It came down to a contest between a hip ache and a heartache, and each of the two golfers and old friends knew which one was less painful. Fred Couples was worried that his hip was killing him, but he still felt much better than did John Cook, who let one more major championship slip away.
Couples won the Senior Players Championship at Westchester Country Club on Sunday in Harrison, N.Y., hitting a sand wedge 76 yards to within three feet of the cup on the third playoff hole to beat Cook with a birdie. It was the first senior major victory for Couples, 51, who admitted it was more of a senior moment than a major moment.
“We were like two old men,” the Seattle native said after the playoff.
“Everyone has got nicks and aches and problems,” said Couples, who had been pleased all week that his chronic bad back was better following treatment in Germany six weeks ago. His was concerned that his left hip balked after a two-hour rain delay.
“I feel great about winning my first senior major. I just hope tomorrow when I wake up, I feel better than I do now. That’s the emotional part of it because I’ve been doing so well. I don’t really know what I’ll feel like,” said Couples, who collected $405,000.
Even though the sky darkened during the playoff, Couples said the holes seemed “relaxed” because of his long friendship with Cook.
But the result was anything but relaxing for the runner-up, who has had a successful career, including three senior wins in 2011, but has not won a major in 82 tries on the PGA and Champions tours.
“Boy, it’s disappointing, it really is,” Cook said. “These are our signature tournaments, and I’ve had my chances.”
He alluded to the 1992 British Open, which he led by two shots with two holes to go and lost to Nick Faldo, and the 2008 British Senior Open and 2009 Tradition, which he lost in playoffs. “You know, those were mine,” he said.
Cook had Couples by two with five to play in regulation, but Couples made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th and a 15-foot par on the par-3 16th. Cook bogeyed the latter hole, falling into a tie at 11 under. That set up a playoff win for Couples that gets him into The Players on the PGA Tour, which he won twice.
CAROLINIAN WINS
Webb Simpson won the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., for his first PGA Tour title, finishing with a bogey-free 3-under 67 for a three-stroke victory.
The Raleigh native and former Wake Forest standout had an 18-under 262 total at Sedgefield Country Club.
George McNeill (64) was second, and Tommy Gainey (69) was third at 14 under in the final event before the PGA Tour playoffs.
PETTERSEN RALLIES
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen shot a 7-under 64 to make up a nine-stroke deficit, then beat South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi with a par on the first hole of a playoff to win the LPGA Safeway Classic in suburban Portland.
Choi finished with a 73 to match Pettersen at 6 under on Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek Course in North Plains, Ore.
With the victory, Pettersen jumped to No. 2 in the world behind Yani Tseng.
AUSSIE WINS
Australia’s James Nitties won the Midwest Classic for his first Nationwide Tour title, shooting with a 6-under 65 for a five-stroke victory in Overland Park, Kan.
Nitties had a 26-under 258 total at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. He earned $99,000 to jump from 53rd to 12th on the money list.
TRACKING Locals on the PGA Tour
Last week: PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
In the field: Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley and Olympia’s Andres Gonzales.
Gonzales’ fourth-round score: 2-over-par 72.
Position: Gonzales (2-under 278) tied for 66th – 16 strokes behind winner Webb Simpson (67 – 262). He won $10,608.
Stanley (even par 140) missed the cut Friday.
Recap: Everything seemed to be sailing along for the former Capital High player – until he hit the back nine. At 2 under for his round, he hit his drive left at the 10th hole, punched out and made bogey. At No. 11, his drive sailed right. Again, he made bogey. And after his tee shot at the 12th hole, a long par 3, stopped 70 feet short, he three-putted for a third straight bogey.
Next: Stanley, at 48th in the FedEx Cup standings, has qualified for the PGA Tour playoffs, starting with the Barclays from Thursday to Sunday at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J.
Gonzales, who will miss the playoffs, returns for the “Fall Series,” Sept. 29 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners event at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
Todd Milles, staff writer
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