Wiebe wins Carolina play-off

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June 13, 2011

Mark Wiebe “felt bad” about missing out on his induction into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on Sunday night.

But it was all for a good cause.

The 52-year-old Denver resident couldn’t make it because he was too busy winning a tournament – in this case the Champions Tour’s Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn G & S in North Carolina

And his decision to stay and play was indeed a good one for it helped him break a three-year, 77-tournament winless drought when he holed a par putt late on Sunday afternoon after a weather delay to win at the third extra hole of his play-off duel with James Mason, who unexpectedly missed from four feet to keep himself in the race

“It was tough, because I wanted to be there. It’s a great honor to be elected into the golf hall of fame in Colorado,” Wiebe said.

“But I work for a living; this is what I do. I never thought about not going. I just didn’t know how to say it a nice way and maybe ask, ‘Why didn’t you have the dinner on a Monday?’ ”

The 53-year-old Wiebe, who shot a 7-under-par 65, birdied the 18th hole along with Mason to finish with a tournament-record 19-under total that moved them past clubhouse leader Fred Funk, who had closed with a spectacular 62, but had to be happy with to tie for third with Chip Beck (66).

Loren Roberts (65) and Nick Price (66) tied for fifth, two shots back and Jeff Sluman (67) finished alone in seventh, three back.

Top 10 leaderboard

197 Mark Wiebe 64 68 65 (won at third play-off hole), James Mason 67 65 65

198 Chip Beck 67 65 66, Fred Funk 69 67 62

199 Loren Roberts 67 67 65, Nick Price (Zim) 67 66 66

200 Jeff Sluman 66 67 67

201 Kenny Perry 66 73 62, Mark O’Meara 65 67 69, Jim, jr. Gallagher 68 66 67, Corey Pavin 70 65 66, David Eger 65 69 67, Tommy Armour III 64 67 70, Bob Tway 63 67 71

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