Jerry Rose (credit: Minnesota Golf Association)
After a battle on the back nine,
Jerry Rose of Sarasota, Fla. nipped
Rusty Strawn, McDonough, Ga., at Indian Wells to take home the Society of Senior Masters.
Rose and Strawn started the day tied for fourth place; five shots off the pace that Kevin VandenBerg had set at six-under par.
A quick start for Rose helped him leap up the leaderboard before making the turn for home in the final round. While he made bogey on the second hole, he collected birdies on holes four, five, seven, and nine.
On the other hand, Strawn shot a one-under 36 on the front, but birdies on 11, 14, and 15 helped him reach four-under for the tournament with three holes left to play.
Suddenly, Rose, at three under following a bogey on 13, was left trailing Strawn by a shot and running out of holes to make up the difference.
For Rose, the tournament almost slipped from his grasp on the 16th hole.
"The key shot for me was on the 16th hole. Rusty had just made an incredible birdie on 15 to go one shot ahead of me and I lost my footing on my tee shot," Rose wrote in an email echange." I pulled it into the penalty area."
It took a terrific 8-iron and a six foot putt to save bogey, helping Rose keep pace with Strawn.
After taking my drop I still had 155 yards into the green knowing that if I made bogey I would go at least two shots behind. I hit a terrific 8 iron to about six feet and made the putt to stay one shot behind.
A birdie on the short par 3 17th pulled Rose into a tie with Strawn.
"I hit a 9 iron to about 13 feet. I rolled it in and Rusty barely missed a 12 footer to tie us going into the 18th," Rose said.
The hardest hole on the course, the 18th, had the final say. Rose parred and Strawn made bogey.
"I hit two good shots on 18 and 2-putted for par and Rusty missed about a 5 footer that would have put us in a playoff." Rose said.
Rose is not a regular in the winner's circle, however, his results are consistent. He has eight top 10 finishes in nine starts in 2021, including a fifth-place finish in the Society of Seniors Dale Morey Championship at Southern Pines.
"He's a great player, a super person, and a good friend," Rose said of Strawn. "We had a great time playing together and really fed off each other as we both played very well. I was very fortunate to come out on top."
Jeff Burda continued his run of form with a five-shot victory in the super senior division. A closing round 65 left
Emile Vaughan and the rest of the field helpless to match Burda's excellence. Burda won the Golfweek Senior Am super senior division on April 2.
Doug Pool outlasted
Bob Kain in a playoff to win the legend division. Both men finished the event at two-over par. Jeffrey Knox was two shots off the pace at four over.
Ron Johnson took home the grand master division with a ten-under par winning score.
Johnny Black finished in second four shots back. Jack Marin was in third at even par.
ABOUT THE SOS Senior Masters
54 hole invitational stroke play event held in the
California desert around the same time as the
tournament's namesake in Augusta. Attracts great
senior players from all over the
country. Senior, Super Senior, Legends and Grand
Masters divisions.
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