Rutledge hits career low score of 62 Sunday

It was the low tournament round of Jim Rutledge’s long professional career, a bogey- free nine- under 62 that vaulted the Victoria native up the leaderboard at the Champions Tour Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, Calif. Naturally, it came on a Sunday. It seems Rutledge always saves his best for his last round. If he could ever bring his Sunday game to Fridays and Saturdays, he would be a force to be reckoned with on the 50- and- over circuit.

Rutledge birdied half the holes he played in Sunday’s final round at Newport Beach Country Club and moved from a tie for 51st, where he started the day, into a tie for eighth at eight- under par. It’s his first top10 finish on the Champions Tour since June of 2011.

In three full years on the Champions Tour, Rutledge has never been lower than fourth in final- round scoring average. He was fourth in 2012, when he averaged 69.22 on Sunday, first in 2011 ( 69.0), and third in his rookie year in 2010 ( 69.14).

“I don’t know what it is,” Rutledge said over the phone of his propensity to go low on Sundays. “It was just an all- around good round of golf and I’m very, very happy with it.”

His 62 on Sunday was the low round of the tournament and as far as Rutledge can remember the best of his professional life.

“Don’t think I’ve ever gone lower,” said Rutledge, who earned $ 44,300 on Sunday.

South African David Frost was the runaway winner of the Toshiba Classic with a 54- hole total of 19- under par, five shots better than runner- up Fred Couples.

Rutledge was not the only Vancouver Island resident to have a good Sunday. Former B. C. Junior champion Riley Wheeldon of Comox won a NGA Pro Golf Tour event in North Augusta, S. C.

Wheeldon fired a two- under 70 Sunday to finish the 72- hole Kandy Walters Memorial Classic at fourunder par. That was good for a one- shot win over Americans Brian Richey and Patton Kizzire. Wheeldon, who won the 2009 B. C. Junior Boys title at Pitt Meadows Golf Club, earned $ 30,500 for his first pro win.