Toledo wins Insperity Championship, tops Goodes in playoff for first title

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Esteban Toledo won the Insperity Championship in his ninth start on the Champions Tour.

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Associated Press 

Series: Champions Tour

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Esteban Toledo celebrated Cinco de Mayo by becoming the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history, beating Mike Goodes with a par on the third hole of a playoff Sunday in the Insperity Championship. 

The 50-year-old Toledo, making his ninth start on the 50-and-over tour, eagled the opening hole and finished with a 5-under 67 to match Goodes and Gene Sauers at 6-under 210 at The Woodlands Country Club. 

Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when Mexican troops defeated a French army of Napoleon III, then considered the mightiest military in the world. 

"It's a special day for me," Toledo said. "It's a holiday and it's just winning on that day is the most incredible thing I've ever done, because winning on the Champions Tour, it's hard. I have dreams and goals in my life that I was going to win on the Champions Tour, and I think I'm going to keep winning. I believe in myself that I can go up there and win again and again and again." 

Toledo gave a lot of credit to caddie Larry Dittman. 

"Yeah, Larry Dittman really helped me in the playoff to stay focused on the game and kept telling me to finish your swing," Toledo said. "Obviously, I've been working with my coach but my caddie really, really got me in the game." 

Goodes shot a 72, and Sauers -- eliminated on the second playoff hole with a double bogey-- had a 74. 

Toledo, seven strokes behind Sauers entering the round, earned $270,000 for his second victory in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He also won the Web.com Tour's 2005 Lake Erie Charity Classic. 

"I felt great this morning," Toledo said. "I told my wife that I was going to go out and shoot a 66 and catch up with them. And I shoot 67. I guess that was good enough, but I was very focused on the game all day long." 

The three players parred the first extra hole on the par-4 18th. Sauers dropped out on the second playoff hole -- also on the 18th -- after hitting his second shot into the water behind the green. 

Toledo and Goodes went to the par-4 17th, and Toledo won with a tap-in par after Goodes missed a 5-footer. 

"I played really good today," Goodes said. "I made four bogeys and never hit a bad shot." 

Sauers had a triple bogey on the par-5 15th, the easiest hole in the tournament and one that he birdied in the first two rounds. 

"I hit a bad chip shot and three-putted," Sauers said. "I gave the greens a little too much respect, thinking they were really fast, gave them too much respect and left it way short." 

The three-time PGA Tour winner rebounded with a birdie on the par-3 16th to regain a share of the lead. 

Toledo had a chance to pull ahead on the final hole, but his 20-foot birdie putt curved away at the last instant. 

Mark Calcavecchia and Loren Roberts tied for fourth at 3 under. Calcavecchia shot 69, and Roberts had a 72. 

Bernhard Langer kept the top spot in the Charles Schwab Cup points race. He closed with a 72 to tie for 25th at 5 over. Fred Funk, the 2012 winner, also finished 5 over after a 70.

Pair of Picks

Posted Aug 8, 2008

By Kristen Deahl



Fabian Washington's two interceptions made for a stellar debut for the new Raven.


In what ended up being a tight victory in Baltimore’s first preseason contest, cornerback Fabian Washington intercepted passes from two Patriots quarterbacks in the first half.

It was certainly an auspicious showing for one of the newest Ravens.

“I played pretty good, but I still feel like I can do better,” Washington said of his performance. “With this defense and this pass rush, there are a lot more picks to come.”

Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez, the two quarterbacks who saw time for New England in the first half, did not escape Washington’s statement-making debut with the Ravens’ renowned defense.

His first interception came against Cassel with 6:37 left in the first half. The Patriots had a first-and-10 opportunity at the Baltimore 33-yard line, but Washington capitalized on an errant throw and interrupted the intended connection between the quarterback and wide receiver Chad Jackson.

Washington caught the pass at Baltimore’s 21-yard line and returned it 2 yards before he was brought down.

“The first [interception] was underthrown by the quarterback,” Washington said. “He threw it behind the receiver and I was right there.”

But Washington’s work was not done for the night.

With time expiring in the second period, he capitalized on another error by a different quarterback. Gutierrez intended to hit receiver Matthew Slater in a second-and-10 situation at the Baltimore 22-yard line with 12 seconds left on the clock. Washington was waiting on the 9-yard line for his second pick of the game.

“On the second [interception], the quarterback just telegraphed it,” said Washington. “He was looking at me the whole way. As soon as I saw the receiver break I just cut underneath him.”

Typical post-play celebration of high-fives or chest bumps was not sufficient praise for Washington’s declaratory performance. After his second interception, fellow cornerback Corey Ivy, all of 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, hoisted the slightly larger Washington (5-11, 180) onto his shoulders and carried him off the field.

The Patriots finished the game with 15 points and 236 total offensive yards, but the first-half Baltimore defense held New England to only three points and 85 yards.

Because of his two interceptions and two tackles, Washington was a key contributor to that strong effort.

“Anytime you can do something like that, you have one heck of a defense,” Washington said about the defense’s first-half play. “I know when we watch film on Friday, we’ll see all we can improve on. But right now it feels good.”

This is Washington’s fourth season in the NFL, but first with the Ravens, who acquired him through a draft-day trade with the Oakland Raiders in April of 2008. The Raiders made him the 23rd-overall selection in 2005.

After a strong training camp where he was able to participate in more reps due to the absence of Chris McAlister (injury) and Samari Rolle (personal), Washington was eager to prove his mettle in a live game situation.

“It just feels good to finally play football again,” Washington said of his performance. “You only get one chance to make a first impression, so I felt like I had to go out and make an impact for my first time as a Raven.”

Washington owns five career interceptions, and he matched his regular season single game high interception count of two.

“I guess Fabian Washington is worth that fourth-rounder Ozzie [Newsome] gave up,” said defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. “It was good to see him show what he can do.”