Seve Ballesteros, who lost on the first hole of a playoff at the Westchester Classic last year, returned to the scene of that defeat and beat Greg Norman, David Frost and Ken Green with a birdie 3 on the first playoff hole Sunday.
Ballesteros, famous for making difficult shots look easy, particularly around the greens, executed a magnificent bunker shot of 50 feet from a downhill lie in the sand. He then sank a five-foot putt to win the tournament for the second time in five years.
It was the first time Ballesteros won in the U.S. since he took the 1985 USF&G New Orleans Classic.
Last year, the Spainiard lost the playoff to J.C. Snead, who birdied the 10th.
”In a four-man playoff, you have to try to make birdie as soon as possible, because if you don`t, someone else will,” Ballesteros said.
None of the others in this rare four-man playoff holed out on the short par-4 10th at Westchester Country Club. Each had an errant drive on the 314-yard hole. Each was on the green in three or four. They were watching when Ballesteros dropped the winning putt in the final PGA Tour event before the U.S. Open.
”Winning is a big factor to pick up confidence for the Open,”
Ballesteros said. ”Definitely, my confidence will be much higher than it has been.”
All four golfers birdied the par-5 18th and finished at 8-under 276. Norman had the day`s best round with a 64 to come from six shots off the lead. ”I did what I had to do,” he said. ”All in all, I`m happy with it. I gave myself a chance to win the tournament.”
Norman, who birdied the 17th and 18th, got the 4 at 18 by coming out of a bunker and dropping a five-footer.
Ballesteros and Frost were the next to birdie No. 18. Ballesteros sank a 10-footer after a wedge approach to finish at 67. Frost shot 68 with a 20-foot birdie putt at 18.
Green had a 70. He was the only one of the four to reach the green in two, but he two-putted from 25 feet and had to make a five-foot comeback putt to get to the playoff.
This victory was particularly heartening for Ballesteros, who has not had a good year by his standards. He said he has not had too much confidence since losing in the three-man playoff at the 1987 Masters.
Frost continued his trail of near misses and frustration. He has not won in 3 1/2 years on the U.S. PGA Tour, finishing second eight times.
