FanHouse John Cook

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) -- Jay Haas charged past Tom Watson to win the Senior Players Championship by a stroke, birdieing the 18th hole Sunday to match the course record with a 6-under 64 in the final Champions Tour major of the season.

The 60-year-old Watson was tying to become the oldest major winner on the 50-and-over tour. But after making only one bogey in the first three rounds at Baltimore Country Club, he had three in the final round en route to a 70.

Haas finished at 13-under 267 for his third senior major title. He has 14 career Champions Tour victories, also winning the Greater Hickory Classic two weeks ago.

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) -- Tom Watson is feeling good and likes his golf game these days.

The 60-year-old Watson celebrated his one-year anniversary from successful left hip surgery by shooting a 6-under 64 and building a four-stroke lead Saturday at the Senior Players Championship.

Watson, bidding to become the oldest major winner on the Champions Tour, attacked the Baltimore Country Club course and put together a bogey-free round- he's made only one during the tournament-with six birdies to finish at 12-under 198 and four shots clear of Loren Roberts (65), John Cook (65) and Mark Wiebe (66).

Watson nearly won the British Open back in July, but a balky putter on the 72nd hole cost him the Claret jug. Now, Watson said he's more confident on the greens and, three months removed from his dramatic performance at Turnberry, happy about his play.

The PGA suffered a similarly embarrassing fate to NASCAR today, when the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was canceled to due to inclement weather conditions.

As a result, Dustin Johnson, the leader through 54 holes, was handed a big, shiny trophy, a hefty paycheck, and a free ticket to the 2009 Masters. The tournament's final round was originally postponed to Monday, but the rain picked up again this morning and forced Tour officials to cancel the final round.

Tiger Woods is coming. The when and where are still to be determined, but the propaganda machine is, with each passing day, gearing up in anticipation of the inevitable.

Usually, when athletes return from an eight-month layoff brought on by serious injury, the expectations are dampened. In Tiger's case, it's just the opposite. Part of me thinks it's all some elaborate PR plan to intimidate his opponents even before he tees it up. But there's also the very real possibility that Woods is better now than ever because that seems like something he'd do. Just to be spiteful.