The Senior PGA Championship

Tournament Info for: 2001 Senior PGA Championship
Date:	May 24 - 27, 2001
Site:	Ridgewood Country Club
Champion:	Tom Watson
Purse:	$1,800,000.00
Field:	143
Cut at:	79
Par:	36 - 36 - 72 (6,904 yards)
Players Advanced:	150

Tom Watson, that man from Kansas with a swagger in his walk, didn't need a rainbow to carry him home Sunday afternoon. He let his putter provide the magic, answering playing partner Jim Thorpe with a clutch birdie putt on the 16th green, then holding on for a 5-under-par 67 and a one-stroke victory in the 62nd Senior PGA Championship. Locked in a pulsating duel with Thorpe over the final nine holes of The Ridgewood Country Club, Watson captured his first senior major championship and may have made a statement for senior golf in the process. "If my winning helps the Senior Tour, then I'm happy for it," said Watson, who had missed a PGA Championship in 28 tries during his Hall of Fame career. "What it means is that I've won the PGA. It's not the Wanamaker Trophy, but it's the (Alfred S.) Bourne Trophy. "This makes us for it a little bit. That Wanamaker Trophy was - I had it in my sights a couple of times. Not as many as the other major championships, but I had it in my sights and let it get away in 1978. But, I've won tournaments that way as well. Watson's winning total of 14-under-par 274, included seven birdies in the final round and two bogeys. Thorpe came home a stroke back after a 68, while Bob Gilder posted a 70 to land alone in third at 277 in his Championship debut. Allen Doyle, the 1999 Senior PGA Champion, was another stroke back at 278 after a 70, and three-time Champion Hale Irwin came in with the day's low round of 66 to share fifth with Stewart Ginn at 281. The back-nine dramatics picked up at the 14th hole. Watson saw his three-stroke margin whittled to one after a three-putt effort from 40 feet. Thorpe had made a 12-foot birdie moments earlier. At the point, Watson's putting woes of the past several years might have taken over. But, not on this day. "It just made my resolve stronger to hit the ball close to the hole and get it in," said Watson, who followed Thorpe's 12-foot birdie on the 16th by making an eight-foot birdie putt. "When you're playing this game, you've got to sometimes make a statement," said Watson. "And, the best way to make a statement is to make a putt after somebody else's made a putt." Thorpe and Watson each scrambled for pars on the par-5 17th after pulling second approach shots. Thorpe made a 12-foot par save and Watson two-putted from the back fringe. Approaching the 18th and nearly encircled by a mammoth gallery, Watson two-putted from 40 feet and Thorpe missed a potential tying seven-foot birdie putt on the low side of the hole. "I don't have no excuses," said Thorpe. "I can got back to the first day, the second day, the third day and find a putt. It's just the idea this one seemed to be fresh on my mind. But you know I had my chances. Tom played very, very well. He did what he had to do." Watson earned a first-place check of $360,000 from a $2 million total purse, and also will return to the PGA Championship in August at the Atlanta Athletic Club for yet another try at the Wanamaker Trophy. "I'll be playing the PGA Championship for another shot," said Watson. Watson finished the weekend with rounds of 66 and 67, making birdies on 12 of his final 25 holes. "I had fun because I love the golf course," said Watson. "This golf course was a joy to play. When I teed it up on Wednesday, I only had a chance to play one practice round on the golf course. And I understand why I heard so many good things about it." When Watson was about to accept the Bourne Trophy, he looked skyward. "I think my dad, who's up there looking down, may have something to do with this today," said Watson. "But, he also is probably asking, 'How in the hell did you three-putt 14?'"

© 2013 - The PGA of America. All rights reserved.