Senior Victory Is a First for James

Even before he was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, Mark James had golf in perspective.

“Golf wasn’t exactly life or death for me,” he said.

Becoming the first European to win a major on the Champions Tour isn’t going to change that.

The former Ryder Cup captain shot a one-over 73 and held off Jose Maria Canizares for a one-stroke victory Sunday at the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

James finished at 13-under 275.

The first of James’ two operations for testicular cancer was in October 2000. James said he didn’t feel like himself until the middle of 2002.

“This is the biggest win of my career, without question,” James said. “To win a major, it’s incredible.”

For the second consecutive day, he caught a break when a competitor’s game collapsed. Canizares had double bogeys at Nos. 14 and 17 in a one-under 71, finishing at 12-under 276. In the third round, Dana Quigley was the co-leader with James until he ruined a strong round with a quadruple bogey at the par-five 17th. Quigley finished tied for fifth with Gary McCord at nine under.

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Mark Hensby won the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill., for his first victory, then made the startling announcement that he was turning down a spot in the British Open.

England’s John Morgan, the runner-up to Hensby, thought he was headed to Royal Troon instead but found out he wasn’t.

From start to finish, this was a tournament of surprises.

Hensby tapped in for par on the second playoff hole to beat Hensby and claim his first PGA Tour victory after several close finishes this year.

The win also qualified Hensby for next week’s British Open -- an offer he declined. Hensby said he has no experience playing on links courses and wouldn’t have enough time to prepare.

“It was really a no-brainer. I’ve never played a course like that,” he said. “I feel pretty good inside that I gave it to John.”

But, he didn’t.

The PGA Tour initially announced the spot went to Morgan.

A thrilled Morgan said, “I feel like a winner, I really do. It’ll take a bit of time to sink in.”

As it turned out, not that much time.

Long after the tournament was over, a Tour official announced that the spot did not go to Morgan. After speaking with British Open organizers, the Tour was told there is no clause that allows the winner to pass the spot on to the next-highest finisher.

“It would have been lovely,” Morgan said later. “It’s just one of those things. You’ve got to follow the rules. They apologized to me. It’s a shame.”

Hensby birdied five of the first eight holes to rally from four shots down, finishing tied with Morgan at 16-under 268.

The Australian won it on the second playoff hole when Morgan hit his first shot on the par-three 16th far left of the green. From there, Morgan hit it into the bunker and couldn’t hole his sand shot. Hensby two-putted for par and the $685,000 winner’s check.

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Meg Mallon completed her North American double, running away to win the Canadian Women’s Open a week after winning the U.S. Women’s Open. Leaning heavily on her sharp putting stroke, Mallon shot a final-round two-under 70, finishing with an 18-under 270 to win $195,000 at Niagara Falls, Canada. Mallon became the first woman to win both U.S. and Canadian titles in the same year and her 18-under matched a tournament record for lowest score, first set by Brandie Burton in 1998 at Windsor, Canada.

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Former PGA champion Steve Elkington withdrew from the British Open because of a pulled groin muscle. Because he had qualified at Congressional, Elkington was replaced by Jimmy Green, the first alternate from that international qualifying site.

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Thomas Levet matched the lowest round of his career, an eight-under 63 that gave him a one-shot victory in the Scottish Open at Luss. Along with his first victory in three years, he earned a trip to the British Open.

One spot at the British Open was available to the top finisher at Loch Lomond not already eligible. Levet, who finished at 15-under 269, got his third European PGA Tour victory.