Sunday a Day of Rest in Jones’ Easy Victory

It was a Sunday stroll at Scottsdale, Ariz., for Steve Jones, who had done the hard work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Jones, who set tournament records for 18, 36 and 54 holes, added a 72-hole mark for the Phoenix Open, shooting a final-round 67 for a 26-under-par 258 that was 11 shots better than Jesper Parnevik.

It was Jones’ first title since the U.S. Open last year, and his putting was the key. He hit only 29 fairways--only eight on Sunday, when he saved par three times with putts of 15 feet or longer.

“I ought to bronze that thing when I’m done,” Jones said of his putter. “I mean, they were going in this week.”

His final score was one shot off the PGA Tour record of 257 set by Mike Souchak in the 1955 Texas Open. The victory margin was the widest on tour since Jose Maria Olazabal won the 1990 World Series of Golf by 12 strokes.

*

Raymond Floyd took eight skins, including one hole worth $140,000, in winning the Senior Skins Game for the fourth year in a row at Kohala Coast, Hawaii.

Floyd, who picked up $40,000 over the first nine holes on Saturday, earned $140,000 with a birdie on No. 10. His last $30,000 came from an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 11.

His $210,000 was $40,000 more than runner-up Jack Nicklaus, who earned $150,000 of his package with a birdie on the 15th hole.

Hale Irwin earned $160,000, and Lee Trevino, subbing for Arnold Palmer, who recently underwent cancer surgery, was shut out.

*

Ernie Els of South Africa made enough birdies that a final-hole bogey didn’t hurt him in winning the Johnnie Walker Classic by one stroke over Australian Peter Lonard and New Zealander Michael Long over the Links Course at Hope Island at Gold Coast, Australia.

Els started the day two shots behind, but fired a final-round 69 for a 10-under-par 278, the 20th of his professional career.