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Officially winless since '83, he outplays the famous to win the Verizon Classic.
By BOB HARIG
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 19, 2001
LUTZ -- In addition to increased monetary rewards and renewed acquaintances with old friends, rookie status on the Senior PGA Tour offers former PGA Tour players a chance to compete at a level long since forgotten.
Bob Gilder had not won an official tournament for 18 years, since the 1983 Phoenix Open, before his Sunday exploits at the Verizon Classic. He blew past several more heralded players to win his first Senior PGA Tour title.
Gilder, 50 and playing in his third senior tournament, shot 4-under-par 67 at the TPC of Tampa Bay to finish three strokes ahead of Raymond Floyd, Gil Morgan, Bobby Walzel and defending champion Bruce Fleisher.
Crowd favorites Hale Irwin and Jack Nicklaus got left behind as well.
"I've never been a big name on the tour," said Gilder, a six-time PGA Tour winner who struggled the past several seasons while waiting to turn 50. "I won my share of tournaments. But I'm not a Hale Irwin or a Gil Morgan. Obviously, the fans like the big names, but that doesn't bother me. I just like to knock them off.
"These guys are my idols, too. I root for these guys when I'm not playing. It's just nice to be able to play with them and beat them once in a while. I beat them before on the regular tour; most of the time they beat me. But occasionally I get my licks in."
Gilder earned his way onto the tour in the fall by claiming medalist honors at the Senior PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. He played his first event two weeks ago in Key Biscayne.
Fleisher can relate. Two years ago, after finishing second at the qualifying tournament, he arrived as a rookie on the senior tour, far more beatings than trophies in his past. He won his first two tournaments and has gone on to 11 senior victories.
"I can absolutely understand where he's coming from," said Fleisher, 52, who has two seconds and a victory in three trips to the Verizon Classic. "I think he's going to be a factor when he gets a little more comfortable. I think there's a lot to that, being back with your peers, guys you came up with. Guys who are a little older, grayer, fatter. There's something about that, no doubt.
"He's obviously going to be a factor. You shoot that number on this golf course ... I don't know if we play any tougher golf courses, to be honest."
Gilder completed the 54-hole event at 205, 8 under par, and earned the biggest paycheck of his career, $210,000, from the $1.4-million purse. That puts Gilder third on the Senior PGA Tour money list behind Larry Nelson and Morgan, both of whom had chances to win the tournament.
It seemed like a good portion of the field had an opportunity to win.
As many as 12 players were contending heading to the back nine, but Gilder proved to the be the steadiest. After making a bogey at No. 9, he made birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 to take a lead he never relinquished and did not make a bogey over the final nine holes.
Morgan and Fleisher had the best chances to put some heat on, but both squandered opportunities at the par-3 17th hole. Fleisher three-putted for a bogey that put him three back. Morgan, playing in the same threesome with Gilder, made it a lot easier on the senior rookie by plunking his tee shot in the water.
"It was there," Fleisher said. "It was definitely there."
Third-round leader Irwin had an inexplicable meltdown. Trying for a tour-leading 30th senior title, Irwin struggled from the outset and shot 74. It was the third time in 17 tournaments Irwin failed to win after taking a lead into the final round. He tied for ninth.
Nicklaus, two behind Irwin at the start of the day, couldn't buy a putt, missing several excellent birdie opportunities before unraveling. Nicklaus shot 75, tied for 20th.
At one point, Floyd had the lead on the back nine, playing the first 13 holes in 6 under par. But he made a crucial bogey at the par-5 14th, then followed with another bogey at the 15th.
"I hit a lot of good shots," said Floyd, who shot 67. "But coming in, I hit some not-so-good ones and hit three bad putts."
At the 17th, he nearly had an ace -- then missed the birdie putt.
"I thought it might go in. But it didn't," Floyd said. "And I didn't convert."
Gilder did. He hit only eight greens in regulation but needed just 22 putts. Not bad for a guy who fretted with the dreaded "yips" a few years ago.
"It's overwhelming," Gilder said. "When you haven't won for that long, you kind of wonder a little bit if it's going to happen again."
It did -- and sooner than he thought.
BIRTHDATE/PLACE: Dec. 31, 1950; Corvallis, Ore.
RESIDES: Corvallis.
HT./WT.: 5-9; 180.
COLLEGE: Arizona State (B.A., 1973).
TURNED PRO: 1973.
JOINED SENIOR TOUR: 2001.
FAMILY: Wife, Peggy; three children, Bryan, Cammy Lynn and Brent.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Won six PGA Tour tournaments, three in 1982. ... Most recent PGA Tour victory was in a playoff at the 1983 Phoenix Open. ... Was a member of the 1983 U.S. Ryder Cup team. ... Biggest paycheck before Sunday was $72,000 at the 1982 Westchester Classic. ... Sunday's $210,000 check raised career earnings to $3,409,461.
Bob Gilder, $210,00070-68-67-205 -8
Ray Floyd, $93,800 68-73-67-208 -5
Bobby Walzel, $93,800 70-68-70-208 -5
Bruce Fleisher, $93,800 69-69-70-208 -5
Gil Morgan, $93,800 71-67-70-208 -5
Allen Doyle, $50,400 69-73-67-209 -4
Larry Nelson, $50,400 75-67-67-209 -4
Christy O'Connor, $50,400 71-69-69-209 -4
Tom Jenkins, $33,600 71-70-69-210 -3
L. Thompson, $33,600 70-69-71-210 -3
Dana Quigley, $33,600 74-65-71-210 -3
J.M. Canizares, $33,600 70-68-72-210 -3
Hale Irwin, $33,600 70-66-74-210 -3
Terry Mauney, $25,200 70-70-71-211 -2
Tom Wargo, $25,200 71-69-71-211 -2
Doug Johnson, $25,200 72-67-72-211 -2
Tom Watson, $21,047 73-70-69-212 -1
Doug Tewell, $21,047 67-72-73-212 -1
M. McCullough, $21,047 70-69-73-212 -1
Dave Stockton, $16,870 71-71-71-213 'E
B. Summerhays, $16,870 71-71-71-213 'E
Mike Hill, $16,870 70-71-72-213 'E
Jack Nicklaus, $16,870 67-71-75-213 'E
George Archer, $14,000 71-72-71-214 +1
Steve Veriato, $14,000 71-71-72-214 +1
Hugh Baiocchi, $14,000 72-67-75-214 +1
John Bland, $11,900 71-76-68-215 +2
John Mahaffey, $11,900 73-73-69-215 +2
Walt Morgan, $11,900 70-72-73-215 +2
Gary Player, $11,900 72-70-73-215 +2
Dale Douglass, $9,450 70-79-68-217 +4
Jim Dent, $9,450 77-69-71-217 +4
Walter Hall, $9,450 73-72-72-217 +4
Steve Stull, $9,450 70-73-74-217 +4
Vicente Fernandez, $9,450 70-73-74-217 +4
Jim Holtgrieve, $9,450 69-72-76-217 +4
Lanny Wadkins, $7,280 77-73-68-218 +5
Graham Marsh, $7,280 78-72-68-218 +5
Ed Dougherty, $7,280 75-72-71-218 +5
Bob Charles, $7,280 76-70-72-218 +5
Tommy Aaron, $7,280 74-72-72-218 +5
Bob Dickson, $7,280 72-73-73-218 +5
Bob Murphy, $5,740 76-75-68-219 +6
Dave Eichelberger, $5,740 74-75-70-219 +6
Al Geiberger, $5,740 73-75-71-219 +6
Jerry McGee, $5,740 74-73-72-219 +6
Jim Thorpe, $5,740 73-72-74-219 +6
Stewart Ginn, $4,620 73-75-72-220 +7
Isao Aoki, $4,620 73-71-76-220 +7
Gary McCord, $4,620 72-69-79-220 +7
Harold Henning, $3,920 78-70-73-221 +8
Lee Trevino, $3,920 72-73-76-221 +8
Hubert Green, $3,360 72-75-75-222 +9
J.C. Snead, $3,360 72-75-75-222 +9
DeWitt Weaver, $3,360 76-71-75-222 +9
Jimmy Powell, $2,940 76-74-73-223 +10
Jim Albus, $2,940 77-73-73-223 +10
Gibby Gilbert, $2,940 73-71-79-223 +10
Bob Eastwood, $2,380 79-74-71-224 +11
Jim Ahern, $2,380 76-77-71-224 +11
Chi Chi Rodriguez, $2,380 79-73-72-224 +11
Bill Holstead, $2,380 77-73-74-224 +11
Charles Coody, $2,380 73-75-76-224 +11
Sammy Rachels, $1,750 77-75-74-226 +13
Terry Dill, $1,750 76-74-76-226 +13
Andy North, $1,750 71-77-78-226 +13
Bob Duval, $1,750 72-75-79-226 +13
Howard Twitty, $1,316 77-77-73-227 +14
Miller Barber, $1,316 75-75-77-227 +14
Mark Hayes, $1,316 77-73-77-227 +14
Jesse Patino, $1,106 78-79-71-228 +15
David Lundstrom, $1,106 73-74-81-228 +15
Fritz Gambetta, $952 77-73-79-229 +16
Gene Littler, $952 76-71-82-229 +16
Orville Moody, $868 80-76-74-230 +17
Rocky Thompson, $784 82-76-76-234 +21
Tom Shaw, $784 84-72-78-234 +21