Cook wins finale, Roberts takes points title
Comments 
0
Published: November 1, 2009
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — John Cook won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championships by five strokes Sunday for his second Champions Tour title in three weeks, while Loren Roberts held on to win the season points title.
Cook, also the Administaff Small Business Classic winner two weeks ago in Texas, closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 22-under 266 at Sonoma Golf Club. He broke the tournament record of 268 shared by Jim Thorpe and Andy Bean.
Roberts had a 66 to tie for sixth at 13-under 275 and win the points title and $1 million annuity for the second time in three years. He had to hold off a strong surge from Bernhard Langer (68), who also finished at 13 under.
Russ Cochran (68) finished second in the tournament. Brad Bryant (69) and Jeff Sluman (68) were 15 under, and Phil Blackmar (69) was 14 under.
After opening with a 68 on Thursday, Cook shot a tournament-record 62 in the second round and followed with a 67 to enter Sunday with a comfortable lead.
Cochran birdied No. 8 to pull within five strokes, but Cook moved to 21 under when he curled in a long putt on the 427-yard, par-4 12th.
Though he continued to have a few problems off the tee, Cook stayed consistent throughout the four days and avoided getting into serious trouble. He was bogey free Sunday and had only two bogeys the entire tournament, making up for whatever problems he did have with a solid short game and steady putting.
Cochran had another birdie on the 436-yard, par-4 15th and made a long birdie putt on the 18th, finishing second for the second time in his rookie season on the tour.
Cook birdied the par-3 17th, then tapped in for par on the 18th.
This is the last time the season-ending tournament will be held at Sonoma. The event will be played at Harding Park in San Francisco in 2010 and 2011.
Roberts wouldn't mind a few more years in the wine country, however.
He has celebrated the points championship twice while walking off the 18th green at Sonoma and nearly missed a third in 2006 when he three-putted on the final hole.
After falling behind Langer early this season, Roberts charged back into contention with wins at the Senior British Open in July and at the Boeing Classic in Washington in August then went into the season finale with a 165-point lead.
He didn't play well the first two rounds in Sonoma, but corrected a flaw while on the driving range late Friday night then played 12 under the rest of the weekend to secure the points title.
Joey Sindelar, Cook's college roommate at Ohio State, remained hospitalized after having a pulmonary embolism during the third round.
The Champions Tour said Sindelar's condition had improved but doctors at Sonoma Valley Hospital wanted to keep the 51-year-old for further observation.
Sindelar withdrew Saturday and was taken to the hospital for dizziness and shortness of breath after playing the fourth hole. Sindelar rested in between holes and tried to play the fifth before withdrawing. Medical personnel attended to Sindelar at the course before he was taken to the hospital for additional tests.
Sindelar, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, was 7 under for the tournament before withdrawing.
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).