Davis adds U.S. win

Richard Dunn

The taste of victory is sweet in any language, but for 51-year-old

Rodger Davis of Australia, a winner of 33 professional golf

tournaments worldwide but none in the United States, it was extra

delicious Sunday in the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach

Country Club.

On the heels of being robbed at gunpoint two weeks ago in Mexico

City, where he almost withdrew from the PGA Champions Tour event but

was talked out of doing so by Fuzzy Zoeller, Davis captured his first

event on American soil when he fired a 3-under-par 68 in the final

round to finish 16-under 197. He won by four strokes over runner-up

Larry Nelson, the only one in the 81-player field to make any kind of

run at Davis in the final 18 holes.

Davis, a popular and colorful player on the PGA European and

Australasian tours, has now won on five continents. With the Toshiba

win, he earned a $232,500 paycheck.

It was the ninth year of the Toshiba Senior Classic and eighth in

a row at Newport Beach Country Club -- the inaugural was played at

Mesa Verde Country Club. This year’s event raised more than $1

million -- a tour-record fourth year in a row -- for its lead charity

and managing operator, Hoag Hospital.

On the golf course, Davis started the final round with a two-shot

lead and never lost his advantage Sunday, although Jim Thorpe pulled

to within a stroke.

At the par-4 No. 11, Davis sank a birdie putt after a lob-wedge

shot to within 6 feet, which increased his lead to three. He took a

four-shot lead at the par-3 No. 13, when he hit a 6-iron to within 12

feet and dropped in the putt with his long putter. No one got closer

than three strokes the rest of the way.

“Now that I’ve won out here [on the Champions Tour], you can’t

believe what goes through your head out there [on the golf course],”

said Davis, who wears knickers and personalized socks with his name

stitched on them.

Davis is the tour’s fourth first-time winner in 2003 and the third

in succession. Last year, there were five first-time winners.

He has also won tournaments in Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe.

“I haven’t been to South America yet,” he quipped.

Davis just missed tying the all-time tournament scoring record of

17-under-par 196 held by Hale Irwin (2002), the defending champion,

who finished tied for third.

* RICHARD DUNN is a Daily Pilot sports reporter. He can be

reached by e-mail at richard.dunn@latimes.com.