Jeff Maggert is moving into an elite class on golf’s senior circuit after winning the U.S. Senior Open Sunday at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, Calif.
He closed with a 5-under 65, edging defending champion Colin Montgomerie by two strokes.
The victory makes Maggert more than just a repeat winner on the 50-and-over tour. Along with Montgomerie (three) and Bernhard Langer (three), the three have combined to win the last eight majors.
“It’s satisfying just because the guys out here on the Champions Tour are the same guys that I was trying to beat 20 years ago,” Maggert said.
The 51-year-old American won his first senior major last month in Alabama in the Regions Tradition. His only other Champions Tour victory came in Mississippi last year.
Maggert had just three wins in more than 20 years on the PGA Tour, the last in the 2006 St. Jude Classic. Now he has matched that total in a little more than a year on the Champions Tour.
“I had a lot of good runs in the U.S. Open over the years and probably lacked a little maturity to pull it off,” he said. “But certainly, now that I’m an old guy, I’ve learned a lot and was able to just steady myself and play well.”
Maggert made six birdies and one bogey to finish at 10-under 270. He took home $675,000, a gold medal, a silver trophy and an exemption into next year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.
Montgomerie closed with a 66. Grant Waite and Langer tied for third at 7 under. Waite had a 67, and Langer, who shared the lead with Maggert after three rounds, shot a 68.
But nobody could shake Maggert, who provided a little bit of drama to a final round that lacked it when his approach on the 18th landed in the upslope of the greenside bunker. He wedged out and made the 4-foot par putt, raising his arms in celebration.
The 52-year-old Montgomerie, who was trying to become the first back-to-back winner at the U.S. Senior Open since Allen Doyle in 2005 and 2006, put a little pressure on the leader late. He ended a bogey-free round with a birdie putt from about 25 feet on the 18th, walking off the green to roars with pairing partner Tom Watson, who also finished with a long birdie putt.
GOLF
Bubba wins in playoff
Bubba Watson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to outlast Paul Casey and win the Travelers Championship for the second time. Casey had overcome a three-stroke deficit with five to play, tying Watson at 16-under 264. But Casey lost his chance at the title while playing the par-4 18th for the third time, when his third shot from a greenside bunker flew over the green and landed on the cart path. Watson, meanwhile, hit his 160-yard approach just to the right of the hole. Watson had a chance to win in regulation, but bogeyed the 17th, while Casey closed with three birdies on the final five holes, sandwiched around a bogey on 15. Watson finished with a 67 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., and Casey shot 65. Watson won the Travelers in 2010 for his first PGA Tour title. This was the sixth time since 2004 the tournament has been decided in a playoff. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a final-round 69 to finished with a 10-under-par 270 and earn $147,200. Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a final-round 71 to finish with a 2-under 278 and earn $13,440. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a final-round 70 and also finished with a 2-under 278 to earn $13,440.
Rob Oppenheim won the Air Capital Classic on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Andy Winings. The 35-year-old Oppenheim finished at 13-under 267 at Crestview Country Club. He made a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th and closed with four consecutive pars, finishing more than an hour in front of the final pairing. “You never know out here,” Oppenheim said. “It’s a lot less pressure and definitely easier playing from where I was than being in the lead. The leaders don’t want to make mistakes and I’m just firing at pins and trying to go as low as I can.” Making his 129th tour start, Oppenheim earned $108,000 to jump from 70th to 13th on the money list with $146,227. Winings bogeyed the final hole for a 71. Rhein Gibson and Nicholas Lindheim tied for second at 11 under. Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a final round 70 to finsih with an 8-under 272 to earn $15,000. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 3-under 67 and finished with a 6-under 274 to earn $5,996. Matt Mabrey (Little Rock) shot a 2-over 72 to finish with a 4-under 276 and earned $2,996. Andrew Landry (Little Rock) shot a 1-over 71 to finish with a 3-under 277 and earned $2,105.
Pablo Larrazabal won the BMW International Open by one shot Sunday for his fourth European Tour title. The Spaniard, who also won the tournament in 2011, closed with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to finish with a 17-under 271 on the Eichenried Golf Club course. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson shot five birdies and an eagle for a 65 but finished a stroke back after Larrazabal seized the lead with his sixth birdie on the par-4 16th hole. Larrazabal is the third golfer to win the tournament for the second time after Paul Azinger of the United States and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark. Chris Paisley was in contention until a bogey on the 17th left him two shots behind in third with a 71. It was a career-best finish for the Englishman. Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat (68), Spain’s Carlos del Moral (69) and South Africa’s Retief Goosen (67) were three strokes behind Larrazabal for a share of fourth. Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey and Sweden’s Peter Hansen were another stroke back.
BASKETBALL
Source: James to opt out
For the third time in six seasons, LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent. The difference this time is he has no plans to move again.
The Cleveland star will not exercise a $21.6 million option on his contract for next season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because neither the Cavaliers nor James were publicly discussing the process. James’ decision has been widely expected for months. The approach allows him to sign a new maximum contract — likely another two-year deal with a player option for 2017-18 —that will pay him more than he would have made under his previous contract. His max number for next season, which is tied to how high the salary cap rises, is expected to be more than $22 million. The last time James became a free agent from Cleveland in 2010, he famously left his home state team to play for the Miami Heat. James won two championships and played in four NBA Finals in his four years in Miami before making the celebrated decision to return home last summer. This time around, James plans to stay put while Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager David Griffin set about improving the roster in hopes of surrounding James with the talent he will need to end Cleveland’s 51-year championship drought. The Cavaliers have plenty of decisions to make and negotiations to conduct for free agents Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert. But the process with James will be fairly straight forward. He’s made it clear through actions and words to Cavaliers management that he isn’t going anywhere. If James signs another two-year contract with a player option on the second year, it would allow him to reap the financial windfall that is expected when the NBA’s new television contract kicks in next summer and sends the salary cap sky-rocketing.
BASEBALL
Verlander to return Tuesday
Justin Verlander is on track to return Tuesday from a back issue that caused him to miss a start. Detroit Manager Brad Ausmus said Verlander will start Tuesday night against Pittsburgh. The right-hander didn’t pitch at all this season until June 13 because of an arm problem, and after making two starts, he was scratched from Wednesday’s game against Cleveland because of back stiffness.