Pate withstands wind to win Turtle Bay

2008-01-27

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KAHUKU, HAWAII (TICKER) -- Jerry Pate was one of the few to withstand the wind on Sunday at the Turtle Bay Championship and came away a winner.

Pate was able to handle winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour, carding a 2-under-par 70, to win the $1.6 million event by two shots.

At 5-under 211, Pate finished two shots ahead of Jim Thorpe and Champions Tour rookie Fulton Allem.

Pate entered Sunday's final round four strokes behind leader Gil Morgan. While Morgan and the rest of the contenders faltered, Pate played a steady round with four birdies and two bogeys. It was Pate's second Champions Tour title and his first in 39 starts.

"Playing in these kinds of conditions, you can't look at the leaderboard," Pate said. "You just have to play it one shot at a time."

Pate did just that and of the nine players in the final three groups, he was the only player to finish the final round under-par. He bogeyed No. 2 but regrouped and essentially won the tournament with three consecutive birdies starting on the eighth.

After his birdie at 10, Pate grinded out pars while the rest of the field gave ground. Pate got into some trouble at 18 but his bogey there proved to change nothing except the final margin.

Allem signed for a 73 and Thorpe carded a 74 with each player birdying the final hole to tie for second.

Morgan struggled to a 77 to tie for fourth at 2-under. Loren Roberts (71) the 2006 champion here, Wayne Grady (70) and Robert Thompson (72) finished tied for fourth with Morgan.