Monday, September 27, 1999
Steady hand wins Kroger for Morgan
Comes from 2 down to beat Dougherty
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Gil Morgan waves to the crowd after winning the Kroger Senior Classic Sunday.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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MASON — Gil Morgan is the first to tell you he is not an excitable person.
“I don't do cartwheels coming down the last hole,” he said.
His playing partners Sundayin the final round of the Kroger Senior Classic described him as “steady” and “the same all the time.”
They were talking about Morgan and his golf game.
The non-practicing optometrist from Edmond, Okla., closed with a 7-under round and finished at 12-under-par 198 to capture the Kroger by two strokes over second-round leader Ed Dougherty.
Morgan birdied five holes between Nos.6 and 13, had no bogeys for the day and punctuated his victory with a birdie on No.18, just missing an eagle by roughly 2 feet on a 50-foot putt from the fringe.
“The first day was all right, it was fair,” Morgan said. “I made a couple mistakes (Saturday). Then today I didn't make many mistakes. I kept puting the ball in places where I had a chance to make a putt at it. You can't do that every time, but that kind of was my scheme for today.”
He started Sunday two strokes behind Dougherty, who birdied his first two holes. Morgan didn't get to the top of the leaderboard until the 11th hole when he went to 10-under. The way he was playing, he was clearly the man to beat.
“He played good, solid golf,” said Hubert Green, who was in Morgan's threesome. “He putted very well. He drives the ball a long way. I'm jealous.”
“He started off on the first hole and made a good 15-footer downhill (for birdie),” playing partner Allen Doyle said. “He did everything good. Whatever he needed to call on, it seemed when he called it was there. He was the same as always, quiet and low-key, just trying to do his job.”
Morgan, who turned 54 Saturday and earned $210,000 with the victory, has been playing as well as anyone on tour this month.
He has two first-place and two third-place finishes in September, with 11 of 12 rounds under 70. His most recent final scores: 12-under, 14-under, 15-under, 15-under.
The Kroger was his second title of 1999 and 15th on the Senior Tour and moved him into fourth place on this year's money list. He has finished in the top 10 in 12 of his last 14 events.
“I've been playing pretty well the last two, three months,” Morgan said. “I've been working a lot harder on my game for one thing. All of a sudden my putting's picked up.”
Morgan said he changed putters for the last four tournaments. He started the year using a new Dandy putter, but after a slow start returned to his old faithful, a Ping Anser hehas been using since the mid-1980s.
But after practicing with the Dandy at home and on the road, he decided to give it another try. “There are secret materials in there,” Morgan said smiling. “I can't tell you about them. I'd have to kill you.”
His success this month has certainly helped his confidence.
As for the rest of the field, it must deflate theirs that Morgan is on such a roll.
Dougherty finished 10-under. Wasn't enough.
Dana Quigley was right behind, at 9-under 201, and a group of three — Hale Irwin, Graham Marsh and Joe Inman — finished four strokes back at 202. Golf legend Lee Trevino and John Mahaffey were at 203.
Going into the final round, 16 players were within three strokes of each other at the top of the leaderboard. By the back nine Sunday, Morgan and Dougherty had slightly separated themselves from the pack.
Morgan was watching the scoreboard all afternoon.
“I want to know where I am, what's happening,” he said. “It gives you a feel for how the course is playing. If there are a lot of players making birdies, then you need to be doing that also — if you can.”
On the other hand, Dougherty said he is not a scoreboard watcher. He saw the board at No.9 and that he was tied with Morgan. It wasn't until 17 that he saw Morgan had finished at 12-under. Then, Dougherty played for second place and a $123,200 paycheck.
“I had a lot of chances, and I didn't capitalize on them today,” Dougherty said.
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