Allen wins major in his first Champions Tour event
Having waited two decades to finally win his first big tournament, Michael Allen has his eyes on another prize.
"This gives me the exact scenario I want," he said with a laugh after shooting a 3-under 67 Sunday to win the Senior PGA Championship in Beachwood, Ohio, by 2 shots over Larry Mize. "I'm going to be the first guy ever to win a senior tour event before he wins his first PGA Tour event."
Then he smiled, lifted his champagne flute and took a long sip.
The 50-year-old journeyman ended his lengthy victory drought with 2 late birdies to capture the first Champions Tour major of the year - in his debut on the over-50 tour. He almost didn't accept the special exemption to come to suburban Cleveland because he still has his regular tour card and considered playing in the richer Byron Nelson.
Smart move, playing with boys his own age.
Allen had earlier rounds of 74, 66 and 67 to finish at 6-under 274.
"I don't know, had he won?" Mize wondered when he was asked about Allen, a frequent playing partner on the PGA Tour. "I can't remember."
No, he hadn't. Not on the big tour, anyway.
Allen collected $360,000 for his first win of any kind since the 1998 Greater Austin Open on the Nationwide Tour. His only other win came in the 1989 Bell's Scottish Open on the European Tour.
Mize, who started the day two shots back, had a 67 and held a two-stroke lead at the turn. But he was 1 over on the back nine while Allen was going 2 under to steal the win.
"I just caught the wrong guy on the wrong week," Mize said.
Allen became only the fourth player to win a major championship in his Champions Tour debut, joining Roberto De Vicenzo (1980 U.S. Senior Open), Arnold Palmer (1980 Senior PGA Championship) and Jack Nicklaus (1990 Tradition).
Byron Nelson Championship: Rory Sabbatini won the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, for his fifth PGA Tour title, closing with a 6-under 64 to break the tournament scoring record and hold off late-charging Brian Davis by 2 strokes.
Sabbatini finished at 19-under 261 at TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas to break the tournament mark of 18 under set by Loren Roberts and playoff loser Steve Pate in 1999 - when the Cottonwood Valley course also was used the first two days.
LPGA Corning Classic: Taiwan's Yani Tseng won the final LPGA Corning Classic when South Korea's Soo-Yun Kang missed a 3-foot par putt on the final hole in Corning, N.Y.
BMW PGA Championship: Paul Casey won the BMW PGA Championship for his third victory of the year and the No. 3 spot in the world ranking, birdieing the final two holes for a 1-stroke victory over English countryman Ross Fisher in Virginia Water, England.