BLAINVILLE, Que. – Rod Spittle took the term ”low Canadian” to a new level at Canada’s only Champions Tour event.
The Niagara Falls, Ont., native shot a course record 10-under par 62 on the third and final day of the US$1.8 million Montreal Championship on Sunday at Fontainebleau Golf Club.
The burly Spittle, who never played on the PGA Tour, finished tied for seventh place with last year’s champion Larry Mize and Jeff Sluman. They were six strokes behind the winner _ Spittle’s former Ohio State University teammate John Cook. Each earned $57,600.
”Sometimes you just go out and play, not really trying too hard,” said Spittle, who began the day in 49th place. ”I knew we weren’t really going to challenge the leaders, but you just hope you get into that rhythm.
”I must have putted for 16 or 17 birdies all day.”
Spittle started the day eagle-birdie in a bogey-free round and probably could have been a stroke or two lower. On his 16th hole, a par-4, he put his tee-shot on the green.
”It didn’t splash – it bounced onto the green, which was very nice,” he said with a laugh. ”I had a very tricky putt straight down the hill off a crest and I three-putted (for par). I’m not going to complain, but that’s the only one where maybe if I could go back and putt that again.”
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Only about 100 spectators were on hand – most were following the leaders – as he tapped in for par on his final hole and got a big hug from his wife Ann.
The six-foot-five Spittle beat the previous club record of 63 set at last year’s tournament and equalled three times in the first two days this year.
The 55-year-old is clearly enjoying his first full season on what used to be called the Seniors Tour.
Spittle was Canadian amateur champion in 1977 and 1978, but then settled in Ohio, raised a family and worked 25 years in the insurance business before reaching agreement with Ann six years ago to quit the rat race and take a shot at making the Champions Tour.
He got into 22 events in his first two seasons, but didn’t play any in 2009 and had to go to qualifying school, where he only finished high enough to earn the right to enter Monday qualifying to get into tournaments.
His breakthrough came in October, when after qualifying he beat Sluman in a playoff to win the AT&T Championship in San Antonio, Texas, which earned him full privileges for this season.
It was his fourth top-10 finish in 13 events this year and raised his earnings to $504,194 for the year.
Now he plays regularly with the biggest names of his generation, including Hale Irwin, Tom Lehman, Tom Kite and Fred Couples (who missed Montreal with an injury).
Then again, he was part of a pretty good university squad with Cook and Joey Sindelar in the 1970s.
”When John and I say we’re very proud of Rod it’s not that we’re somewhere and he’s not,” said Sindelar, a freshman when Spittle was a senior. ”The whole time he was away from this we knew that he loved it and that he was qualified.
”Watch him play – he smears the golf ball, he’s tenacious on the golf course. He’s now comfortable, which is bad news for all of us because he’s just going to get better. We’re just happy because he’s always seemed like he belonged in the game but it didn’t fit for whatever reason. He’s the right kind of guy for what we’re doing on this tour.”
Spittle seems to like playing in the greater Montreal area. In 1978, he won the Canadian amateur by 10 strokes at Laval-Sur-La-Lac.
”I ran into so many people who were here in 1978,” he said. ”I ran into one old gentleman on the range and he had five old pictures where I had really long hair and funny pants.
”It’s just very special coming home. It’s the only Champions Tour tournament in Canada right now so I’m very proud of my Canadian flag on my bag and very happy to have been greeted so warmly.
”When I started, I didn’t know how good my game could become. . . To get it to this level is extremely gratifying.”
Among the other Canadians, Jim Rutledge of Victoria shot 69 to tie for 35th place at 8-under 208. Yves Beauchemin of Trois-Rivieres, Que., had 68 to finish tied for 52nd at 210, while Daniel Talbot of St-Basile-Le-Grand, Que., shot 75 to finish last in 79th at 5-over 221.
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