Wargo rules playoff to win Grand Champions crown

Richard Dunn

Tom Wargo claimed the second Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions title of

the 2003 season Saturday when he defeated Dave Stockton with a birdie

on the second playoff hole in the Toshiba Senior Classic’s

“tournament within a tournament” at Newport Beach Country Club.

The Grand Champions, formerly known as the Super Seniors, is

designed for PGA Champions Tour members who are 60 and over. In the

playoff, Wargo and Stockton opened on the par-3 No. 17, where they

both made par, before Wargo birdied 18 for the victory. His win was

worth $30,000. Earlier this year at the Royal Caribbean Classic, Dale

Douglass nipped Isao Aoki in a playoff for the $30,000 first prize.

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CNBC sportscaster Jim Kelly incorrectly reported on the air

Saturday that Newport Beach Country Club has been the only home of

the Toshiba Senior Classic in nine years. Mesa Verde Country Club

hosted the inaugural event in 1995.

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It’s the first time in his Champions Tour career that second-round

Toshiba leader Rodger Davis of Australia has held the 36-hole lead in

an event. He has been tied for the 36-hole lead on two other

occasions and both came in 2002. The first was at the Farmers Charity

Classic in Michigan in May and the second was at the Greater

Baltimore Classic last June. He was a solo third in Michigan and a

tie for fifth in Baltimore.

Further, Davis, who has yet to bogey a hole in the tournament,

broke a 36-hole Toshiba scoring record with a 129, breaking the old

mark of 130 by Terry Mauney in 2001.

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Allen Doyle kept his streak intact of never having a round other

than in the 60s at Newport Beach. Once again, Doyle shot 3-under-par

68 on Saturday and has shot 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s.

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The most difficult hole Saturday was No. 8 (par-3) with an average

score of 3.287. The easiest was No. 15 (par-5) with an average score

of 4.575. Through 36 holes, No. 8 has been the most difficult

(3.292), while the easiest has been No. 15 (4.404).

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After 38 players finished with rounds in the 60s on Friday, a

total of 37 players did so Saturday. Surprisingly, the scoring

average for the day (70.137) was close to Friday’s (70.173). A total

of 56 players finished with rounds of par or better each day.

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Al “Mr. 59” Geiberger, who committed to the tournament only two

days before the start of the week, withdrew after six holes Saturday

due to illness.