Slumam wins P.G.A. title

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 22

Slumam wins P.G.A. title

NZPA-Reuter Edmond, Oklahoma The diminutive Jeff Sluman, of the United States, shot a brilliant six-under-par 65 on Sunday to claim the first victory of his career in the 1988 American P.G.A. golf championship. Sluman, aged 30, who had been winless in six years on the U.S. Tour, finished with a 72-hole total of 272, 12 under par and three better than third-round leader, Paul Azinger, of the United States. Sluman, starting three strokes off the lead, overcame Azinger with an eagle and two birdies on the front nine, and coasted home with three birdies and a lone bogey to win comfortably. Azinger, who finished second in last year’s British Open, had opened with a birdie, but he bogeyed the fifth and sixth holes to lose

the lead for good. Azinger, aged 28, made a run at Sluman with birdies on the sixteenth and seventeenth holes, but the charge came too late and, needing an eagle to tie Sluman, he bogeyed the final hole.

Tommy Nakajima, of Japan, who closed eagle-par-birdie for a four-under 67, the second best round of the day, finished alone in third place, six behind Sluman and one ahead of the American, Tom Kite, and Nick Faldo, of Britain.

The usually steady Faldo, who overcame Azinger to win last year’s British Open, had an unusual up-and-down round, following a birdie with a bogey three different times. He shot a level par 71, finishing with two bogeys to let Nakajima slip past him. Faldo, however, ended an impressive year in the major

championships. He finished third in this year’s British Open and second in the U.S. Open, losing an 18-hole playoff to Curtis Strange. David Rummells, who began the day one shot behind Azinger, stumbled to a fourover 75 to finish at 280 along with the first-round leader, Bob Gilder, who closed with a three-under 68. The American, Dan Pohl, who had an extremely steady tournament, finished alone at 281 after matching par. Greg Norman, of Australia, who is known for his spectacular Sunday performances, could do no better than level par and he ended the champinship at 282. He was joined by the Americans, Raymond Floyd, a two-time winner of this event, Mark O’Meara, Payne Stewart, Steve Jones and Kenny Knox.