CARY, N.C. (AP) — Kirk Triplett won the SAS Championship on Sunday for his second victory of the year and fourth in three seasons on the Champions Tour.
The 52-year-old Triplett closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-stroke victory over Tom Lehman. Triplett finished at 14-under 202 at Prestonwood Country Club.
Triplett followed each of his three bogeys with birdies.
“I had a few bogeys, and I had some bounce-backs,” Triplett said. “That was the key to today.”
The three-time PGA Tour champion also won the ACE Group Classic in February.
Lehman eagled the par-5 17th in a 70.
“I was playing with Paul (Goydos) and Tom, and neither one of them were really — they were getting some chances, but they weren’t converting, and I just felt like I had that nice cushion,” Triplett said. “After that, a tough old guy, Tommy Lehman, made an eagle, birdied 16, eagled 17. I’m like, ‘Come on, man.'”
But Triplett converted his sixth birdie of the day on the 17th to maintain a three-shot lead.
“With a three-shot lead, everybody watching on TV feels comfortable,” Triplett said. “The guy with the three-shot lead still doesn’t feel comfortable.”
Bernhard Langer and Kenny Perry tied for third at 10 under. Langer, the 2012 winner, finished with a 68. Perry, the 2011 champion, had a 67.
“I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens,” Langer said. “When I did miss a green I got it up and down, so that’s a great performance. Just usually, I make more birdies when I play that well. But as I said, the putter wasn’t quite cooperating, especially not today.”
Langer extended his lead in the season-long race Charles Schwab Cup race, adding 138 points this week. He has a tour-high five wins — two of them majors — and leads the money list. Colin Montgomerie finished outside the top 10, earning no points this week.
“We’ve still got three more tournaments,” said Langer, who now holds a 771-point lead over Montgomerie. “I’m not playing next week, Colin is, so he’s got a great opportunity to make up ground. But I did everything I could, I think, this week to stay in front of him.”
Goydos, Mark McNulty and Kevin Sutherland tied for fifth at 9 under. McNulty had a 67, Sutherland shot 70, and Goydos 72.
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