Golf

'Journeyman' earns first major

Brad Bryant capitalizes on Tom Watson's collapse to win the U.S. Senior Open.

By DAVE THEALL, Times Correspondent
Published July 9, 2007

HAVEN, Wis. - Tom Watson gave as Whistling Straits took away.

In the end, Brad Bryant was left with the biggest moment of his career - and the second-biggest final-round comeback in a U.S. Senior Open.

Bryant shot 4-under 68 in stiff winds Sunday to finish at 6-under 282, taking advantage of Watson's collapse to win his first senior major, by three strokes over Ben Crenshaw.

"I've always been a journeyman, and to come out here and beat a couple of the best players in the world on a day like today is near-miraculous, actually, " said Bryant, who won only once in more than two decades on the PGA Tour before finding recent success on the Champions Tour. "I was pretty good."

Watson, who finished second in three of the previous five Senior Opens, shot 1 under on the front nine and began the back nine with a birdie to go to 9 under overall.

But then came the collapse. Watson lost eight strokes over the final eight holes.

"I hit the ball in the rough too many times, and today I got my just reward, " he said.

Bryant, 52, said he was "blissfully unaware of" Watson's slide until he asked his caddie about the leaderboard on the 18th hole.

Bryant teared up after his win, saying he always wanted to do something big with his children around to witness it.

"I think this qualifies, " he said.

Watson shot 6-over 78, including 43 on the back nine, to finish at 1 under.

Bryant's comeback on the final day was second to Allen Doyle's victory from nine shots back in the 2005 tournament.

And Bryant was the only player to shoot all four rounds at par or better at a difficult Whistling Straits course.

"He's got some game, " Watson said. "He's got more game than I do."

PGA: Choi takes Tiger's event

BETHESDA, Md. - Tiger Woods stood on the 18th green at Congressional Country Club and again followed a path blazed by Jack Nicklaus.

No, it wasn't a spectacular bunker shot or a tournament-winning putt. It was a championship presentation to K.J. Choi.

"Here's your trophy, big guy, " said Woods, who watched as Choi kissed the silver replica of the Capitol.

For the second time in five weeks, the biggest South Korean star of the tour soaked up the cheers. Having accepted the crystal trophy from host Nicklaus at the Memorial in late May, Choi persevered in an adventurous back nine to finish at 9-under 271 for a three-stroke victory at Woods' inaugural event, the AT&T National.

"This tournament is just too big for me to really absorb right now, " Choi said. "But it's a very big win for me and definitely the biggest win of my career."

But even Choi's win couldn't overshadow Woods, who turned his first tournament into a red, white and blue spectacle of military tributes and Fourth of July patriotism.

"It's been a perfect week, " Woods said.

Perfect, with one obvious exception: He was never really in contention.

"I didn't get a W, so that was frustrating in that sense, " said Woods, who finished tied for sixth at 2 under. "But this tournament in general has been a bigger success than anyone could have imagined."

EUROPEAN: Colin Montgomerie shot 5-under 65 to win the European Open in Straffan, Ireland, after 19 months without a title. The Scot had seven birdies to come from four shots down and finish at 11-under 269 to win his first title since the Hong Kong Open in December 2005. Niclas Fasth (67) of Sweden finished second, a shot back.

INNISBROOK AMATEUR: Tampa's Takeshi Fuchigami made two birdies to offset a double bogey at Innisbrook's Island course, winning the 54-hole invitational by one stroke. Fuchigami, 22, who plays out of Avila, shot 7-over 223, beating Oldsmar's Sam Rosati (224) and a strong field. "What was huge for me today was to birdie No. 16 after taking a double bogey on 15, " Fuchigami said. "In this game you have to stay in the present and not think about the past."

NATIONWIDE: Australian Jason Day, 19, became the youngest to win a PGA Tour-sponsored event. Day birdied the final hole for 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory over Scott Gardiner with a tournament record 16-under 268 in Highland Heights, Ohio.

[Last modified July 8, 2007, 23:12:43]