LEMONT, Ill. -- Add the name of Russ Cochran, the Centel Western Open winner, to the list of shark-shooters.
It was not the single shot of Bob Tway or Larry Mize, or the last-hole heroics of Robert Gamez or David Frost, but Cochran's triumph over Greg Norman on a windy day was equally dramatic and every bit as much of an upset.
Cochran, one of the few left-handers on the PGA Tour, made up seven shots on Norman over the last eight holes yesterday and scored the first victory of his nine-year career with a closing 69 and a 275 total.
"A Jekyll and Hyde round," said Norman, who has been swimming in troubled waters for more than a year now. "I stubbed my toe a bit coming home."
It was something of an understatement.
He was 6-under for the first 10 holes. At that point, had a five-shot lead and appeared to be on his way to a slump-ending victory.
But it came apart in the strong winds that raked the Dubsdread course at Cog Hill.
He bogeyed four consecutive holes and five of the last six. He twice hit deep into bushes, took one unplayable lie and on another stalked out of the woods with leaves and twigs in his FTC hair. He hit one shot under a woman's purse.
He played the back nine in 40.
"I feel like I gave it away," said Norman, who shot 71 over the final 18 holes and was second at 277.
Fred Couples, seeking his second victory in as many weeks, was the victim of a lost ball and a double bogey on the 13th hole and finished third at 278. He had a final round of par 72 in the swirling winds.
a-denotes amateur
Russ Cochran, $180,000...66-72-68-69275 Greg Norman, $108,000 ...69-66-71-71277 Fred Couples, $68,000 ...70-68-68-72278 Bob Gilder, $48,000 .....70-71-70-70281 D.A. Weibring, $32,750 ..71-72-73-66282 John Huston, $32,750.....72-70-71-69282 Nick Price, $32,750......71-71-70-70282 Kenny Knox, $32,750......73-69-70-70282 Dave Barr, $32,750.......70-74-68-70282 Gary Hallberg, $32,750...67-71-70-74282 Jim Gallagher, $22,000...76-67-69-71283 Lee Janzen, $22,000......67-71-73-72283 Mike Springer, $22,000...70-70-68-75283 Andrew Magee, $22,000....69-69-70-75283 Bruce Lietzke, $17,000...71-72-71-70284 John Daly, $17,000... ...69-73-71-71284 Chip Beck, $17,000... ...68-73-72-71284 Howard Twitty, $14,000...70-71-73-71285 Billy Andrade, $14,000...70-74-69-72285 Ronnie Black, $14,000....72-74-65-74285 Jim McGovern, $9,133.....72-74-71-69286 Scott Simpson, $9,133....71-73-71-71286
