Welshman Stephen Dodd drained a 10-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole on Sunday to capture the Senior Open Championship at Berkshire, England.
After storming into the lead with a course record-tying round of 62 on Saturday, Dodd carded a 2-under 68 to finish at 13-under 267 and one shot clear of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke finished another shot back in third at 11 under.
Dodd, 55, played through rainy conditions for most of the day at Sunningdale Golf Club. He holed the winning putt after Jimenez slid his birdie attempt to the right of the hole and settled for par.
"This could be the only chance I get to win, so tried my best to hole it," said Dodd, who captured the first major championship of his career.
Dodd's final round included four birdies and two bogeys, including his first bogey of the week on the front nine at the par-3 eighth hole. After missing the fairway at No. 18, he set up his winning putt with a 164-yard shot from the right rough that stopped 10 feet past the hole.
Dodd said he was in control of his emotions as he stood over the downhill putt.
"I was in control of them, I just wasn't in control of the ball," he said.
With the victory, Dodd secured PGA Tour Champions status for the next two years and earned a spot in the 150th Open Championship next year at St. Andrews, Scotland.
Jimenez posted a 5-under 65 on Sunday with seven birdies and two bogeys.
Clarke was trying to become the fourth player to win Senior Open and British Open championships, having won the Claret Jug in 2011. He settled for a 67 in the final round after posting four birdies on the front nine and two bogeys and one birdie on the back.
Germany's Bernard Langer (68 on Sunday) finished in fourth place at 9-under 271, followed by Englishman Paul Broadhurst (69) at 8 under and American Jerry Kelly (72) at 7 under.
- Field Level Media
Stephen Dodd birdies final hole to win Senior Open
Image: Stephen Pond/Getty Images
Welshman Stephen Dodd drained a 10-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole on Sunday to capture the Senior Open Championship at Berkshire, England.
After storming into the lead with a course record-tying round of 62 on Saturday, Dodd carded a 2-under 68 to finish at 13-under 267 and one shot clear of Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke finished another shot back in third at 11 under.
Dodd, 55, played through rainy conditions for most of the day at Sunningdale Golf Club. He holed the winning putt after Jimenez slid his birdie attempt to the right of the hole and settled for par.
"This could be the only chance I get to win, so tried my best to hole it," said Dodd, who captured the first major championship of his career.
Dodd's final round included four birdies and two bogeys, including his first bogey of the week on the front nine at the par-3 eighth hole. After missing the fairway at No. 18, he set up his winning putt with a 164-yard shot from the right rough that stopped 10 feet past the hole.
Dodd said he was in control of his emotions as he stood over the downhill putt.
"I was in control of them, I just wasn't in control of the ball," he said.
With the victory, Dodd secured PGA Tour Champions status for the next two years and earned a spot in the 150th Open Championship next year at St. Andrews, Scotland.
Jimenez posted a 5-under 65 on Sunday with seven birdies and two bogeys.
Clarke was trying to become the fourth player to win Senior Open and British Open championships, having won the Claret Jug in 2011. He settled for a 67 in the final round after posting four birdies on the front nine and two bogeys and one birdie on the back.
Germany's Bernard Langer (68 on Sunday) finished in fourth place at 9-under 271, followed by Englishman Paul Broadhurst (69) at 8 under and American Jerry Kelly (72) at 7 under.
- Field Level Media
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