Morgan Retains His Edge

No matter how hard Gil Morgan tried and no matter how big his lead grew, he couldn’t stop the ghosts of Valencia Country Club from creeping into his thought process.

It’s his nature, he said, to think the worst, so when he arrived at the 18th tee Sunday with a three-shot lead in the SBC Classic, tension filled his body. Victory had eluded him in the tournament the previous two years because of last-hole heroics by competitors.

Playing partner Larry Nelson did make an 18th-hole eagle Sunday, but this time it wasn’t enough to overtake Morgan, who made par on the last hole, shot three-under-par 69 and won with a three-round total of 14 under.

Nelson shot a third consecutive 68 and finished two strokes behind. Peter Jacobsen rallied from five strokes behind with a final-round 67 but came up three strokes short in his Champions Tour debut. Joe Inman tied a competitive course record with his 64 and finished tied for fourth with Graham Marsh at 10 under.

“I felt real edgy coming down the stretch just because of all the things that have happened here,” Morgan said. “I’m always kind of a little negative in the fact thinking somebody can do something there at the last minute.”

Last year, Morgan had a two-shot lead on the 18th hole, but playing partner Tom Purtzer won after he made an eagle and Morgan three-putted for bogey. In 2002, Morgan eagled the 18th and held the clubhouse lead until Tom Watson chipped in for eagle and Tom Kite made a birdie at 18, and both finished a shot ahead.

Morgan began Sunday with a three-shot lead. Jacobsen closed to within two with birdies on three of his first four holes, but Morgan widened the gap to five shots when he got to 15 under with birdies at Nos. 9, 10 and 11.

“I feel kind of relief,” Morgan said. “Last year, I didn’t feel like there was any way I could lose that tournament standing on the 18th tee. And then this year, even with a three-shot lead, I thought, well, what’s going to happen if you make a bogey and someone makes an eagle, you’re right back in the same boat as you were last year. I was very apprehensive, especially starting on 15.”

It was Morgan’s fifth victory in a Los Angeles-area event. He won two SBC Classics at Wilshire Country Club, won the 1978 Los Angeles Open at Riviera Country Club and the 1983 L.A. Open at Rancho Park Golf Course.

His first victory this season extended to nine his streak of consecutive years with a Champions Tour victory. That ties Hale Irwin and Miller Barber for the longest such streak.

He also tied Bob Charles for fourth place on the all-time Champions Tour victory list with 23. Only Irwin (38), Lee Trevino (29) and Barber (24) have won more. Morgan won $225,000 and takes over the top spot on the season money list with $495,121.

Jacobsen had little doubt that a player with such credentials would hold on.

“One thing I learned about Gil Morgan in my days playing on the tour and when I’ve seen him play out here, he doesn’t give anything back,” Jacobsen said. “We all make bogeys, but you’re not going to see Gil put two or three bogeys together. When he got to 15 [under], I knew it was over.”

It wasn’t until Morgan hit his second shot on the 18th hole that he felt comfortable. He hit a nice drive, then laid up with a four-iron. The ball came to rest 74 yards from the hole. Morgan pitched up and two-putted for a par.

“After I hit my second shot on 18,” he said, “I felt like unless something disastrous happens, I’m going to be able to survive here.”

Morgan started the day in defensive mode. He made a birdie at the par-three third hole, then strung together five consecutive pars before a glance at the leaderboard told him pars probably weren’t going to cut it.

He had a two-shot lead at 12 under, but Inman, Jacobsen, Purtzer and Craig Stadler were charging. That’s when Morgan took dead aim. He nearly made an eagle putt on the ninth and tapped in for birdie, hit to within a foot and made birdie on No. 10 and then hit to within seven feet and converted the birdie putt on No. 11.

“I thought I needed to make a birdie or two,” Morgan said. “I think it’s always difficult to come with a three- or four-shot lead. Sometimes you feel a little bit more defensive in that mode -- at least I do. It seemed like I was a little tentative early just trying to make sure I didn’t make a mistake.”