Golf Roundup : Maltbie Wins Playoff From Floyd and Burns

Roger Maltbie put on a birdie-birdie finish for a tie and then defeated Raymond Floyd and George Burns in a sudden-death playoff Sunday to win the $500,000 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester tournament at Harrison, N.Y.

Maltbie, who appeared out of it when he fell two shots back with two holes to play in regulation, eventually won with a seven-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole of the playoff.

It was the fourth victory of Maltbie’s career and broke a nine-year non-winning string. His last victory was in the 1976 Memorial tournament.

Maltbie, Burns and the 42-year-old Floyd finished the regulation 72 holes in 275, nine shots under par on the hilly Westchester Country Club course in suburban New York.

Maltbie and Burns, who shared the third-round lead, each had a closing 70. Floyd provided most of the early drama with a closing 65.

All three made routine, two-putt pars on the first two holes of the playoff.

On the third, Burns and Floyd both drove into the rough. Burns hit a tree with his second shot and was well short of the green. Floyd found a bunker.

Each, however, made a great save, Burns pitching to about one foot and Floyd coming out of the sand to about 3 1/2 feet. Maltbie had a chance to win it there, but missed a nine-foot putt.

On the par-3 16th, Floyd and Burns each missed the green, while Maltbie put his tee shot about seven feet from the cup.

Fuzzy Zoeller, who will defend his U.S. Open title at Oakland Hills in Birmingham, Mich., later this week, had a closing 70 and finished with a 286 total, two over par.

Maltbie’s victory was worth $90,000 from the total purse of $500,000 and lifted his season’s earnings to $167,175, the best money-winning season of his 11-year career.

Burns, who led or shared the lead through the first three rounds, and Floyd took some consolation in a prize of $44,000 each.

At Malvern, Pa., Alice Miller shot her fourth straight four-under-par 68 to win the $400,000 McDonald’s Championship by eight strokes with a 16-under-par total of 272 for 72 holes.

Miller, 29, the tour’s leading money winner, became only the third player in the LPGA’s 36-year history to win a 72-hole tournament by shooting under 70 in each round. Hollis Stacy and Pat Bradley are the other two. One less stroke and she would have tied Stacy’s record of the lowest 72-hole LPGA total ever.

Miller earned $60,000 to boost her 1985 bankroll to $277,125.

At Woburn, England, Lee Trevino hit what he called the best shot of his life to within six inches of the cup for an eagle three at the last hole to win the $260,000 British Masters.

Trevino’s 255-yard shot with a 3-wood from out of the semi-rough for a moment looked to be going in, but it stopped just short of the hole.

The shot at the 514-yard, tree-lined 18th hole gave Trevino a 67 and a 10-under par total of 278. Rodger Davis of Australia finished second, three shots back.

Five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson made two clutch putts on the last four holes for a two-stroke victory in the $200,000 PGA Seniors Champions tournament at Sparks, Nev.