Haas Secures 17th Champions Tour Title


Jay Haas closed with a 5-under 66 to win the Greater Hickory Kia Classic at Rock Barn. The $2.1 million Champions Tour event began Friday at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C.

The 60-year-old Haas carded six birdies and a bogey to finish at 17-under 196, two strokes ahead of Joe Durant and Kirk Triplett, who each posted 66s.

The victory, worth $240,000, was the 17th on the Champions Tour and his third at Rock Barn for Haas, who also won the tournament in 2005 and '09. It was his first title since the Principal Charity Classic in June 2012.

Haas was very pleased to get the victory. "It had been a couple years since I'd won, and I felt like I'd played well enough to win at times in those two years, but for whatever reason I wasn't able to pull it off," he told reporters.

"Today having the lead basically the whole day, whether it be tied or I think maybe I got one behind of Joe going into 6, he maybe birdied 6, and had me by a stroke, but other than that I was right by the lead or in the lead for the last couple days.

"To hold on, I guess, and to do that is pretty special. When I won a couple years ago, I was wondering if I could still do it, but is that the last time, so to do it - I didn't know - 60 is I guess some kind of benchmark or watermark that not that many guys have done that. But it's just a number, I guess. I still feel like I'm capable, obviously, after this weekend, and it certainly gives me some confidence in the last couple events and then going on to next year.

"Hopefully I won't completely fall off the map when I turn 61 in December. It was very special. It was a special week, and we talked about Bill being inducted into the Wake (Forest) Hall of Fame. To think that I came to Wake Forest in 1972, in my math serves me right, that's 42 years ago, is pretty incredible all that's happened, all the great stuff that's happened to me in my life has just been - I've been extremely blessed, and just to do this today is - I don't know, I'll think about it and remember it for a long, long time."

David Frost began Sunday with Durant and Triplett trailing Haas by two, but the South African finished with a 68 to take solo fourth at 200, while another stroke back was John Cook (66).

Tied for sixth at 202 were Canada's Stephen Ames (65) and Americans Skip Kendall (66), Doug Garwood (66), Paul Goydos (67) and Wayne Levi (69).

Jeff Maggert (66), Mike Goodes (68), Roger Chapman (69) and Jeff Sluman (68) tied for 11th at 203.

Defending champion Michael Allen carded rounds of 67, 70 and 70 to end up tied for 26th at 207.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/champions/leaderboard.html.