Ray Stewart
Not Quite The Finish He'd Hoped For
(August 27/07)

From: The BC Golf News

Ray Stewart survived a 10-player playoff just to earn the right to play in the Champions Tour Boeing Classic on Monday last. But when Sunday rolled around he would have preferred taking part in the record seven-player playoff that ultimately decided the championship.

After all, the 53-year-old from Abbotsford, British Colombia led by two shots after the opening round Friday, increased it to four through 36 holes and at one point early into Sunday's final round had a five-stroke lead before embarking on a roller coaster ride that saw him finish one shot behind the seven players who tied for first.

"It's tough to win. The emotions that grab a hold of you," said Denis Watson of Zimbabwe, who birdied the first playoff hole, then sank an eagle putt on the second hole to gain his second victory of the season. "People who haven't done it don't understand it."

Ray Stewart, is still in that position.

Perhaps the tournament's sentimental favorite, Stewart had emerged from out of near obscurity on Friday playing in the final grouping of the day and finishing with a six-under par 66 for a two shot lead after many of the spectators had left the course. Then Saturday, playing part of the day in rain, he quietly increased his lead to four strokes with a four-under 68.

Commenting on his role as the tournament leader, Stewart smiled as he commented: “It's pretty cool. To have my son on the bag is even cooler. Now, it will be really, really cool if I can say the same thing Sunday night.”

Stewart, a long time member at LEDGEVIEW GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB whose second career is that of selling specialized medical equipment, began Sunday's round with only his second bogey of the tournament on the fourth hole, but a birdie on No. seven got him back to10-under par and even moved him into a five shot lead. A bogey at 10 cost him the lead again and despite a birdie on 13 he was not alone at the top of the leaderboard.

Playing in the final group and trailing Watson by one, Stewart four-putted the par-five 15th green for double bogey. However, he kept his cool and quickly rebounded with a birdie on 16. Then on the par-three 17th he inadvertently matched Watson by knocking his 5-iron shot into the water left of the green. "I wasn't even aiming at the pin," said Stewart.

The Canadian Tour veteran continued to show remarkable poise by birdying the final hole, but finished with a two-over 74 and one shot out of the playoff. He was trying to become the first Monday qualifier in Champions Tour history to win a tournament wire-to-wire. Only 10 qualifiers have ever won a tour event, most recent was Pete Oakley at the 2004 Senior British Open. "I feel like quitting. Probably not going to,".

"I've been around a long time," said he soft spoken Stewart, whose Canadian peers with PGA Tour experience include British Columbians Dave Barr, the only Canadian with a Champions Tour victory, Richard Zokol and Jim Nelford. "But we haven't had a lot of guys from Canada on the PGA Tour."

Stewart had gone 13 months between his previous Champions appearance and this one, failing to qualify in five other Monday events this season. In fact, the only two victories of his career came as a member of the Canadian Tour in 1999.

A former PGA Tour player with a combined 209 combined starts on the PGA and Champions tours, Stewart was a full-time member from 1987 to 1991, posting runner-up finishes at the Chattanooga Classic and Bank of Boston Classic in 1987. He tried Champions Tour qualifying school last fall, but all that effort got him was the chance to play in Monday qualifying tournaments. He became the second Monday qualifier to lead or share the lead in an event this year, joining another Canadian, Rod Spittle, who tied for the lead at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open last month in Endicott, N.Y.

With his win, Denis Watson earned a cheque for $240,000, increased his season earnings to $1,289,243 and moved into fourth place on the 2007 money list.

For Stewart, a cheque for $45,866.66 US will help pay for some of his traveling expenses, including heading for Carmel and another Monday qualifying opportunity to play in this week's Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Wgat a difference one less stroke might have made.

Champions Tour Boeing Classic – Snoqualmie, WA

Top 10
T1 T18 David Eger, USA – 72 69 66 –- 207
T1 T11 Joe Ozaki, Japan - 71 69 67 -- 207
T1 T6 R.W. Eaks. USA - 71 68 68 -- 207
T1 T6 Dana Quigley, USA - 69 70 68 -- 207
*T1 T2 Denis Watson, Zim. - 69 69 69 -- 207
T1 T2 Gil Morgan, USA - 68 70 69 -- 207
T1 T6 Craig Stadler, USA - 74 65 68 -- 207
T8 T11 Andy Bean, USA - 69 71 68 -- 208
T8 T6 Jerry Pate, USA - 68 71 69 -- 208
T8 1 Ray Stewart, Can - 66 68 74 -- 208