Rollins is surprising winner at Canadian Open

MARKHAM, Ontario (AP) _ Forty-five minutes before his winning putt, John Rollins was on the phone with his wife, telling her he probably would finish second or third. <br><br>He was soon calling back after

Monday, September 9th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MARKHAM, Ontario (AP) _ Forty-five minutes before his winning putt, John Rollins was on the phone with his wife, telling her he probably would finish second or third.

He was soon calling back after his startling victory at the Canadian Open, ``just to tell her it's crazy out here.''

Rollins didn't have any reason to believe he could make golf's third-oldest championship his first PGA Tour victory, not even after three straight birdies on the back nine, a clutch par save on the final hole and a bogey-free 65 on his card.

``I thought it was going to be a tie for second, a great week,'' he said.

After all, Neal Lancaster had a two-stroke lead and was in the fairway on the 18th hole Sunday at Angus Glen, needing only one good swing to sew up his second victory, and his first in eight years and 265 starts on the PGA Tour.

``Made a horrible swing,'' Lancaster said.

That's all it took for Angus Glen to become Carnoustie, for the '02 Canadian Open to turn into the '99 British Open.

Lancaster made one mistake after another and took double bogey on the 72nd hole to allow Rollins and Justin Leonard (69) into a three-way playoff at 16-under 272.

``I guess I know how Jean-Claude van Damme feels, or whatever his name is,'' Lancaster said. ``I blew the golf tournament. I gave it away on the final hole.''

That was typical of his day. He couldn't even get the name right.

It was Jean Van de Velde who played so brilliantly for 71 holes at Carnoustie until making a triple bogey on the 72nd hole to throw away the British Open.

The Canadian Open is not nearly as prestigious, but there were plenty of similarities.

_Lancaster played the best all week, just like Van de Velde.

``I blew the golf tournament,'' he said after a 72. ``I gave it away on the last hole.''

_Leonard made a bogey on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie by hitting into the Barry Burn. He made a bogey on the 72nd hole at Angus Glen by hitting it over the green, against the grandstand and taking a drop in thick rough. Just like then, he had the most credentials of the three guys in the playoff.

_Paul Lawrie was the surprise winner at Carnoustie, closing with a 67 to make up a 10-stroke deficit. Equally surprising was Rollins, who started the final round seven strokes behind. Neither of them will be remembered for their great final rounds, only the sad collapse from the leader.

``I'm sure somebody will figure out that I shot 66-65 on the weekend,'' Rollins said. ``No bogeys for 19 holes. I hope somebody looks back at that and sees how well I played.''

What they will remember is a horrific finish for Lancaster.

He had made only one bogey all week. He didn't have a three-putt.

His 6-iron into the 18th green was pulled so badly that it wound up 35 yards left of the intended target, in thick grass beyond a bunker.

``If it got in the bunker, I could have won the tournament,'' Lancaster said.

He's right. And if Van de Velde's 2-iron had not hit a rail on the grandstand and flew back over the burn ...

Lancaster chopped onto the green to about 40 feet down in a swale.

He had two putts to win.

His first stroke rolled quickly up the ridge and went 4 feet by the hole. Lancaster looked at the winning bogey putt from three directions, then pushed it to the right. Stunned, he bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

``The bottom line is I choked,'' he said. ``I told my caddie in the playoff hole, 'Give me a ball and give me a bullet.' I choked. I blew the golf tournament.''

The playoff ended quickly.

Lancaster hit another poor shot, this one into the bunker. He barely got it out, then lipped out his par putt from 25 feet. Leonard hit into the fringe about 50 feet from the cup, and his birdie putt finished 3 feet behind the hole.

``I was shaking in my boots,'' Rollins said.

He steadied himself long enough to send his 20-foot birdie putt on line. Rollins walked off to the side as the putt neared, then raised his arms and hugged his caddie when it fell.

Rollins earned $720,000, enough to make him a millionaire and qualify for the $5 million World Golf Championship in two weeks in Ireland.

Steve Flesch (70) and Greg Chalmers (71) tied for fourth, while Jeff Sluman made a par on the final hole for a 70, which earned him just enough money to qualify for Ireland.