Associated Press
Sunday, March 26

MILTON, Fla. -- Gil Morgan stormed back onto the Senior Tour after being sidelined with a rib injury to win the Emerald Coast Classic by four strokes over Larry Nelson on Sunday.

Gray clouds still loomed over the Moors Golf Club as the leaders teed off shortly after a 2-hour, 15-minute lightning and rain delay. They played through renewed showers on the back nine.

Morgan shot a 3-under 67 and finished the 54-hole event at 13-under 197 while Nelson came in 9-under 201.

The final round was a two-man contest. Bruce Fleisher finished third at 204, seven strokes behind Morgan. Lee Trevino and Bob Eastwood were tied for fourth another stroke back.

The $187,500 winner's share was Morgan's first official pay day of the year on the Senior Tour, although he and Hubert Green teamed up last week to finish third at the Legends of Golf exhibition event.

That was Morgan's first competitive golf since pulling a rib muscle lifting weights in December.

Morgan aggravated the injury in a pro-am Thursday and thought he might not be able to compete in the Emerald Coast. But he improved dramatically after adding treatment from a chiropractor to the physical therapy he had been receiving since the injury occurred.

Nelson began the final round two strokes back, but fell three behind on the first hole. The closest Nelson got was one stroke back when he birdied the par 4, 399-yard 10th hole while Morgan parred out.

Nelson, however, bogeyed the 12th and 15th holes against a birdie on the 14th. Morgan birdied Nos. 13 and 14, extending his lead to the four-stroke final margin. Both golfers played par the rest of the way.

Defending champion Bob Duval withdrew with a fractured elbow after Saturday's second round. He said he had tendinitis in the elbow since February and aggravated it Friday hitting out of a hazard.

Duval finished that day with a 3-over par 73 and shot a 2-under 68 Saturday, but his elbow was noticeably swollen and X-rays disclosed the fracture.