Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 30 July 2019

Bernhard Langer poses with the trophy after winning the senior
Open golf tournament at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, in
Lytham, England, Sunday July 28, 2019.
Langer wins his

Brooks Koepka holds his trophy after winning the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invi- 4th Senior British
tational Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn.
Associated Press
Koepka outduels McIlroy, wins Open title

first WGC title by 3 strokes LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England and have played majors,

(AP) — Bernhard Langer and I've been blessed to
beat Paul Broadhurst by have won more than any
By TERESA M. WALKER nice to squeak out a vic- tied for second in 2016 two shots to win the Senior of them."
AP Sports Writer tory over probably the best when this course hosted British Open on Sunday for Broadhurst had a birdie
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — player right now." the former St. Jude Classic. his record-extending 11th and two bogeys to finish
Brooks Koepka knows ev- Webb Simpson had a 64 to Koepka says he feels he senior major title. with a 71 to come second.
eryone wanted to see a finish second. Marc Leish- knows this course better Starting three shots off the Retief Goosen of South
tight final-round duel with man (67) was third, four than any other on tour, and overnight lead held by Africa, the two-time U.S.
Rory McIlroy. strokes back. Tommy Fleet- finally winning here and a Broadhurst, the 61-year-old Open champion who won
"That would have been in- wood (66) and Matthew WGC title, too, is special. German fired a 4-under 66 the Senior Players Champi-
credible for the fans, for Fitzpatrick (69) joined McIl- "It's a thinker's golf course," to finish at 6-under 274 for onship earlier this month for
everybody that showed up roy at 11 under. Koepka said. "I probably his fourth Senior Open title, his first over-50 title, closed
and I'm sure that's what ev- Koepka wrapped up the don't get enough thought a tournament record. with a 66 to tie for third with
erybody wanted," Koepka regular-season points title process going through my "It's always special to walk American Tim Petrovic (68)
said. a week early and claimed mind sometimes, just get down 18 in a major, but es- with a 3-under 277.
Too bad Koepka drained a $2 million bonus from up and hit it. It gets very pecially over here," Langer In his last appearance at
all the drama Sunday on the Wyndham Rewards routine. A lot of times it's said. "The people are so the tournament, three-time
the way to his first World program. He is assured to drivers, but out here you've knowledgeable about champion Tom Watson
Golf Championships title. going into the FedEx Cup really got to position your- golf, and it's tremendous (73) finished tied for 64th
Koepka had three birdies in playoffs as the No. 1 seed. self off the tee depending how they even came out at 9-over 289. On Saturday,
a four-hole stretch on the Koepka became the on where the pin is." in these conditions and the 69-year-old American
front nine and cruised to a sixth player to win a ma- Now Koepka has come cheered us on in the rain." announced he wouldn't be
three-stroke victory in the jor championship and a from behind in three of his After heavy rain delayed playing at the event again.
FedEx St. Jude Invitational. World Golf Championship seven victories, though the round by almost six In his 18 appearances, he
Playing with McIlroy in their in the same year. He won this time teeing off only a hours, the two-time Masters never missed the cut.
first final-group pairing, the the PGA Championship for stroke off the lead. When champion opened with "There will be other people
top-ranked Koepka closed the second straight year in they teed off, Koepka was four birdies on the front who will take the reins and
with a bogey-free 5-under May. among 10 players within nine and added two more they will do what I did,"
65 at TPC Southwind for his After tapping in for par on four strokes of leader McIl- on Nos. 13 and 14 at Royal Watson said. "Life is full of
seventh PGA Tour title. He No. 18, Koepka celebrated roy. Lytham & St. Annes to build passages, and I've passed
finished at 16-under 264. with a little fist pump before After a couple of pars, Ko- a four-stroke lead. He com- through my career here,
McIlroy followed his third- hugging McIlroy. epka took control. pleted the round with a starting in 1975 to here in
round 62 with a 71 to drop Koepka had been so close Koepka rolled in a 9-footer couple of bogeys on the 2019. It's amazing."
into a tie for fourth at 11 in recent weeks, com- for birdie and a share of 15th and 17th. After a final round that in-
under. McIlroy declined to ing in second at the U.S. the lead on the par-5 third "Now having won 11 senior cluded two eagles, two
talk to reporters after the Open in June and tying for he bogeyed in each of the majors, it means a great birdies and three bogeys,
round. fourth last week at the Brit- first two rounds for a nice deal," Langer said. "No- defending champion
"Rory didn't play the way he ish Open. He also had a confidence boost. McIlroy body has won more than Miguel Angel Jimenez
wanted to today, but still it's pair of top-10 finishes in this missed his own 4-foot birdie nine if I'm correct, not even closed with a 67 to post an
so much fun to watch him event when it was held at chance a couple inches the great Jack Nicklaus or even-par 280.
play," Koepka said. "You Firestone Country Club in left after chipping from be- Gary Player or Tom Watson Only nine players complet-
kind of get glued watch- Akron, Ohio, and he also hind a green-side bunker. who retired from this cham- ed the tournament under
ing him hit balls. I mean, it's won for the first time at the He created the last of the pionship today. There's a par at the tough links course
mesmerizing watching him TPC Southwind, where he drama by scrambling for lot of great players who with 169 bunkers while fac-
hit. You know it's always tied for third in 2015 and par on the next two holes.q have played this game ing rainy conditions.q