Golf Champions Tour

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Lanny Wadkins wanted to make one thing absolutely clear. "It's great to be here," he said.

Wadkins was seated on a stage at the World Golf Village on Monday, or on top of the world. Definitely one of the two, and as far as Wadkins is concerned, the views are identical.

With his name now in the Golf Hall of Fame, Wadkins has finally fulfilled something that was long overdue.

Wadkins -- along with Irishman Christy O'Connor, Sr., Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal and former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower -- was being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

That was the good news. The bad was that it had taken Wadkins 14 years to get the call.

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TAMPA, Fla. -- The two men had met for the first time only a handful of hours earlier on a warm December morning last year while standing in the clubhouse at TPC Tampa Bay before a Birdies for the Brave charity golf event.

Donny Alston and Brad Bryant. Brad and Donny.

Alston, an assistant club professional at a public course about 45 miles away, called the chance visit with the Champions Tour player "a hoot.'' Making it even better, Andy Bean, another senior tour star, had been there, too.

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) -- Joey Sindelar remained hospitalized Sunday after having a pulmonary embolism during the third round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championships.

The Champions Tour said Sindelar's condition had improved but doctors at Sonoma Valley Hospital wanted to keep the 51-year-old for further observation.

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) -- Jay Haas charged past Tom Watson to win the Senior Players Championship by a stroke, birdieing the 18th hole Sunday to match the course record with a 6-under 64 in the final Champions Tour major of the season.

The 60-year-old Watson was tying to become the oldest major winner on the 50-and-over tour. But after making only one bogey in the first three rounds at Baltimore Country Club, he had three in the final round en route to a 70.

Haas finished at 13-under 267 for his third senior major title. He has 14 career Champions Tour victories, also winning the Greater Hickory Classic two weeks ago.

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) -- Tom Watson is feeling good and likes his golf game these days.

The 60-year-old Watson celebrated his one-year anniversary from successful left hip surgery by shooting a 6-under 64 and building a four-stroke lead Saturday at the Senior Players Championship.

Watson, bidding to become the oldest major winner on the Champions Tour, attacked the Baltimore Country Club course and put together a bogey-free round- he's made only one during the tournament-with six birdies to finish at 12-under 198 and four shots clear of Loren Roberts (65), John Cook (65) and Mark Wiebe (66).

Watson nearly won the British Open back in July, but a balky putter on the 72nd hole cost him the Claret jug. Now, Watson said he's more confident on the greens and, three months removed from his dramatic performance at Turnberry, happy about his play.

Arnold Palmer, legend, turns 80 on Thursday.

So what exactly do you give the man who single-handedly transformed golf into a spectator sport, made presidents want to be his friend, caused perfectly normal adults to swoon with hero worship, mixed lemonade and iced tea to create a refreshing concoction that would become an "Arnold Palmer," and hawked everything from motor oil to rental cars like no one before or since?

A party like he shot 59.

With two tournaments left in the PGA Tour season, the FedEx Cup points leader is not a guy recognized by a cut-throat stare or rapid-fire fist pump but rather for his tendency to tear up over anything more emotional than a complimentary breakfast buffet.

After Monday evening's one-shot victory in the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, Steve Stricker, a mild-mannered quiet guy from Edgerton, Wisc., was last seen blinking back tears.

Talk about a battle cry.

Each Wednesday during the golf season, FanHouse will list the top five names in golf and why they're important. Did Barack play 18 with Tiger? Did a certain player do something controversial off the course? Or was just playing golf enough to get the pot stirring? Join us for a weekly feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Fred Funk -- It was one of the better final rounds in the history of the Senior U.S. Open, but nobody watched because of a certain someone in the accompanying photo (thanks, Woods). It was his second major championship on the Champions Tour and fifth senior win since turning 50 three years ago. Funk is the type of player that could still make the occasional wave on the PGA Tour (made the cut in both the U.S. Open and Players this year), but it seems his focus is going to be with the Champions Tour, which is probably for the best. Maybe more impressive than his final-round 65 that help vault him to a six-shot lead? The fact that he made four bogeys all week at Crooked Stick.

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) -- Fred Funk took a back-nine victory lap in the U.S. Senior Open.

Funk won by six strokes and broke the tournament record with a 20-under total. He shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday at Crooked Stick.

"It's something I really didn't fathom happening, but the biggest thing is just getting my name on that trophy,'' the 53-year-old Funk said.

SUNNINGDALE, England (AP) -- Loren Roberts of the United States won his second Senior British Open title on Sunday, beating Mark McNulty on the third hole of a sudden death playoff.

Fred Funk also took part in the playoff at Sunningdale, but the American was eliminated on the first extra hole when he could only make par as Roberts and McNulty birdied.

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