Monty Overtakes Sauers to Win U.S. Senior Open


It was survival of the fittest in the U.S. Senior Open. In the end, Colin Montgomerie overcame 100-degree temperatures, a valiant Gene Sauers and a difficult set-up at Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla., to win his second Champions Tour major title.

Montgomerie, a 51-year-old Scot who won the Senior PGA Championship in May, closed with a 2-under 69 Sunday to tie Sauers in regulation at 5-under 279 and force a three-hole aggregate playoff.

Sauers, who began Sunday with a three-stroke lead over Bernhard Langer and Scott Dunlap, finished with a 73.

The 51-year-old Sauers could have won the Francis Ouimet trophy in regulation. On the difficult par-4 18th hole, he hit a brilliant second shot that landed just over a front-right greenside bunker and the ball rolled up toward the cup. But he missed his six-foot birdie try by a hair, causing the extra holes with Montgomerie.

"I hit a good putt," Sauers said before the start of the playoff. That he even got so far is an accomplishment. The three-time winner on the PGA Tour did not compete professionally between 2006 and 2010 after being diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare, life-threatening skin condition.

Sauers' return to competition was also slowed by rheumatoid arthritis, but the skin disease had possible fatal consequences. "The doctors said I had a 25 percent chance to survive," he said earlier this week. "I'm lucky to be hitting the ball, lucky to be playing."

Both players bogeyed the first playoff hole, the par-4 16th, but Montgomerie took a one-stroke advantage by making par on the par-3 17th, which Sauers bogeyed. On the third extra hole, the 18th, Monty's approach came up short in the Bermuda grass rough just off the green, after Sauers pushed his second right of the putting surface.

Hitting first, Montgomerie chipped up 15 feet short of the hole, and Sauers then pitched to within three feet. But Montgomerie rolled in his curving par attempt to become the first Scottish U.S. Open champion since Tommy Armour in 1927 at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.

"That's the third USGA playoff I've been in," Montgomerie said on TV before the awards presentation. He finished third in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and later lost in a three-man 18-hole playoff (with Loren Roberts) to Ernie Els in 1994 at Oakmont; second to Els two years later at Congressional; and tied for second with Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk after losing to champion Geoff Ogilvy at Winged Foot in 2006.

"Credit to Gene Sauers," Montgomerie added during his brief post-round interview. "It's fantastic to win a USGA event."

The championship was essentially a two-man race as Langer was off all day; the 56-year-old German, who won the U.S. Senior Open in 2010, closed with a 77.

Sharing third at 1-under - the only 72-hole totals below par for the week - were South Africa's David Frost and American Woody Austen, who each shot 70s. Tied for fifth at even-par 284 were Americans Jeff Sluman and Marco Dawson, and Fiji's Vijay Singh, who all carded 73s.

Kirk Triplett recorded a 69 to take solo eighth at 285, while sharing ninth another stroke back were Joe Durant (67), Peter Senior (72), Dunlap (77) and Langer.

Defending champion Kenny Perry struggled with Oak Tree National the first three rounds. But on Sunday the 53-year-old Kentuckian rebounded with a 67 to end up tied for 14th at 288.

Sunday's low rounds were 66s by Bart Bryant and John Cook.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScoreDetail.aspx?id=17179869345&year=2014&type=alllb.