2006 TaylorMade-adidas Golf Winter Tournament Program Home Page
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Rick Schuller of Chester, Va., making his first appearance in the PGA Winter Championships, climaxed the season Sunday by winning the 43rd annual PGA Match Play Championship.
Taking advantage of three consecutive bogeys by Roy Vucinich of Moon Township, Pa., early on the back nine, Schuller scored a 3 & 1 victory on the Dye Course at the PGA Golf Club.
It was the second straight year that Vucinich, 57, a former Champions Tour player, had lost in the finals. He bowed to Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, 4 & 3, on the same course last February.
In the semifinals, which were completed Sunday morning after being suspended by rain and lightning Saturday, Schuller beat Philip Fecteau of North Attleboro, Mass., 5 & 4, and Vucinich defeated Larry Emery of Highlands, N.C., 3 & 2.
"I knew Roy was a heck of a competitor," said Schuller, 43. "I had heard of him but I had never met him before this week, but he's a sound player. I knew I would have to bear down, especially after I three-putted [for par] from the back of the green to let him win the fifth hole and take the lead."
It was the only time Vucinich led in the championship match.
Schuller pulled even with an 18-inch birdie putt at the par-5 seventh and they halved the next three holes, the par-5 10th with birdies.
Then Vucinich began to spray his tee shots, leading to bogeys at the 11th, 12th and 13th holes to fall three holes behind. He birdied the 14th from three feet, but the match ended when Schuller sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the long 17th hole.
"I played pretty well except for those three holes. I just made some mistakes that cost me," Vucinich said. "It's a disappointing."
Vucinich played fulltime on the Champions Tour in 2000 and had partially exempt status in 2001-02.
Schuller earned $4,000, Vucinich $2,600, from the $44,800 purse. Schuller made his first PGA Winter Championships start in the Stroke Play Championship Jan. 22-25 here, posting 76-75-75-77-303 to tie for 89th, worth $390. He won the Middle Atlantic PGA Tournament of Champions last fall.
TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Winter Championships
PGA Match Play Championship
PGA GC, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Dye Course, 7,040 yards, par 72
Sunday's Results:
Semifinals:
Roy Vucinich, Moon Township, Pa., def. Larry Emery, Highlands, N.C., 3 & 2.
Rick Schuller, Chester, Va., def. Philip Fecteau, North Attleboro, Mass., 5 & 4.
Beaten players received $1,900.
Finals:
Schuller def. Vucinich, 3 & 1.
Schuller, $4,000; Vucinich, $2,600.
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