Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 19, 1990 TAG: 9006190159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From New York Times and Associated Press reports
DATELINE: MEDINAH, ILL. LENGTH: Medium
After the two tied with 2-over-par 74s after an 18-hole playoff, Irwin made an 8-foot birdie putt on the 385-yard first hole for the first sudden-death ending in the history of the championship.
With the victory, Irwin becomes only the fifth man to win at least three U.S. Opens, joining Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus, all of whom have won four.
"The third's a charm," Irwin said. "It's a fabulous feeling."
Irwin, 45, also becomes the oldest Open champion, replacing Raymond Floyd, who won in 1986 at the age of 43.
"Because I'm so old, I feel blessed," said Irwin.
Irwin also is the first man ever to win the Open while playing under a special exemption. He was invited into the tournament by the U.S. Golf Association after his 10-year exemption, earned when he won in 1979 at Inverness in Toledo, Ohio, ran out last year.
Of the 19 previous players to play under a special exemption, the best finish was by Ben Hogan, who finished 12th in 1966.
"There's a lot of emotion right now," Irwin said moments after making the winning putt. "It wasn't a great day, but I just tried to stay there."
Of Donald, Irwin said, "God bless him. I almost wish he had won, he's such a nice guy."
Irwin played far from a flawless round.
He visited the rough on several of his tee shots and almost was undone by two fairway wood shots, one that traveled all of 10 yards on the par-5 fifth hole and another that hooked deep into the trees on the par-4 12th.
But just as he did Sunday when he charged to a 5-under-par 31 on the back nine, Irwin raised his game in the nick of time.
Trailing by two strokes at the difficult par-4 16th, Irwin rifled a 2-iron shot to six feet and made the putt to draw within one.
Then on the 440-yard 18th, after Donald had driven into the trees, Irwin hit another solid iron to within 25 feet and two-putted for par.
When Donald, who was bunkered in two, narrowly missed his par putt from 15 feet, the two headed for the first tee and the first sudden-death format in 90 championships.
"Standing on the tee, I had a pretty good suspicion that someone was going to birdie that hole," said Donald, who had done it himself Saturday, Sunday and earlier Monday.
He was right.
It was over quickly.
Both drove well. Donald hit his approach 30 feet below the pin.
Irwin took a longer than usual time to judge the swirling wind, then hit a high, fading iron that ended up eight feet to the left of the hole.
Irwin judged the left-to-right break perfectly. When the putt dropped, Irwin jumped into the air and was embraced by his wife, Sally, and 19-year-old daughter, Becky.
"I had to keep pecking away. Not a great day, but I had to stay right there," Irwin said.
Donald said, "Hale did a lot of things right. I guess I just didn't do enough things right."
Keywords:
GOLF
by CNB