Jacobsen's birdie blitz denies Irwin

Peter Jacobsen sank birdie putts on the 16th and 17th holes to snatch a one-shot victory over Hale Irwin at the Senior Players Championship in Michigan.

“There’s nobody you’d rather beat than a great player,” Jacobsen said. “For me to come out on top over Hale is a proud thing for me.”

Irwin, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, was seeking his 43rd Champions Tour victory and third this season, but missed two short putts on the closing holes.

A win would have tied him with Jack Nicklaus for the all-time lead in Major victories on the Champions Tour with eight.

But it was Jacobsen who came through at the death to hold off Irwin, who had won 28 of 38 events when tied or holding a share of the lead entering the final round.

“Hale and I have been playing against each other for a long time,” Jacobsen added. “He’s 60 years old, I’m 51. When I came out on the Tour, he was already an established star.”

Jacobsen, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour and the 2004 US Senior Open champion, shot a six-under-par 66 to jump five places up the leaderboard.

He posted a four-round total of 15 under on 273 and joined Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as the only players to win their first two titles on the Champions Tour in Majors.

Irwin, who posted his only birdie on the back nine at the 13th, left a 13-foot birdie putt at the 17th inches short and finished the final round with a two-under 70 after three consecutive 68s.

“Coming down the back nine, I just putted poorly,” Irwin admitted. “I hit a few loose shots on the back nine. I actually came down to just some very poor putting once again.”

Tom McKnight was tied for the lead with Irwin with five holes to play but triple-bogeyed the 14th to drop off the pace.

He finished at 12 under on 276 to tie for third with five-time British Open champion Tom Watson who carded a 68.

Six golfers, including second-round leader Dana Quigley (73) and Gil Morgan (73) tied for fifth at 278.

The Seniors Player Championship is the first of three straight Majors – the Senior British Open is in two weeks at Royal Aberdeen followed by the US Senior Open in Kettering, Ohio.