Torrance falls away

Sam Torrance could not produce a final day charge as Brad Bryant took advantage of overnight leader Tom Watson’s back nine struggles to win the US Senior Open at Whistling Straits.

Torrance was well placed to mount a challenge after a third round of 71 on Saturday had left the Scot in a three-way tie for third and four strokes behind overnight leader Watson.

But the 53-year-old struggled from the outset, a bogey six on the second setting the tone for a round of 76 as he slipped back into a tie for fifth at one over par alongside five other players.

Bryant won his first major and fourth Champions Tour title after a round of 68 saw him finish on six under par, three strokes ahead of Ben Crenshaw who produced a final round 70 to claim second.

Watson recorded a six-over-par 78 to eventually end the day in fourth on one under par, one shot behind Loren Roberts.

“It’s an honour to win this tournament,” Bryant said. “It is an honour to have my name next to Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and those types of guys.

“Lets face it, I am not in their league. As far as golf goes I never will be. I am just a journeyman who happened to have a great week.”

Bryant surged up the leaderboard with five birdies in the first 11 holes but bogeys at the 12th and 14th checked his progress before finishing on a high with a birdie at the 16th.

And the 52-year-old revealed he started thinking about the title when he reached the turn.

“On the ninth hole after I made the birdie there, I thought if I played well on the back nine I could win,” he said. “Sure enough, that’s what happened.”

Watson ran into trouble down the back nine. After reaching the halfway point of his round one under for the day, a birdie at the 10th left the 57-year-old in a strong position.

But he then spectacularly imploded as double-bogeys at the 11th, 15th and last combined with bogeys at the 12th and 13th torpedoed his bid.

“You can write this story pretty easy,” Watson said. “When I made double bogey at the 11th on a par-five that with the wind you could reach in two today, that was the wake up call that the course was not going to give in easily.”

Crenshaw, on the other hand, fired four birdies in his two under par effort but dropped strokes at the 15th and 17th ended his challenge.

“I played well for the most part today, just had a little bobble at the finish again,” Crenshaw said.

“I just didn’t play well enough. It was nice week and it was a great test of golf.”

Roberts entered the final round three strokes behind Watson and finished third after carding four bogeys in his two-over score of 74.

“What cost me the tournament was the bogeys on eight and nine,” Roberts said. “I just hit a couple of loose irons from the fairway. On the backside I didn’t make any key putts at critical times. I have to do that, that’s me and I didn’t do it.”