Southern Californian Cory Pavin has never been known as a mudder, but you`d never know it by the way he played Sunday.
Pavin won the Greater Milwaukee Open on the fourth hole of a playoff with Dave Barr at cool, soggy Tuckaway Country Club, sinking a 10-foot birdie putt after Barr had bogeyed. It was Pavin`s second victory of the season. His first was the Hawaiian Open in February.
”It`s great to win again after such a long time,” said Pavin, who had five straight birdies en route to a 5-under-par 67 and 16-under 272 total.
”The last six months have not been too wonderful as far as golf goes. This win means a lot to me.”
If the GMO had been a horse race, Barr would have been the odds-on favorite. The Canadian was coming off three straight second-place finishes and is used to playing in cool weather. Pavin, who pocketed $72,000 to raise his season`s earnings to $284,666, has never been a cold-weather player and his slump seemed to lessen his chances. Pavin, however, kept his sweater in the bag, forgot about the weather and won the fourth tournament of his career.
”I don`t like to put on a sweater during the round if I hadn`t had one on at the start,” said Pavin. ”That`s one reason why I`ve never done well in really cold weather. I don`t like to wear sweaters.”
Pavin, who started the day three shots behind Barr, missed birdie tries of 6 and 12 feet on the second and third playoff holes before finally wrapping up the title.
Barr, who made 17 pars and an eagle in regulation, missed a 9-foot birdie putt on the first hole and pulled a pitching wedge over the fourth playoff green which proved costly.
Barr, who had a 1-shot lead over David Frost at the start of the day, never lost the lead until the playoff. Pavin birdied the 16th hole to get into a tie with Barr and Buddy Gardner. Barr, who made a 3 1/2-footer for eagle on the par-5 sixth, missed a 25-foot birdie on 18 that could have won the tournament.
”I never really acquired the touch for the greens,” said Barr. ”All day I had six or seven birdie putts but I was just not able to get it to the hole. I had good chances, but I wasn`t able to get one in the hole.”
Barr earned $43,200 and Frost, who finished a shot back after a final-round 70, won $27,200.
