Rookie Rachels Gains His First Senior Title

NASHVILLE â€”  Sammy Rachels, whose bad back forced him off the PGA Tour in 1985, had two eagles Sunday and held off Hale Irwin for his first tour victory at the BellSouth Senior Classic.

Rachels shot a nine-under-par 63 to win by four strokes and become the second rookie to triumph this year, taking a title in his 15th event. The man who had four eagles through 14 events had two Sunday to go with five birdies in a bogey-free final round for a 54-hole total 199.

Irwin was trying to defend his title and extend his Senior PGA Tour-leading victory total to 32, but his closing 66 wasn’t enough.

Tom Kite (66) and Bruce Fleisher (66) tied for third at 204.

Rachels had 11 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a tie for second at the 1983 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, but his fourth surgery for ruptured disks sent him home to Florida.

Nerves had been a problem for Rachels, but not on Sunday. Irwin caught him at 11 under with a birdie on No. 7, but Rachels responded with a birdie on No. 8, then pulled away by holing out a chip shot from a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-five 10th and birdieing Nos. 11, 12 and 14.