Del Webb Father/Son Challenge: Final-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR Staff CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla. -- Team Nelson's winning score of 60-60--120 (-24) marks the third consecutive year that score earned its bearers the Willie Park Trophy. The margin of victory is the largest since Larry and Drew Nelson won by three and it makes Larry Nelson the second father to win with two different sons, joining Raymond Floyd, who won three consecutive with Ray Jr. and two consecutive with Robert.  Bernhard Langer and son Stefan tied for ninth in their quest for a three-peat. (Ebenhack/AP)
• WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR: Along with the Willie Park belts and the $200,000 check that goes to the winning team, another benefit to winning the Del Webb Father/Son Challenge is an invitation to return the following year to what is becoming the most popular Challenge Season event. That means barring injury or other unforeseen happenings, Team Nelson will be back as defending champions in 2008, albeit with a different look. Drew Nelson, who teamed with his dad to win the 2004 title, will return. • PAGING EA SPORTS. THIS IS A VIDEO GAME SCORE: For the second consecutive year, Team Tway (Bob and son Kevin) put on a furious rally -- one that bears more of a resemblance to a video game than to reality -- only to come up a tad short. After an opening-round 63 that left them three shots behind Team Nelson, the Tways reeled off an amazing string of golf. Dating to the 13th hole Saturday, the Tways went 21 under par over their last 31 holes to catch the Nelsons. But a missed eagle putt on the par-5 16th and a par on the par-3 17th -- along with an eagle by the Nelsons on No. 16 -- ended their chances of catching the Nelsons, who began the day three shots ahead of the Tways. The largest comeback in event history was four shots, by Ray and Robert Floyd, who began the final round four shots behind Hale and Steve Irwin in 2001. • NO DEFENSE HERE: After blowing through ChampionsGate the last two years with back-to-back 59-61--120s, Team Langer (Bernhard and son Stefan) finally ran out of gas in their quest for the second three-peat in event history. The Langers followed Saturday's 64 with a 63 (-17), winding up 10th and ending their chances of joining Raymond and Ray Floyd Jr. (1995-97). • THE 59 CLUB: Yes, there's more to the Tways than meets the scorecard. Their 59 was the 16th 59 carded in event history and the only one in 2007. • GREAT DEBUT/TOUGH ENDING: The dominant performance by Team Nelson not only nipped Team Tway's quest for its first Del Webb Father/Son Challenge title in the bud, but drew the curtain on an auspicious debut for Team Duval (David and stepson Deano Karavites). With their final-round score of 66, the winner of the 2001 British Open -- who played in only seven events in 2007 -- has himself the springboard to a rejuvenated game in 2008. Team Duval's debut resulted in a 17-under 126 total and a tie for ninth. • MOVIN' ON UP: One of the feel-good stories of the week came from 78-year-old Arnold Palmer and grandson Sam Saunders, who enjoyed their best finish in their five-year history in the event. Behind the prodigious length and the maturing game of Saunders -- a Clemson sophomore -- Palmer and Saunders followed their opening-round 62 with a 63 to finish tied for sixth. Their previous best finish in the event was 12th-place finishes in 2003 and 2004. • NOTICE THAT WE'VE IMPROVED?: Also moving up with a career best finish in the event was Team Zoeller (Fuzzy and daughter Gretchen). Playing in their second Del Webb Father/Son Challenge, the Zoellers not only joined the 59 Club on Saturday, but improved on their debut 18th-place finish in 2005 with a tie for 14th in 2007 with rounds of 65-65--130. • SO HAVE WE: Also enjoying a fine comeback was Team Strange (Curtis and son Thomas), who followed up 2006's tie for 12th with a tie for fourth. The tandem finished with a back-nine 29 for a 63 and a two-round total of 19-under 125. • KEEP AN EYE ON: Team O'Meara (Mark and son Shaun), who also closed with a back-nine 29 en route to a second consecutive 62 and the tandem's second third-place finish in three years. • DIDN'T YOU DO THIS LAST YEAR?: For the second straight year, Team Irwin (Hale and son Steve) found Sunday's final round more to their liking than Saturday's opening round. This time, they parlayed a back-nine 28 into a final-round 61 that followed up their opening-round 67. In 2006, Team Irwin carded Sunday's lone 59, which came after an opening-round 65. • IT'S NICKLAUSIAN: Once again, Team Nicklaus (Jack and son Gary) put on another memorable show for the crowds at ChampionsGate. In Gary's first Del Webb Father/Son Challenge since he and his dad captured the 1999 title, the pair carded rounds of 66-62 to finish tied for 11th. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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