Forsman wins Mitsubishi title on Big Island
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii>> Second-round leader Dan Forsman birdied the first hole Sunday and never let anyone within two shots to win the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Forsman pocketed $307,000 at the first of 23 official Champions Tour events this year. Hale Irwin, who finished last in the 41-man field, collected $10,000.
A warm wind that gusted up to 25 mph kept scores relatively high on one of the senior tour’s easiest layouts. Forsman won by two shots over Jay Don Blake with a 3-under-par 69 in the final round, finishing at 15-under 201.
It was the first time since 2000 that the winner did not have a sub-200 score at Hualalai.
Blake, making his first appearance here, birdied the 18th to shoot 67. Blake won the final Champions event in 2011.
Defending Mitsubishi champion John Cook got hot on the back nine, just as he did last year when he overcame a three-shot deficit on the final day. After making the turn at 1 over, Cook eagled the 10th and added three birdies to shoot 68 and tie for third with Michael Allen.
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Gary Hallberg and Jeff Sluman shared fifth, four shots behind Forsman.
Mark Calcavecchia, Jay Haas, Brad Bryant and 62-year-old Tom Watson tied for seventh. It was Watson’s ninth Top-10 finish in 12 starts at Hualalai.
Calcavecchia now has seven consecutive Top-10 finishes on the senior tour, dating to his win last year at the Boeing Classic. He and Hallberg shared low-round honors Sunday, shooting 66.
Forsman took a two-shot advantage into the final day and protected it with three birdies at the first 11 holes. His first bogey since Friday — and only his second of the week — still left him with a two-shot edge after 12 holes.
He clinched his third Champions victory with a birdie and five pars on the closing holes.
Forsman, struggling with a painful left hip, had just one Top-10 finish last year. He dropped to 45th on the money list after being among the Top 10 his first two senior seasons.