Hendley survives storm for dramatic win
In what the vast majority of golfers agreed were the worst conditions they had ever played in, 30-year-old Texan Stuart Hendley fired a miraculous one-over-par 72 yesterday to come from six shots back to lift the Bermuda Open title.
With the wind gusting up to 50 knots and rain squalls lashing across the Port Royal course, yesterday's final round simply became a case of survival.
But at the end of the day there were few who survived with their scores intact.
More cards in the 80s than 70s were returned, and four pros failed to break 90.
Besides Hendley, one of the most impressive was Bermuda's Dwayne Pearman who came within a whisker of winning his second Open championship, shooting a final round 74 to finish just one shot back.
While considered a good poor weather player, even Pearman admitted: "I haven't played in anything like this in a long time.'' Hendley's four round total of 290 -- six over par -- earned him a cheque for $12,000 while Pearman (291) picked up $7,500, and third-placed Rick Price (293), the overnight leader, $4,875.
Former PGA champion John Mahaffey, who struggled to a disappointing 81 which left him in a three-way tie for fifth place with former winners Gene Fieger (81) and Tim Conley (78), described the weather as "virtually unplayable -- the worst I can remember in over 24 years of professional golf.'' Ian Doig, a three time Belmont Invitational winner, concurred. "I've played around the world and I can't recall anything as bad as this.'' Even champion Hendley described the conditions as "comical.'' But there was certainly nothing comical about his scorecard. To a man, his fellow pros called it a round of sheer brilliance. While most were having trouble in merely standing up, the Canada-based pro eased his way to the turn in two-under, offsetting a bogey at the first with birdies at two, three and seven.
A double bogey at the comparatively simple par-four tenth where he four-putted -- "the wind was blowing so hard I almost whiffed the first putt'' -- and another bogey at 11 temporarily halted his charge.
But then a birdie at 13 put him back in the frame just before tournament officials decided to suspend play shortly after 2.00 p.m.
Their reasoning was that playing conditions had become impossible, which under the rules allows officials to delay play.
However, it wasn't a decision which met with the approval of all players, and the agreement, although not unanimous among officials, to resume at 3.15 p.m., was similarly greeted with rumblings of discontent.
The player who stood to gain most by the decision to suspend play was American Price who went into the day with a four shot advantage over Mahaffey and Fieger. Had play not resumed, he would have been declared the winner as leader after 54 holes.
As it was, play did resume and Price, like most, found the conditions too tough. He stumbled through five successive bogeys, from the eighth to the 12th, watching his lead quickly evaporate.
At the resumption, he still led by one over Pearman and Hendley, but it was to be short-lived.
With the wind blowing just as hard as it had been an hour earlier, Hendley completed his last five holes in one-under, sinking a superb 20-footer for birdie on 16 and parring the rest.
But, meanwhile, Price's woes continued. On resuming he bogeyed 11 and 12, and then saw his last chance of repairing the damage disappear at 16 where he missed a three-footer for par.
After nervously watching Price negotiate the 18th where he would have needed eagle in order to force a play-off, Hendley admitted the conditions had played into his hand.
"I consider myself a good bad weather player, so when I saw what it was like this morning, I realised I might have a chance. But with players like John Mahaffey in the field, I knew it would be tough.
"Had the weather been fine, it would have been a lot more difficult to pull back a six shot deficit.
"Coming from Texas, I guess I'm used to playing in the wind, but this was something else.
"This has got to be one of the best rounds I've ever played.'' A touring pro for eight years, Hendley won last month's Canadian PGA and is currently preparing to visit Australia where he will play the major events.
Pearman, who started the day five shots back, said he was delighted but surprised at his second place finish.
"I just haven't played in this type of weather for so long. People say I play well in the wind, but I don't know, it was pretty tough out there today.
"On the 13th which is where I was when play was suspended, I could hardly stand up. It was that bad.
"But I'm happy. Under the circumstances, it was a good, solid round.'' Price, who eventually finished three shots behind Hendley, offered his congratulations to the winner but questioned the wisdom of tournament officials.
"He played superbly. He deserves it. But I didn't play that badly. I never had worse than bogey.
"I'm not sure why they suspended play when they did. It wasn't any better when we went back out. In my opinion, it was a bad decision.
"Obviously it would have suited me if play had been called off as I would have won. But that's not my point, I think they made a bad call in the first place.'' Mahaffey didn't go as far as to question the officials, but hinted that he would have preferred the round to have been abandoned.
"I just couldn't keep my balance, and it was difficult to grip the golf club.
I think I went through seven gloves today.
"It's certainly the most difficult day on a golf course I've ever experienced.''.
As for the amateurs, they too found their fair share of trouble.
But despite an 88, Port Royal's own Henry Ascento hung on for first place, totalling 314, just one shot ahead of Englishman John Marks who finished with a superb 78.
Bermuda's Blake Marshall carded 84 yesterday to take third place on 318. Full scores -- see Page 14 RICK PRICE hits out of the trees on number 10 on his way to a bogey five and a disappointing final round of 81. He had gone into the final day leading by four shots, and ended up losing by three.
DWAYNE PEARMAN carded a superb 74 yesterday, earning him second place just one shot behind winner Stuart Hendley, and a cheque for $7,500.