COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Morris Hatalsky did just what he needed to
do.
Hatalsky made a 4-foot par putt on the last hole -- his eighth
straight par -- to win his second Champions Tour title, beating
Allen Doyle by a stroke Sunday at the Columbus Southern Open.
Hatalsky closed with a 3-under 67 at Green Island Country Club
and finished at 12-under 198. Doyle was second at 11-under 199
after a 67.
''It was basically coaxing in 20-, 25-footers for two putts,''
Hatalsky said. ''I saw Allen didn't make birdie, so there was no
pressure on me to make birdie. I was just playing to the middle of
the green.''
Hatalsky, the 2002 Champions Tour rookie of the year, made
birdies at Nos. 4 and 7 on the front nine, and added a birdie at
the 10th before his string of pars.
Hatalsky did not make a bogey in the 54-hole event and has
played 79 holes in par or better.
Hatalsky, who won the Uniting Fore Care Classic in 2002, is the
13th winner in as many Champion Tour events this year.
Doyle, a six-time Georgia Amateur champion who lives 35 miles
away in LaGrange, Ga., made a birdie at No. 13 to move within a
stroke of Hatalsky. But he missed birdie putts at the 15th and
16th. His birdie attempt at the 18th missed by inches to the left
of the hole.
Doyle remained winless in two years, his last victory coming in
the 2001 State Farm Senior Classic. But he picked up $132,000 for
his performance.
''I didn't do too, too bad,'' he said. ''I won over $100,000. I
know my family still loves me.''
Bruce Fleisher birdied seven of the last 13 holes, closing with
an 8-under 62 and finishing at 10 under. He was tied for third with
Dana Quigley (67), Des Smyth (68) and Doug Tewell (68).
Jim Thorpe, who shared the second-round lead with Hatalsky, made
bogey at Nos. 2, 3 and 5 and finished in a tie for 19th after a 74.