Associated Press
Sunday, January 28

WAILEA, Hawaii -- Hale Irwin, given a reprieve when Jack Nicklaus holed a birdie putt to force an extra hole, made a 3-foot birdie putt to win the Senior Skins Game on Sunday.

The three skins gave Irwin a total of seven, including the last six, and $320,000. Nicklaus could have won by purposely missing his 4-footer on the final hole, but he matched Gary Player's birdie to extend the event.

With $180,000 left in the pot, the pair -- along with Player and Arnold Palmer -- returned to the 18th for the playoff.

There, Irwin hit his approach out of a sand divot within 3 feet and knocked it in for his second career Skins victory.

Nicklaus barely missed his 8-foot attempt for a birdie.

Nicklaus finished with 10 skins worth $260,000 with Palmer picking up $20,000 and one skin. Player, the defending champion, had putting problems on Saturday and found sand traps on Sunday and finished with no skins.

It was an uphill climb for Irwin, who trailed Nicklaus by $120,000 with six holes to play.

But he got back into contention by sweeping the remaining skins, picking up three on the 15th and then vaulting ahead in the playoff.

Irwin got a 4-footer at the 15th to earn $120,000 and set the stage for the playoff victory.

On the final hole, Irwin parred, but Player made an 8-footer and Nicklaus a 4-footer to extend the match.

There was some comedy-drama exchange on the regulation 18th. After Player put down his birdie putt, Nicklaus had a chance to win outright if he missed his birdie effort.

"Go ahead and knock it in," Player teased.

"I'm in a dilemma here," Nicklaus responded. "If I miss it, I win; If I make it, I have a chance to lose. But I never miss on purpose. I'll go for it, I promise."

After he made his 4-footer, he joked, "I want to stab myself."

It cost him.

Nicklaus held a commanding advantage after the 12th hole, making a 25-footer for seven skins worth $200,000 -- $110,000 had carried over from the previous day. That took his total to $260,000.

But they weren't enough as Irwin took over on the big money holes.

Irwin got three skins worth $120,000 with his birdie at the 533-yard 15th hole, but that still left him $120,000 behind Nicklaus at that point.

With no outright winner over the next two holes, the quartet went to the $100,000 Chrysler Challenge Hole with $180,000 left.

Between them, this year's Skins participants had won 239 tournaments, including 40 major championships, and nearly $37 million.

Each participant donated 20 percent of their winnings to charities with Irwin adding his portion of the purse to the St. Louis Children's Hospital.