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Roberts gets first Champions win of the year

Sun 29th, June 2008

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts shot a three-under 68 on Sunday to hang on and collect his first Champions Tour victory of the year at the Commerce Bank Championship.

Roberts bogeyed the last, but it got him in at 12-under 201 at the Red Course at Eisenhower Park. He won the event by a single stroke for his eighth title on the elder circuit.

2007 champion Lonnie Nielsen shot a 66 and tied for second place with Nick Price, who fired a 65 on Sunday. The pair finished at 11-under 202.

Jeff Sluman, who trumped Roberts last Sunday at the Bank of America Championship, bogeyed 18 for a five-under 66. He shared fourth place with Gene Jones (67) at minus-10.

Roberts needed a late flurry on Saturday to get the second-round lead, but promptly coughed it up on Sunday. He bogeyed the first hole for the second consecutive round, but got the stroke back at the par-five third. Roberts nearly holed a 20-foot eagle putt, but the ball lipped out and he settled for birdie.

On the front nine, Roberts made several pars and others, like Price, Sluman and David Eger assumed the top spot on the leaderboard.

Roberts was waiting to move back into first.

He birdied the ninth to join the lead at 10-under par, but fell behind when Eger made birdie at No. 10. Roberts drove into the right rough at 11, but knocked his approach to two feet. He tapped that in to move into a tie for the lead with Eger.

The par-five 12th hole became pivotal. Eger missed the green long and left with his second and made bogey. Roberts birdied the same hole and found himself two clear of the field.

Late on the back nine, Price and Nielsen started making birdies. Price appeared to be out of it after a bogey at the par-three 13th, but he ran off three straight birdies from the 14th, holing putts from all over the greens.

He saved par from a bunker at the last to get in at minus-11.

Nielsen, who triumphed over Roberts in 2007, was bogey-free on Sunday and when his 14-footer at the 17th fell, he was one back. Nielsen had a decent look at birdie from 26 feet at the last, but left it short.

Armed with a one-stroke lead, Roberts missed makeable birdie tries at 15 and 16. Since 18 was playing as one of the most difficult holes for the week, Roberts last real birdie chance would be at the par-five 17th.

He did not give himself a great look, but somehow drained a 30-footer for birdie to take a two-shot lead to 18.

Roberts drove into the deep rough at the last and chopped a hybrid-club out for his second. Unfortunately, the ball ran through the fairway into more rough. Roberts pitched his third onto the green, but the ball checked up 30 feet short of the stick.

Roberts, dubbed "The Boss of the Moss" for his putting prowess, lagged his par putt two feet past. He kicked in the bogey putt for his first win after many close calls this year.

In 14 starts in 2008, Roberts had three runner-up finishes, including a playoff loss at the AT&T Champions Classic and last week to Sluman.

Now it's time to rest.

"I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks off here," admitted Roberts, who pocketed $240,000 for the victory. "We've got some majors coming up, some Opens."

Tim Simpson (67), Mike Goodes (68) and Scott Simpson (69) shared sixth place at minus-nine. Andy Bean (68), Mark McNulty (69), Fulton Allem (69) and David Eger (70) tied for ninth at eight-under 205.

Where the players come to play and STAY.