Irwin claims Open win as Nicklaus calls it a day

Hale Irwin's dominance of the US Seniors' Tour continued in remarkable fashion in California on Sunday when he claimed the US Seniors' Open title.

Although Jack Nicklaus, `The Golden Bear', had the low round of the final day - a 67 to follow on his third round 79, his highest ever round on the Seniors' Tour - and promptly announced he wouldn't be playing again this season to undergo treatment on his ailing hip, Irwin confirmed his status as the tour's dominant figure when holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the last for a 69 to clinch a one stroke victory from Argentina's Vicente Fernandez.

Irwin, who won three US Opens during his time on the US Tour, broke through the $2 million prize money barrier for the second consecutive year. His winner's cheque for $267,500 brought his season's earnings to $2,002,750 and, remarkably, he has yet to finish out of the top five in 14 tournaments this year.

The 53-year-old overcame an opening round score of 77 (the highest by an eventual winner in the event's history) and played the final 54 holes in five-under-par. Irwin's winning score of one-over-par 285 was the highest in relation to par since Nicklaus won the 1991 US Seniors' Open at Oakland Hills on two over par 282.

Irwin's stranglehold on the US Seniors' Tour is in stark contrast to Steve Pate's influence on the US Tour. Pate, who wondered if he'd ever play golf again when he was involved in a car accident 18 months ago, captured the CVS Charity Classic in Sutton, near Boston, when recording birdies at four of the last six holes to shoot a final round four-under-par 67 for 269 which gave him a shot to spare over Scott Hoch and Australian Bradley Hughes.

Once known as "Volcano" for his volatile temper on the course, Pate showed a new calm that enabled him to record his first tour success since the Buick Invitational in 1992. Pate's car crash came last year, when he was rushing home from the Phoenix Open to his home in California to watch the Superbowl on television. He was left with a broken bone in his face, his right hand and his wrist. Apart from requiring acupuncture treatment to ease a constant ache in his hand, Pate has recovered sufficiently not only to play on the tour again but to win.