THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Monday, July 17, 1995 TAG: 9507170117 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
All day Sunday, Scott Simpson hung around, hung around, hung around.
But when he had a chance to get in contention for his first victory since 1993, he hung his tee shot out to the right at No. 18.
Simpson needed a birdie to tie Ted Tryba at 12-under in the final round of the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic. Moments earlier, Simpson had made a birdie at 17 at virtually the same time Tryba had bogeyed at 16, drawing within a stroke.
But Simpson pushed his final tee ball over the gallery and behind a pine tree. He had to hit his second shot from about 195 yards out low to avoid the pine branches, and could not get enough on it to reach the top shelf of the 18th green.
``I hit a really good shot,'' Simpson said. ``If it would have bounced up a little more to the top of that hill, I might have had a chance.''
But he was 40 feet from the hole and below the swale. He two-putted, and Tryba parred 17 and 18 to secure the win.
Simpson never led this week, but he never trailed by much.
``I was hoping to pull a little Corey Pavin action there,'' Simpson said. ``Just kind of hang around all week and the next thing you know he wins. I felt I always had a chance at it.''
But unlike Pavin at the U.S. Open, Simpson couldn't pull off the spectacular shot into the green at 18.
The hole that did Simpson in was No. 11, which he bogeyed when his 8-iron from the middle of the fairway spun back off the green and down the hill. He pitched it 12 feet by, and missed the par putt.
``That one cost me,'' Simpson said.
Perhaps $79,200, the difference between first place and Simpson's $118,800 second-place check. But Simpson, who tied for second last week at the Western, has picked up just over $250,000 in two weeks, vaulting to 10th on the tour money list. He also picked up 90 Ryder Cup points to move from 22nd to 17th.
STRANGE CHARGE: Kingsmill touring pro Curtis Strange faced the threat of missing the cut Friday.
Sunday, he threatened to win the tournament.
Strange started hot with birdies at Nos. 1, 5, 6 and 7, putting him in a tie for the lead with eventual winner Tryba at 10-under. He gave a stroke back at No. 8, but birdied No. 9 to make the turn in 32.
But he bogeyed 10 and 11 and never challenged again. He shot 68 to finish tied for sixth.
``I played very well on the weekend,'' said Strange, who played into contention with a 65 Saturday.
Strange said things went awry with bad tee balls at Nos. 10 and 11. ``I really lost my confidence a little bit on those two shots,'' he said.
BEST ROUND: Marco Dawson's 63 Sunday was the best round of the tournament by two shots.
Starting on the back, Dawson matched the best nine-hole score on the tour this season with a 29. His 63 was two off the tournament record and tied him for sixth place, good for $38,225.
``As soon as I got to the range, I hit a couple shots and it all came back,'' said Dawson, who began the day nine strokes off the lead and finished three back. ``All of a sudden I got all this confidence back. I don't know where it goes or how it comes back or why it leaves.''
CARTER'S ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: Third-round leader Jim Carter didn't remain a factor long in the final round. He bogeyed Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 8 to make the turn in 40. He said nerves played a role in the early fold.
``It was a hard day starting out,'' Carter said. ``I made a few little teensy mistakes - not too bad - but it cost me bogeys. I was really down and really mad. I feel like I played the best of anyone the whole week. I got to minus-10 three different times earlier in the week and kept falling backwards.''
He ended at minus-10. After the debacle on the front, Carter recovered nicely to collect a $57,200 check and match his career-best finish of tied for third. He shot a 31 on the back, punctuated by an eagle at 15 and a chip-in birdie at 17.
``I'm pleased,'' Carter said. ``It was a great back nine. Probably not too many guys shot 31 on the back nine today.''
MISCELLANY: Tryba is the fourth player to record his first career win at this tournament. The others: Mark Wiebe in 1985, Tom Sieckmann in 1988 and Mike Donald in 1989. . . . Sunday was cooler than Saturday's 98 degrees and 118 heat index, but not by much. Just before 3:30 p.m., it was 92 degrees with a 111 heat index. . . . Attendance for the week is expected to be right around last year's 86,335. It was at 66,775 heading into the final round, with daily totals of 9,203 Tuesday, 5,942 Wednesday, 12,371 Thursday, 17,132 Friday and 22,127 Saturday. Sunday's totals won't be available until today. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by VICKI CRONIS/
Scott Hoch tries to calm down the James River crowd, which reacted
to his par-saving putt on No. 17.
Marco Dawson sizes up a putt Sunday on No. 9, his final hole. He
finished the day with a 63, the low round of the tournament.
by CNB