SPRING, Texas -- Mark McNulty is ready for another fast
finish on the Champions Tour.
The longtime European tour player from Zimbabwe won his second
Champions Tour title of the year Sunday, closing with a 6-under 66
for a one-stroke victory over Gil Morgan in the Administaff Small
Business Classic.
Last year, he won two late tournaments, the SBC Championships in
San Antonio and the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
"I kind of feel at home in Texas," said McNulty, who birdied
two of the last three holes and also had two eagles in the final
round. "I've had a solid year. To win another tournament would be
great and to win another one would be fantastic."
McNulty will defend his SBC title this week and would gladly
follow up with a repeat in the Charles Schwab Championship.
"I was more or less where I wanted to be with my game," he
said. "I'd love to close out as well as last year."
McNulty had a 16-under 200 total on the Augusta Pines course.
Morgan birdied the final hole for his third straight 67.
The 51-year-old McNulty, also the Bank of America Championship
winner in June in Concord, Mass., earned $240,000 for his fifth
victory in two seasons on the 50-and-over tour. He also has 55
international victories, 16 on the European tour.
Hale Irwin, a four-time winner this season who won his previous
two starts, closed with a 68 to finish third at 14 under.
Second-round leader Brad Bryant (71) followed at 13 under, and Jay
Haas (70) and Bruce Lietzke (67) were 12 under.
Irwin and Morgan had chances to force a playoff with eagles on
the par-5 18th, but Irwin settled for a par after hitting into a
bunker, and Morgan two-putted from 31 feet for his birdie.
"When we have that many guys playing well, you have to shoot 5
or 6 under," Irwin said. "Four under wasn't going to get it.
McNulty took the lead with a birdie on No. 16 and two-putted
from 43 feet for another birdie on the final hole.
McNulty earned 240 points and jumped from sixth to fourth in the
Charles Schwab Cup point standings. Irwin earned 115 Cup points and
now trails points leader Dana Quigley by 261 points, 2,262-2001.
Irwin's third-place finish earned him $115,200 and edged him
closer to Quigley, the leading money winner. Quigley finished at 1
under and earned $4,960. Quigley still leads with $1,958,058 and
Irwin is second with $1,909,967.
Haas, trying to win his second consecutive tournament, had two
birdies on the front nine before he bogeyed No. 10, ending a string
of 54 straight holes without a bogey.
The 10th hole was a disaster for Bryant, who took his first
Champions Tour lead into the final round after a pair of 66s.
Bryant opened with three consecutive birdies to reach 15 under.
That lasted until he hit a shot into the lake at No. 10 and carded
a triple bogey.
"I played well except for three swings off the tee," Bryant
said. "My goal for today was 14 under. I got there but then I had
a couple of bad shots."
Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino made an entertaining twosome for
the second straight day. Palmer had an 82 and finished 23 over, and
Trevino shot a 73 to finish at 15 over.