Edwards wins in Oxford

[corner-ad id=2]PGA Tour veteran holds off Rowland’s charge to win Oxford Senior Open

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD — The levels might not be quite the same, but whether it’s on the PGA Tour or just a place to stay competitive, the feeling that comes from winning never gets old.

Danny Edwards won the Sunbelt Senior Tour’s Oxford Senior Open Thursday, holding off a big charge by runnerup Roger Rowland.

Edwards, who turns 64 Sunday, shot a bogey-free 66 from the III tees at Cider Ridge Golf Club in the final round for a three-day total 17-under 199. Rowland shot 65 from the IIs and finished two shots back.

He won $2,500 and the traditional Sunbelt Senior Tour bottle of wine for the victory.

“It’s nice to play well, it’s nice to win a little tournament,” Edwards said, “but mostly it’s just nice to play well, hang in there and get the job done when the guy you’re playing is playing lights out.”

Rowland, who won last week’s Tour stop in Cullman, made five straight birdies in the middle of the round and eventually pulled into a tie for the lead after 12.

Then Edwards, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, responded with birdies on the next two holes to take the lead for good and three of the next five. He also made a clutch 10-foot downhill slider to save par on 16 to maintain the lead.

Rowland called 16 “the big moment” in the round. He had an eight-footer for birdie and Edwards hadn’t hit the green in two, and both walked away with pars. Edwards then hit it close on 17 to set up another birdie, while Rowland pulled his tee shot and made par to fall two back.

“I figured if I could make a birdie or two coming in those last four or five holes I’d have a chance,” Edwards said. “All you can do in golf is play your own game.”

Edwards will tell you he isn’t a good putter, but he made 18 birdies in the three rounds this week on what he called “beautiful pure greens to putt.” He said it might have been his best putting tournament in 15 years.

“I probably hadn’t made 18 birdies in three rounds since I couldn’t even remember, since I was 4 years old,” he said. “I rolled the ball good.”

Edwards played the front in 3-under 33 and was 14-under for the tournament as he headed to the back nine.

Rowland turned in 4-under and was two shots back at 12-under. He made four straight birdies after a two-shot swing on 5 to get back to that margin.

Edwards birdied 5. Rowland went for it in 2, missed it right and hit two poor chips – one from a bare lie and the other that got caught in the fringe — and made 6.

In effect, it was the two-shot swing that went against Edwards on Wednesday. All of a sudden Edwards’ lead was five with 13 holes to play.

But Rowland wasn’t worried.

“It was early in the round, and I’m not one that gets freaked out early in a round like that,” He said. “But it did tell me you have to play a little aggressive now — and I got hot.”

So, he birdied 6, 7 and 8 with sharp iron shots and two-putted for another on 9.

“My iron play has been unbelievable for the last several weeks and my putter got hot today,” he said.

With the hottest hand on the course, the last thing he needed to see was a break in the action. But the round was interrupted for an hour by a passing thunderstorm.

When play was suspended, Rowland was already on the 10th green, while playing partners Edwards and Tim Conley had yet to hit their fairway shots.

Sixty-seven minutes after hitting his last shot, Rowland returned to the course and made his fifth straight birdie to get within one of the lead.

“I threw everything I could at you, buddy; you’re as tough as nails,” Rowland told Edwards as they walked off the 18th green.

OXFORD SENIOR OPEN
At Cider Ridge GC
Final scores

Danny Edwards, Scottsdale, Ariz. $2,500 68-65-66–199
Roger Rowland, Ocala, Fla. $1,800 69-67-65–201
Mike Beaver, Newberry, Fla. $1,000 73-67-71–211
Jim Doing, Verona, Wis. $1,000 70-72-69–211
Tim Conley, Braselton, Ga. $700 68-68-78–214
Bob Flanagan, Lawrenceville, Ga. $600 69-72-74–215
Danny Gonzales, Round Rock, Texas $500 70-78-70–218
John Whitty, Longs, S.C. 73-76-71–220
Rob Willbanks, Kilgore, Texas 76-71-78–225
Bob Kurtz, Cullman 75-80-79–234
Dave Pickett, Oliver Springs, Tenn. 78-79-83–240
Tommy Edwards, Duluth, Ga. 80-84-77–241
Randy Kennedy, Buford, Ga. 78-79-84–241
Jim White, Birmingham 75-83-WD

LEADERS SCORECARDS
Player 443 454 435 36 443 445 435 36 72
Edwards 442 444 434 33 443 335 425 33 66
Rowland 442 463 324 32 342 435 435 33 65
Beaver 443 345 434 34 443 347 435 37 71
Doing 343 453 534 34 443 455 424 35 69

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