Pate wins in Bogota
Bogota, Colombia (Sports Network) - Former PGA Tour winner Steve Pate parred
the second playoff hole Sunday to defeat Aaron Watkins and win the inaugural
Bogota Open.
Pate, the third-round leader, only managed an even-par 71 in the final round,
but it was enough to match Watkins (68) in regulation at 11-under-par 273.
In the playoff, the two parred the par-five 18th hole at The Country Club of
Bogota and went right back to the tee. Pate made a par and that was enough for
victory as Watkins could do no better than bogey. Watkins lagged his very long
birdie putt to three feet, but missed that putt to give Pate his first win
anywhere since the 1998 CVS Charity Classic.
"It sure is nice to win anything. I haven't done that in a long time," said
Pate. "Three-footers out here are not tap-ins. I feel bad for Aaron but
everybody's missed a bunch of them this week."
This was Pate's first Nationwide Tour victory, but he is a six-time winner on
the PGA Tour and a two-time U.S. Ryder Cupper.
He struggled early with four bogeys and a birdie through his first six holes.
Pate eagled the par-five 13th to get within one, but he fell behind when
Watkins birdied No. 17.
Pate birdied that hole a group later and had a chance from 25 feet at the last
to win the tournament outright. His 25-footer for birdie moved right over the
hole and it was off to the playoff.
"I thought I made that one, I really did," said Pate.
Jamie Lovemark (65), William McGirt (70) and Tag Ridings (71) shared third
place at minus-nine.
Andrew Buckle (66), Kent Jones (68) and John Riegger (68) tied for sixth at
eight-under 276.
NOTES: This was the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in South
America...Colombia's own Camilo Villegas hosted a few events during the week,
then went to Florida and won the Honda Classic...Camilo's brother Manuel fired
a four-under 67 Sunday and tied for 15th at five-under par...Three weeks from
now, the Nationwide Tour comes home to the United States for the Louisiana
Open.
03/07 19:12:48 ET
|