CHAMPIONS

• Watson, North hang on to win Legends

  
  

  Savannah, GA (Sports Network) - Tom Watson and Andy North fired an eight-under 64 Sunday to hold off Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler for a one-shot win at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

  Watson and North completed the event at 31-under-par 185. Their total of 185 breaks the old record of 187 that Tommy Bolt and Art Wall set in 1980.

  "We started today's round four shots ahead," said Watson.

  "Last night, I quietly just said to myself, If we shoot eight-under par we'll probably win the tournament. I was just hoping we'd get the eight-under par a lot quicker than we did today." Sluman and Stadler closed with an 11-under 61 to finish one back at minus-30.

  Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam fired a 12-under 60 in the final round. At one point they were in the lead, but ended two back at 29-under-par 187.

  This event was been an individual stroke-play event the last six years, but returned to its roots as a team event this year at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa. The 32 teams played a two-man, better-ball event.

  Watson and North collected back-to-back birdies from the third and again from the seventh to jump to 27-under, where they led by two. As they parred nine and 10, they were caught atop the leaderboard.

  Lyle and Woosnam birdied six of the first eight holes. Birdies on the 10th and 11th moved the European duo within two. They ran off four straight birdies from the 13th to move into the lead at 29-under.

  Watson and North moved to 28-under with a birdie on the 11th. North drained 15-footer for birdie on 13 to give he and Watson a share of the lead at 29- under.

  Meanwhile, Sluman and Stadler made a run as well. They were six-under through nine with four birdies and an eagle. Four consecutive birdies from the 11th put them at 29-under as well.

  Lyle and Woosnam parred their last two holes at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa.

  Watson sank a six-footer for birdie on 14 as he and North regained the top spot at 30-under.

  Stadler kicked in a short birdie putt at the 16th to get he and Sluman to 30- under as well. Like Woosnam and Lyle, Sluman and Stadler parred the last two holes.

  "We made them think about what they had to do, certainly," Sluman stated. "But I think we accomplished, except for winning the golf tournament, what we talked about yesterday getting off to a fast start. I thought as a team, we really jelled. We didn't make a bogey out there." Watson and North parred 15 and 16 to remain tied for the lead.

  Watson converted a 20-foot birdie effort on 17 to put he and North one up. North two- putted for par at the last to secure the title.

  "It was a weird day. There were a ton of putts that we'd look at it and think is it a right edge or is it outside the edge," said North, who split $450,000 with Watson. "If we went outside, it didn't break. If it went edge, it broke too much. They're absolutely fantastic greens." Two teams tied for fourth at 27-under-par 189. Andy Bean and Jerry Pate fired a 10-under 62 to join John Cook and Joey Sindelar, who also shot 62, at 27- under.

  David Edwards and Bernhard Langer were three shots back of those teams at minus-24 after a final-round 66.

  04/27 17:49:22 ET