the Club at TwinEagles. Strange finished at 3 over after rounds of 74-71-74.
The two-time U.S. Open champion, who worked as an analyst for ABC-TV the past eight years, tied for 49th.
"It was pretty good at times," Strange said. "I finished poorly; that was irritating. On 18, I just hit a terrible shot. But I hit some good shots. I just need to keep on working and trying. That's all I can do. It was better than I thought."
AROUND TWINEAGLES: It was a lackluster week for defending champion Craig Stadler . A final-round 66 followed Saturday's 77 and moved him to a tie for 36th. It was his highest finish since June at the Bruno's Classic, where he tied for 42nd. Stadler, who has played in three PGA Tour events this year, will play for the seventh consecutive week, at this week's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. ... Hale Irwin moved to No.1 on the Champions Tour money list ahead of Dana Quigley . With $128,000 for his second-place finish, Irwin has $463,000 this year.
[Last modified February 21, 2005, 01:33:09]
Share your thoughts on this story
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
