Oh My, O’Meara Wins Two in a Row

SAN DIEGO — While the field and the golf course began collapsing around him Sunday afternoon, Mark O’Meara decided to take a time out.

“Standing on the ninth fairway, I knew the last two weeks were taking its toll,” he said “I told myself it’s time to dig a little deeper. I figured if I could shoot five under on the back side, I could win.”

O’Meara fell two strokes short of his goal, but still had two shots to spare in winning for the second time in seven days with a 13-under- par 71 at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. With his victory, O’Meara became the first player to win back-to-back tournaments since Peter Jacobsen pulled off the same Pebble Beach-Torrey Pines double in 1995.

And with his $270,000 first-place check, O’Meara also set himself apart from a lot of golfers on the PGA Tour.

--He moved atop the money list at $710,460.

--He became the fifth player to earn more than $8 million dollars--joining Greg Norman, Tom Kite, Fred Couples and Corey Pavin--and the fourth all-time leading money winner with $8,092,675.

--He moved into first place in the Ryder Cup point standings.

--He won his 14th tour title and has the most victories of any player who hasn’t won a major.

“I know there’s that thought right now, but I wouldn’t trade any of those 14 for a major,” O’Meara said.

How major was Torrey Pines compared to Pebble Beach?

“The media attention wasn’t as large because of all the celebrities,” he said. “Tiger Woods wasn’t chasing me. But this is very special. This is my home away from home. I’ve been close here a couple of times, but never won.”

O’Meara, who went to Mission Viejo High and played his college golf at Long Beach State, knows he wouldn’t have won if any of the seven players who tied for second at 11 under had handled the course and the final-round pressure better.

“It wasn’t like [Torrey Pines] was totally impossible,” O’Meara said. “If you were playing well, the opportunities were there. I was surprised somebody didn’t give it a push. But when there’s some pressure, it can be tough.”

Brutally tough.

Third-round leader Jay Don Blake, who began the day at 14 under, bogeyed three of his first four holes and finished with a 77. Mike Hulbert, who started two behind Blake, had a chance until he splashed his second shot on 18 in the water and finished in the seven-way logjam for second.

Jesper Parnevik, who has finished third, second, fifth and second the last four weeks, doomed his hopes on the par-five 17th when he drove into the rough and bogeyed.

“When I finished second at Phoenix, I thought I won because we were all playing for second,” Parnevik said. “I definitely feel like I lost this one. I don’t think this course played any different than it has the first three days, but if you lose your confidence on these greens, you’re not going to make anything.”

Craig Stadler didn’t lose his confidence, he simply couldn’t hit an iron anywhere close to the hole. Stadler briefly tied O’Meara at 12 under after he birdied No. 17. But O’Meara came up behind Stadler on No. 17 and sank a tricky 16-foot birdie putt to go 13 under.

Stadler then bogeyed No. 18, a par-five, 498-yard hole.

“You just hate to finish like that,” he said. “I had 205 [yards] left after my drive. But from the rough, I would have hit it in the water.”

He didn’t hit the water, but Stadler did find the rough again. He blasted out short of the green, his chip was seven feet short, and he missed the par putt. Stadler wound up shooting an even-par 72. Saturday, he said he’d need a 65 or 66 to win.

“It was a pretty pitiful effort,” Stadler said. “I drove the ball well, but the better I drove it, the worse I hit the iron shots.”

Lee Janzen had the next-best shot at O’Meara, but he three-putted after reaching the 18th green in two and finished at 11 under. O’Meara had troubles of his own on the front nine as he bogeyed three of his first seven holes and was two over on his round before he regrouped on the ninth fairway.

O’Meara made birdie on No. 10 and then eagled No. 13, a par-five, 535-yard hole. He hit a four-wood from the fairway to within 20 foot, dropped his putt in the side door and was on his way to his 14th victory.

“I remember when I won my first tournament in Milwaukee by holding off Tom Watson,” O’Meara said. “I thought that was an incredible accomplishment.”

What’s incredible is O’Meara seems to be getting better as he grows older. “Turning 40, I think I’m becoming a wiser player,” he said. “I don’t consider myself a dominant player.”

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How They Finished

At Torrey Pines--Par 72

275 (-13)--$270,000

Mark O’Meara: 67-66-71-71

277 (-11)--$78,107

David Ogrin: 67-71-70-69

Duffy Waldorf: 70-66-72-69

Donnie Hammond: 73-67-68-69

Lee Janzen: 71-65-71-70

Jesper Parnevik: 70-66-69-72

Craig Stadler: 67-68-70-72

Mike Hulbert: 68-69-67-73

278 (-10)--$42,000

Skip Kendall: 67-71-71-69

Steve Lowery: 67-66-75-70

279 (-9)--$31,800

Kelly Gibson: 70-68-72-69

Bob Tway: 64-72-71-72

Michael Bradley: 71-63-72-73

Billy Andrade: 69-70-67-73

Jay Don Blake: 65-71-66-77

280 (-8)--$24,750

Scott Simpson: 69-68-71-72

Tim Herron: 68-70-69-73

* COMPLETE SCORES, C8