Scott McCarron made three late birdies that lifted him to a one-stroke victory over hometown hero Jerry Kelly in the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge Golf Club in Madison, Wis.
The 52-year-old McCarron, who was born in Sacramento and played golf at Vintage High in Napa and UCLA, closed with an 8-under-par 64, while Kelly shot 65, missing birdie putts on the last two holes.
“All week, I drove the ball really well and I was hitting a lot of good iron shots,” said McCarron, won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour Champions after claiming three titles on the PGA Tour.
“I hit a lot of greens. I think I made one bogey all week and that was early on Friday. Just missed a short putt, one of the par 3s and made bogey. Other than that, I really didn’t have any other opportunities to make bogeys. I just kept putting myself in play.”
McCarron collected four birdies on each nine and posted a 54-hole score of 17-under 201, and will enter the U.S. Senior Open this week at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs with three top-five finishes in his last four starts.
Kelly, 51, made four birdies in a span of six holes through No. 16, but couldn’t get the last one he needed.
“I’m disappointed, there’s no doubt,” said Kelly, who has won three times on the senior circuit after winning only the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open on the PGA Tour. “I want those (two) putts back. I want to just go ahead and hit them hard.”
Tournament host Steve Stricker totaled 65 and finished two shots back in a tie for third with Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who had a 64, and defending champion Fred Couples, who wound up at 67.
Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza and Long Beach State posted a score of 67 and was three back in solo sixth, while John Daly also had a 67 and finished one more down in a tie for seventh with Mark Calcavecchia, who wound up at 68, and Kent Jones, who finished at 69.
Mike Small, men’s golf coach at University of Illinois, shot 68 and finished five strokes back in a tie for 10th with Stephen Ames of Canada and Jay Haas, who both had 67s, and Bernhard Langer of Germany, who came in at 69.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/champions/leaderboard.html.
