The shadows were long, the shadows of legends longer, when Paul Broadhurst stood over a four-foot birdie putt to win on the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday. Two months ago, Broadhurst won the Senior British Open at Carnoustie. Only two men previously had won at both venues—Ben Hogan and Tom Watson.
The 51-year-old Englishman made it a threesome with a firm, confident stroke that gave him a victory in the Nature Valley First Tee Open, his second win in only six PGA Tour Champions starts this year.
No, it wasn’t PGA Tour victories at each venue, but to grab the victory at Pebble Broadhurst did have to withstand a furious rally by another legend, the senior tour’s most dominant player the last decade, Bernhard Langer, who shot a six-under-par 66 in his bid to win for the fifth time in 2016.
Langer finished at 10-under-par 205, tying with Broadhurst, who still had the par-5 18th hole to play. On the advice of his caddie, Broadhurst hit driver instead of the hybrid he wanted to hit from the tee and crushed it, leaving a hybrid second shot that he put on the front left of the green, 30 feet from the hole.
Broadhurst, who had squandered a lead with bogeys at 11 and 14, also had a tap-in birdie at 15.
“I was disappointed to bogey 14, and glanced across at the scoreboard and I knew I was tied,” he said. “I just kept plugging away. I was playing pretty well, pretty nicely, and I knew we had 18. I was really pleased way I played the 18th.”
“Obviously, the scoreboards are all around the last four holes so I was well aware of what was going on and knew I needed to birdie the last to avoid a playoff,” Broadhurst said. “Probably hit two of the best shots I’ve ever hit up 18. Perfect tee shot and a really good utility into the green just on the front edge. I managed to two-putt from 30 feet, so yeah, absolutely delighted.”
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