By John Erardi
Enquirer staff writer

Bruce Summerhays shot a 64 to come from six strokes back Sunday to win the Kroger Classic at the Tournament Players Club at River's Bend. He overtook second-round leader Doug Tewell, who shot a 71.

"It's wonderful to shoot that type of number (64) on the last day," Summerhays said. "Sixty-four on the last day if you're anywhere near the lead is a magical number."

Bruce Summerhays won the Kroger Classic at the TPC Course at Rivers Bend. (Enquirer photo/MICHAEL E. KEATING)

Summerhays finished 15-under par, Tewell at 14 under. Also at 14 under were Jim Thorpe and Gil Morgan, who each shot 66.

In winning, the 60-year-old Summerhays leap-frogged eight golfers and separated himself from the five golfers he was tied with going into Sunday's round.

If this is the last pro tournament in Cincinnati for a while - tournament director Margie French is seeking a new title sponsor for next year, because 15-year-title sponsor Kroger is pulling out - then it was a doozie. (There have been 29 straight years of pro tournaments in Cincinnati - PGA, LPGA or seniors - dating to 1976.)

Thorpe, Morgan and Tewell each had great chances on or near the 18th hole to get into a playoff with Summerhays, but couldn't pull it off: Thorpe missed a 20-foot eagle putt; Morgan's shot with a fairway wood rolled only onto the front edge leaving him a 70-footer, which he three-putted, and Tewell missed a 25-footer for birdie. Summerhays hit a perfect 40-yard pitch shot and made the three-footer for birdie.

"I'd been practicing that (sand-wedge) shot all week at the driving range," said Summerhays.

He said "it's a big shot to have into the par-5's here. You just sort of bump it in into the hill and let it run. I hit that shot four times (Sunday) and got it up and down every time."

Summerhays, who is only five months short of his 61st birthday, is the oldest winner on the Champions Tour this year and the eighth oldest winner in the 25-year history of the senior tour.

He had played in 209 tournaments - totaling 11,286 holes - since he last won six years ago.

"When you get to be 60, you wonder if you can win again, but I have enough length off the tee to do it," Summerhays said. "The par-5s were reachable for me."

Summerhays' Sunday deficit got worse before it got better. After bogeying the fourth hole, he was seven strokes back.

He quickly bounced back with a birdie on the 190-yard par-3 fifth hole by sizzling a seven-iron to 10 feet and making the putt.

He shot a 31 on the back nine. Among his nine birdies, were four straight - 10, 11, 12, 13. (He had also birdied Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 8). His last birdie was on No. 18.

Tewell played in pain all day because of strained tendons around his left elbow.

"But the reason I lost the tournament is I didn't play the par 5s well (Sunday)," said Tewell, who was even par on the 5s compared to Summerhays' 4 under (he birdied each of them).

"I'm happy for Bruce. ... If I had to lose to somebody, I'm glad it was him," Tewell said. "He's a noble champion. And he can use that Kroger money - he's got a lot of mouths to feed."

Summerhays, who won $225,000, has eight children and 26 grandchildren.

At one time or another, all four of his sons and four daughters have caddied for him.

No. 1 son, 36-year-old Bryan, Summerhays' second oldest child, was on the bag this week.

Can Pops play the Champions Tour long enough to get a grandchild on the bag?

"Probably not," said Summerhays. "I've got two to three more years I figure. ... But, yes, this win might extend that a little bit."

Summerhays credits good eating (he takes some supplements) and regular exercise for his youthfulness.

"If I had any advice to give (to seniors), it'd be: get out there and move, even if it hurts to move," Summerhays said.

He rates his special interests as family, fishing, music, sports and church service. He was born in St. Louis and resides in Utah, where he was educated at the University of Utah.

Defending champion Gil Morgan said he misread his 70-foot eagle putt on 18, playing it to break about eight feet, but it hardly broke at all. He left himself with a five-foot downhiller, which he slid off to the right.

"I hit a similar 3-wood into (No. 18) last year - 230 (yards) to the front, into the wind a little bit, a little cut shot - but this one didn't go as far, probably because of the soft conditions," Morgan said.

Note: Hale Irwin shot 69 Sunday to finish at 205, four back. Because it was a top ten finish, he picked up some points in the Schwab Cup race, the winner of which gets $1 million. Irwin's tie-for-seventh earned him 48 points, and he is only 11 points behind in the Schwab to Craig Stadler, who didn't play here.