ESPN.com - Golf Online - Forget Roberts, best battle was for second

Associated Press
Sunday, July 16

MILWAUKEE -- While Loren Roberts made it look easy in winning the 33rd Greater Milwaukee Open, Franklin Langham was working hard just to finish second.

Langham made a difficult up-and-down for birdie on the 72nd hole to salvage sole possession of second place. His third runner-up finish this season put the fourth-year pro in solid position to challenge for a top-40 finish and a spot in next year's Masters. Langham was born in Augusta, Ga.

He escaped from a five-way tie with a 10-foot birdie putt Sunday after an excellent chip from the long rough between the 18th green and the bleachers. His total of 268 allowed him to take home $270,000 instead of $150,000.

"I had no clue what it was worth," Langham said of his final putt. "I just knew I had to go for it, and I made a nice birdie on 18."

He made no apologies for finishing second, mainly because of Roberts' outstanding play.

"You could see your chances slipping away," Langham said. "He got off to a fast start, and I got off to a slow start. He did just what you have to do when you have the lead. He played solid all week. He just never let up."

Steve Pate, Mathew Goggin, Kenny Perry and J.P. Hayes tied for third place at 15 under.

Langham began the day just two strokes behind Roberts, who birdied three of his first four holes. But Langham -- who lost the Doral-Ryder Open in March after Jim Furyk caught him from six strokes behind with seven holes to play -- never considered victory out of reach until Roberts holed a 25-yard chip from the fairway at No. 12, putting Roberts at 24 under.

"I was thinking about Furyk's (comeback)," Langham said. "I thought I could do it too -- until 12, anyway."

Martin looking to move up
Casey Martin entered the GMO with $91,554 in PGA Tour earnings. He was 161st on the money list, and the only player on tour allowed to ride a cart needs to get moving if he hopes to retain his playing privileges by finishing in the top 125.

"Obviously I'm way down on the list, but one good tournament will take care of that," he said Sunday.

He went 68-71-73-68 at the GMO. His final round lifted him from 70th to 56th place for a check of $5,550.

Quick move
Joe Durant started Sunday's play 11 shots off the lead and in a tie for 18th place. After birdies on the first four holes, he moved among the leaders and stayed there.

He also birdied No. 9 for a 5-under 30 before posting a 1-under 35 on the back nine to finish at 14-under 270.

That tied him for seventh with Russ Cochran, who also started fast with an eagle on the par-4 second hole. Durant and Cochran, playing in the same group, each received $80,625.

Cheesehead charge
J.P. Hayes led the final day's charge of Wisconsin players to a high finish in the GMO.

Hayes, who is from Appleton, started the final round six shots off the pace. He carded a 2-under 69 for a 269 to earn $120,000.

"It would have been a good tournament if Loren Roberts hadn't shown up," Hayes said with a grin. "It would have been fun."

Milwaukee native Skip Kendall made an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole for the second straight day, helping him to fourth place at the time. He finished with a 68 for a 13-under 271 and tied for ninth place with John Rollins, Olin Browne, Chris Perry and Frank Lickliter.

Madison native Jerry Kelly played his best golf in the opening round, shooting 65. But he didn't break par the rest of the weekend, sandwiching two even-par 71s around a 72 to finish at 279. He tied for 47th to earn $6,278.

On Sunday he went out in 39 on the back nine before making three birdies on the front nine to get to even for the day. He hit one shot inside two feet on a par-3, but that didn't provide much pleasure. "It was too late for a boost," he said. "I was gone by then.

"It was hard to have fun out there. It was so frustrating, wanting to do so well here. I blew up early, trying to steer it."

Pewaukee's Mark Wilson finished at 278 after shooting a 70 Sunday. He placed 43rd to collect $8,500. Madison's Steve Stricker followed his 74 Saturday with a 68 Sunday for a 281 total. That left him tied for 63rd, collecting $5,200.

"Maybe next year," Kelly said.

Kendall said it's only a matter of time.

"One of us from Wisconsin is going to win it one of these years," he said. "I hope it happens pretty soon, because we're not getting any younger."

Divots

Defending champion Carlos Franco shot two 73s on the tournament's final two days to tie for 70th. After successfully defending his 1999 Compaq Classic title in New Orleans in May, he could have become just the 10th golfer in tour history to defend two titles in the same year.

Early finishers Sunday posted some impressive rounds, including a 63 by John Rollins and a 64s by Olin Browne and David Morland IV. Morland climbed from 63rd to 24th, earning $21,938.

Browne's scorecard included three 2s, all on par-3 holes.

The bottom three finishers were veterans Fuzzy Zoeller (286), Craig Stadler (288) and Brad Fabel (289). They were the only three players finishing above par in the field of 81 who made the cut from the original field of 156.

In his seven career victories, Roberts has set tournament records five times: in the 1996 GMO and MCI Classic, the 1997 CVS Charity Classic, 1999 Byron Nelson Classic and 2000 GMO. The career money leader in the GMO, Roberts now has won $962,277.76 in 18 GMO appearances. He missed the cut only twice, in his first appearance in 1983 and in 1993.

Since the tourney moved from Tuckaway Country Club in Franklin to Brown Deer Park in 1994, Roberts has two wins and two runner-up finishes in the GMO. Last year he tied for 46th.