Golf Roundup : Sutton Wins on First Playoff Hole at Memphis

Hal Sutton sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against David Ogrin to win the $500,000 St. Jude Memphis tournament Sunday.

Ogrin, who was among the leaders all week, wound up in the playoff when he missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation play, leaving him tied at nine-under par with Sutton, who had finished his round earlier.

Ogrin missed another eight-foot putt on the first playoff hole to give Sutton the victory and the $90,000 winner’s check.

Sutton, who started the day at two-under-par 214, charged out of the pack with a seven-under 65 Sunday.

He caught up with the leaders and finished his fourth round about an hour before Ogrin, who was playing with Andy Bean and George Burns, the third-round leader.

Sutton shot 65-76-73-65 for a 72-hole total of 279. Ogrin finished with 66-70-72-71--269.

Sutton said he has been struggling this year, despite collecting paychecks on 17 events out of 19 starts. Before Sunday, his best effort for the year was a second in the Los Angeles Open.

Sutton said he was going for the hole on his long putt to win the playoff. “It got downhill like I wanted it to,” he said. “I felt real fortunate.”

Said Ogrin: “I was in the driver’s seat, and he slam-dunked me. But, I proved to myself I can play well enough to win on the tour. It took a 65 to catch me today--and that’s what Hal shot.”

Sutton said he was surprised when Ogrin didn’t go for the green with his second shot at the par-5 playoff hole. “You don’t get the chance that often. If it had been me, I would have gone for it.”

“I never considered going for the green in two,” Ogrin said. “If I put it in the water, it’s a gimme victory for Hal.”

Sutton said his play this year has been erratic because he was beginning to lose confidence. “I got into a position to win several times and didn’t,” he said.

“Whether it was 65 or 75, I needed a win more than anyone,” Sutton said. “I hadn’t won since the PGA in 1983. I had been struggling and I had my doubts.”

At Hershey, Pa., Juli Inkster birdied three of the final four holes for a four-under-par 68 to win the LPGA’s $250,000 Lady Keystone Open by two strokes.

Inkster, the LPGA rookie of the year for 1984, finished with a seven-under 209 over 54 holes to collect $37,500. The victory was her first this year.

Betsy King, who had led in the first two rounds, slipped to a one-over-par 73 for second place with a 211 total. Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley and Kathy Postlewait finished in a three-way tie for third at 212.

Inkster hit a perfect drive on the 401-yard 18th. Her second shot bounced past the pin to the back fringe, allowing her to make a 15-foot downhill putt into the center of the cup for her third back-nine birdie and the victory.

At Stateline, Nev., Miller Barber quickly turned the closing round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship into a one-man show, finishing with a one-under-par 71 to win by four strokes.

It was the third time Barber has won the U.S. Senior Open.

Barber, 54, began the day with a three-stroke lead. He birdied three of the first four holes, and his lead reached seven strokes when second-place Roberto DeVicenzo four-putted at the par-4 sixth for a double bogey.

Barber shot three rounds of 71 and matched par once for a three-under, 285 total on the 7,055-yard Edgewood Tahoe course. DeVicenzo closed with a 72 for his 289 total. Gay Brewer, with a 71 and 291, finished third for the second straight year.

Barber parred the last 10 holes of the tournament. On the fairways, he said: “I was never in any difficulty at all.”

His career golf earnings of $2,470,000 include $870,000 on the Senior tour. He collected $40,199 in claiming the title he also won last year and in 1982. Barber finished third and sixth in his other two appearances in the U.S. Golf Assn.’s tour for 50-and-over players.

In Monaco, Sam Torrance of Scotland scored his first victory this year by winning the Monte Carlo Open by a stroke. First place was worth $25,000.

The 31-year-old Torrance shot a final-round 70. He finished at 264, 12-under par, to edge Japan’s Isao Aoki. It was Torrance’s 11th European tour victory and the 16th of his professional career.

His last victory was in the Sanyo Open last fall.

Only one shot off the pace going into the last round, Aoki also compiled a final-round 70 for an 11-under-par 265 and a second prize of $16,500.

Aoki had a 35-foot birdie putt on the final hole, which could have forced a playoff. The line was perfect, but Aoki hit the ball too sharply and it hopped over the hole.

Briton Sandy Lyle had a final-round 68, after a 65 third round, to finish third at 269.