O'Meara wins British Open in playoff

CSULB Alumnus takes second major

July 23,1998

LONDON (AP) - Just like he had done three months earlier when he won the Masters Tournament, Long Beach State alumnus Mark O'Meara raised his arms in victory after he defeated Brian Watts in a four-hole playoff to win the British Open on Sunday.

O'Meara is the first player to win the British Open and the Masters in the same year since Nick Faldo in 1990. And at 41, he became the oldest player to win two major titles in one year.

Watts, a 32-year-old from Oklahoma who plays on the Japanese tour, forced the four-hole playoff by saving par with a spectacular chip shot from a deep bunker to within tap-in distance on the final hole.

O'Meara remained steady and didn't falter in the playoff. He birdied the 15th and made par on the final three holes.

Unable to duplicate his last miracle shot from the bunker, Watts two-putted the 18th for bogey.

In 1980, O'Meara graduated from Long Beach State with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He competed on the 49er golf team from 1976-79.

If O'Meara can win the PGA Championship next month, he will be the first player to win three majors in a year since Ben Hogan in 1953.

Darren Friedel contributed to this story.