PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Paul Broadhurst finished off his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the year with a few nervous moments Sunday, closing with an even-par 72 at Pebble Beach for a three-shot victory in the Pure Insurance Championship.
Broadhurst was staked to a five-shot lead going into the final round and expanded that to as many as six shots. But the lead shrunk to two shots when Alex Cejka shot a 64, and the Englishman held his nerve to the end.
He make birdie on the famous par-5 18th hole, hitting wedge to 6 feet for his second birdie. It only mattered to the final margin, though it was important to Broadhurst for other reasons.
“I didn’t want to shoot over par and win,” Broadhurst said. “My kids would be giving me stick. I was pleased to hole the last one.”
Broadhurst, who finished at 14-under 202, got up-and-down for a tough par on the par-3 17th that kept his lead at two shots playing the final hole.
Cejka holed out from the 13th fairway for eagle as he tried to make up an 11-shot deficit. Broadhurst tried to keep it simple, but a few wayward tee shots after he made the turn gave him some pause. He bogeyed the 13th and 15th and the lead was down to two.
“I’ve never been in that position, having a five-shot lead,” he said. “I tried to play solid and I felt like I did for nine holes. I hit a couple of poor shots to the right, and then you start thinking a little bit.”
Broadhurst seized control with a 64 at Pebble Beach on Saturday — he opened with a 66 at Spyglass Hill — that gave him the big lead. He was eight shots higher on the final day, a result of protecting a big lead.
“Yesterday I just hit it really well, hit it close and made some putts. Today it was a different story,” he said. “I was sort of hanging on — hit the greens, 30 feet, two putts, get out of there and not try and make too many silly errors. That was the difference.”
But he was all smiles when it was over, adding to his victory earlier this year in the Invited Celebrity Classic outside Dallas. Broadhurst, a 59-year-old from England, has two senior majors among his seven career PGA Tour Champions titles.
He moved up to No. 8 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Rocco Mediate (69), Doug Barron (70) and Vijay Singh (71) tied for third. Ernie Els closed with a 68 and tied for 22nd, but it was good enough to keep the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup.
