Kohki Idoki came from relative obscurity, and five shots back, to win the Senior PGA Championship by two strokes Sunday in St. Louis.
Idoki, making just his second career Champions Tour start, fired a 6-under 65 at Bellerive Country Club, supplanted overnight-leader Kenny Perry and secured his first major championship victory.
The 51-year-old from Japan went ahead for good with a lengthy birdie putt on the 17th. He finished at 11-under 273, two strokes clear of Perry (72) and Jay Haas (70).
Perry was seeking his third career Champions victory and first major title of his pro career. He led by three strokes for much of the final round, but stumbled with a double-bogey on the par-3 13th, which allowed Idoki to pull even. Perry fell from contention with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17.
Mark O’Meara (65) jumped 11 spots into a fourth at 8 under, Kiyoshi Murota (67) took fifth at 7 under, and Jim Rutledge (64), Kirk Triplett (68), Duffy Waldorf (69), Russ Cochran (72) and Rod Spittle (71) tied for sixth at 6 under.
