Associated Press
Sunday, July 30

JERICHO, N.Y. -- Bruce Fleisher didn't look the guy who just won the Long Island Classic in record fashion.

"Today was not fun," he said Sunday after a 3-under 69 gave him a tournament record total of 18-under 198 as he repeated as champion at the Meadow Brook Club. "I won today with my heart, not my game. My game wasn't there. It was difficult."

	Bruce Fleisher regained the lead from Hale Irwin on the season money list.

Fleisher set the course record with a 63 in the opening round, and his 36-hole total of 15-under 129 was another record in the Senior Tour event. His 198 was two strokes better than the record set by Lee Trevino in 1994.

The win was Fleisher's fourth of the year on the tour, and the first prize of $225,000 moved him past Hale Irwin and into first place on the money list with $1,837,906 in 21 events. Irwin, who has three wins this year but did not play this week, has earned $1,647,948 in 16 tournaments.

"It was very strange. I played so wonderful all week," he said. "I still had confidence but I was apprehensive, anxious for some reason."

Fleisher started the final round with a three-stroke lead over Allen Doyle, and nobody was able to get closer to him than two strokes despite an off-round that included his first three bogeys of the tournament.

He answered both of his back-nine bogeys with birdies, the last a short putt on the par-5 17th that put him 18-under.

Dana Quigley, the 1997 champion, had a closing 67 and finished at 16-under 200, one stroke in front of Doyle, who had a 69. It was the fifth second-place finish of the year for Quigley, who has won one tournament.

"On this tour it seems there's always someone better than I am," Quigley said. "I knew it would take a low score to catch Bruce. He's too consistent, doesn't mess up much."

Leonard Thompson had a 67 and was at 202, while Gary McCord, who had a 65, and Jim Thorpe, who had a 69, were another stroke back.

Just like last year, Fleisher led from start to finish. He won seven tournaments as a rookie in 1999, and this was the third time he successfully defended one of those titles. The tour's reigning player of the year and money champion passed $6 million in career earnings, more than half coming in his two years as a senior. He won one tournament in his 27 years on the PGA Tour.

"Every week is a new week," he said. "You just have to keep proving yourself over and over again. I gutted it out. I really didn't play that well."

Fleisher got to 17-under with a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 third, then bogeyed the next hole, his first of the tournament. Six straight pars ended with short birdie putt on the 11th, and he made a 5-footer for birdie on the next hole, another par-4.

He pulled his drive way left on the par-4 13th and had to chip back into the fairway and made bogey. He came back with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 14th. He three-putted the par-4 16th and came right back with the birdie at No. 17 that kept his lead at two strokes over Quigley, who also birdied the hole.

"Every time he gave us a little daylight it never panned out that way," Quigley said. "If I got within one on 17 I might have had a chance but making up two strokes on a par-3 is a little tough."

Fleisher agreed the 5-foot birdie putt on 17 after Quigley had made one from 12 feet locked up the title.

"I was able to shake one in after Dana shook one in and that was the ballgame," he said.

Play was suspended early Sunday morning for 1 hour, 12 minutes because of rain, but the sun actually came out late in the round, something the course sorely needed after getting four inches rain over Wednesday and Thursday.