11.1.2010
larry nelson golf is a big tease when it comes to the old guard beating the odds—and father time. birdies come, until they stop. nerves are steady, until they aren’t. familiar legends with suddenly youthful games top leader boards, until they don’t. that’s the context for larry nelson’s inspiring—but ultimately unsuccessful—bid to win the champions tour’s at&t championship at oak hills cc in san antonio. the 36-hole leader at 10-under 132, nelson closed with a 70 to finish at 11-under, one stroke out of the playoff between Jeff sluman and rod spittle. nelson, at 63 years, 1 month and 21 days, was attempting to become the oldest winner on the senior circuit. a win would have eclipsed the long-standing mark of mike fetchick, who captured the 1985 hilton head seniors invitational on his 63rd birthday. it also would have been nelson’s 20th champions tour victory and a fitting encore for the georgian, under-recognized by observers but never by his peers. nelson didn’t ake up golf in earnest until he was 21, after serving in vietnam. he learned from ben hogan’s book, and on the mini-tours, becoming one of the toughest competi- tors of his generation. no surprise, then, he would make a strong challenge at breaking an age record in the books for a quarter-century—and make everyone feel a little younger in the process. —Bill Fields 07
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contents // 10 things // pga tour //lpga tour // champions tour //european tour //nationwide tour //eQuipment // tim rosaforte
