NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jim Ahern led the Music City
Championship from the start, and he wasn't about to risk his first
title in four years by playing passively in the final round.
Ahern shot a 3-under 69 Sunday to complete a wire-to-wire win on
the Champions Tour, only the third victory of his professional
career.
''If you go out there at the beginning of the day to protect
your lead, you're going to have problems. My goal was to double
(the lead),'' he said. ''I wanted to stay aggressive and keep
making birdies. I didn't want to back off.''
His approach paid off with a tournament-record 196 over 54
holes, two strokes better than Isao Aoki in 1998 and Hale Irwin in
2000.
Ahern last won an event in 1999, the AT&T Canada Senior Open
Championship during his rookie year. His other win was the 1973
Yuma Open, a satellite PGA Tour event. He only played on the PGA
Tour between 1973 and 1975 where his biggest paycheck was $2,400
for tying for 13th at the 1975 Phoenix Open.
The $210,000 he won Sunday for the first wire-to-wire win on the
50-and-over tour since Bruce Fleisher won the 2002 RJR Championship
was the biggest paycheck of Ahern's career.
''All I can tell you is there's no greater feeling than
winning,'' Ahern said. ''I'm not a Hale Irwin or Bruce Fleisher who
wins six to seven tournaments a year.''
Leading by six strokes at 17 under after Saturday, Ahern started
the final round by barely missing an eagle for the second day in a
row on the first hole when his 5-foot putt lipped out. He tapped in
for birdie.
Rodger Davis and Jose Maria Canizares -- both tied for second at
11 under after the second round -- also birdied the first hole but
couldn't cut enough into Ahern's lead to mount a serious challenge
on the front nine.
''It was so difficult because of Jimmy,'' Canizares said. ''I
said (Saturday) I had to make a 61 or 62 (to challenge).''
Canizares had his best shot to make a late charge when he
birdied Nos. 12, 13 and 14 to trim Ahern's lead to two strokes.
''When it got down to two strokes, you never know,'' Ahern said.
''Two strokes can disappear like that out there.''
But at the next hole -- a short 170-yard, par-3 -- Canizares
chipped his second shot onto the green, and it rolled past the hole
about four feet. He missed the par putt by inches and tapped in for
bogey.
''I hit a nice chip and missed the putt,'' Canizares said.
''Without making that shot, it was impossible to win the
tournament.''
Ahern essentially closed the door when he birdied No. 16,
sinking a 4-foot putt and going to 20 under for the tournament. He
finished by making par the final two holes.
''That was a nice feeling coming up the green at 18,'' Ahern
said. ''When I got that ball on the green at 18, I just knew I
couldn't screw it up.''
Canizares shot a 67 Sunday and finished the tournament four
strokes back.
Larry Nelson, designer of the Springhouse Golf Club course, had
six straight birdies on the back nine to shoot an 8-under 64 and
finish in third, five strokes back.
Ed Dougherty and Tom Jenkins tied at 13 under for the tournament
-- seven back. Dougherty shot a 65 and Jenkins a 69.
Davis tried to make a move when his tee shot on the 167-yard,
par-3 third hit the flag pole and bounced about four feet from the
hole. He made the birdie putt while Ahern two-putted for par and
saw his lead narrow to five strokes.
On the par-4 11th, Davis had to hit out of the rough between the
cart path and woods on his third shot and was short of the green.
He finished with a double bogey on the hole, a 73 for the day and
10 strokes back.
Ahern, never really known as a good putter, changed his putting
style from swinging the putter back shut to going wide two weeks
ago. It has helped greatly this week, but at times failed him on
Sunday.
Ahern missed the greens on Nos. 11 and 12 but managed a birdie
on the par-4 11th. His birdie putt on the 12th went about two feet
past the hole and he tapped in for par.
He birdied the 391-yard, par-4 No. 4, where players have to hit
the ball right of the fairway and then over a creek onto the green.
He made a 20-foot putt downhill.
Ahern bogeyed the par-3 eighth, only his second bogey of the
tournament.
The most dramatic moment of the tournament, formerly known as
the BellSouth Senior Classic, came on the first day when Ahern
birdied 18 for a 64 to grab the lead by one stroke over Doug
Tewell.
Tewell shot a 73 Saturday and a 72 on Sunday to finish 14
strokes back.
Notes
Canizares' best finish last season was fourth. He has won
only once on the tour, the 2001 Toshiba Senior Classic. ...The
leader after 36 holes at the Springhouse Golf Club course has won
the event seven of the last nine times. ...Orville Moody withdrew
before playing Sunday because of an undisclosed illness. He had
rounds of 82 and 77. ...Ten players made eagles on Sunday and Bobby
Wadkins had two eagles.