European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 17, 1990the stars and stripes a a a Page 23graf rips Sanchez claims title Amelia Island Fla. Apr Steffi Graf showed us How much a broken right thumb has affected her Tennis game a not at All. The world s top ranked woman player blitzed a Mixa Sanchez Vicario 6-1, 6-0 sunday to win the Amelia Island Bausch amp lomb championships. That removed any lingering doubt that she s recovered from a february skiing Accident that sidelined her for two months ,. A you May Slop talking about it said Graf whose comeback had drawn mixed reviews because of her inconsistency in earlier matches. After beginning the tournament with two easy victories she struggled in the quarterfinals and semifinals against Carling Bassett Seguso and Natalia Zvereva. A to win on Clay against a Clay court player like Arantha 6-1. 6-love is pretty Good a Graf said. A for me. It s remarkable. After knowing i did no to play Well earlier pm  Graf dominated the first meeting Between the two on Clay since the 1989 French open final. She avenged a loss to Sanchez Vicario in that tourney which had Cost her a second straight grand  wins in playoff Hilton head Island . Apr Payne Stewart birdied two playoff holes to beat Larry Mize and Steve Jones sunday and become the first Winner of consecutive heritage classics. Stewart who started the Day 2 strokes in front nearly had a Hole in one on no. 17, the first playoff Hole. Mize made an 8-foot Birdie putt before Stewart tapped in. Jones fell out of the playoff when he pushed his tee shot into the crowd on the right of the Green and had no Chance for a Birdie. Stewart who struggled to a Par 71, won the tournament with a 30-foot Birdie putt on the Par-4, 484-Yard 18th. Mize just missed a 20-foot putt for Birdie giving Stewart his first playoff Victory in six tries. Mize is 1-2 in playoffs. Stewart Mize and Jones finished regulation at 8-under 276 at the 6,657-Yard town Golf links. Quot it s very special a Stewart said. A i m very pleased with the Way i played. 1 did no to make any putts All Day Long and then All of a sudden Boom  Stewart picked up $180,000 for his first pea tour Victory this year and his sixth Overall. Stewart and Jones playing in the final twosome had a Chance to win on the 18th, but both missed Birdie opportunities. Stewarts 17-foot putt Slid by the Hole then Jones pulled his 4-footer. Mize playing three twosome in front of Stewart and Jones birdied the final two holes to earn his spot in the playoff a the first at the heritage since 1985. Jones shot a 69 with three birdies and one bogey on a sunny Day. Mize who was 5 strokes Down after three rounds had a 66. He had eight birdies but stumbled to a double bogey on the 14th after bog eying the 13th. Then Mize got hot making birdies on three of the final four holes. Greg Norman the 1988 heritage Champion finished at 277 with Steve a ale both Norman who had a 70, and Fate who shot 68, had a Chance to get into the playoff. Normans approach at 18 found the re us a using a Sand wedge Norman lifted his Birdie attempt onto the Green and it rolled dead an Inch from the Hole. As the shot came up Short Norman fell Back on the grass in disbelief. Pale had a Birdie putt lip out on the a in that would have pulled him to 8-under. The Victory Here Worth $70,000, was the 47ih of grass career and extended her winning Streak to 57 matches. Graf who Hadnot won at Amelia Island since 1987. Struggled with her normally lethal forehand against Bassett Seguso and Zvereva but had full command of All her shots against Sanchez Vicario. A i hit More intelligently was More patient and did no to make Many easy mistakes a said Graf who had 18 winners to just one for Sanchez Vicario. A a that a the Way 1 have to play the Way i usually play Quot she added. A i was prepared for a much tougher  Graf broke the Spanish player to Lead 3-1 in the first set and needed Only 47 minutes to win the next nine games and the match. Sanchez Vicario won just eight Points in the second set and had few opportunities to attack Graf the Way she did Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals. Sanchez Vicario eliminated Sabatini the defending Champion and no. 2 seed in straight sets with aggressive net play. But Graf forced her to slay on the Baseline and set the tone for the match by holding serve in Payne Stewart celebrates his three Way playoff Victory in the heritage classic. The first game at Tovac. "1 was trying to play my game but every time 1 tried to do something she hit a great  said Sanchez Vicario ranked no. 5. She could have jumped to no. 3 by beating Graf Quot she played  Sanchez Vicario added. A in the quarterfinals and semifinals she made a lot of mistakes. She did t do that  Amelia Island is one of the rare tourney titles that had eluded Graf since she become no. 1 in August 1987. Sabatini beat her in the semifinals Here two Sears ago and in the final in 1989. The Triumph improved the West German s career record to 6-1 against Sanchez Vicario including a 3-0 Mark since the French open defeat. The other victories were on grass or synthetic surfaces faster surfaces normally favouring Graf. The Day Wasny to a Complete loss for Sanchez Vicario. However. She rested for an hour then teamed with Mercedes Paz to win the doubles championship 7-6 75. 6-4 Over Regina Raj Chertova and Andrea  pours but player hangs on Palm Beach gardens. Fla apr gars1 player survived two rain delays and a late double bogey sunday and coasted to his third pea seniors championship As an anticipated shootout among Hall of Farmers fizzled. Player had More trouble with Mother nature than with his playing partners. Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trev Ino in winning this event for the third time in five years. His previous wins came in 1986 and 1988. Player outlasted both delays the last of them for 1 hour and 20 minutes that threatened to delay overnight the completion of the tournament. At that Point it was nothing but a formality anyway. The Only question was not who would win but whether they could finish before darkness. It was almost completely dark and it was drizzling when player. Nicklaus and Trevino together in the final group on the champions course at pea National putted out then quickly scattered to meet far Flung commitments. Player 54. Won by 2 strokes with an unchallenged 73 Over the drawn out final round. He gained his 15th senior Lour Victory and first of the year with a 7-under 281. Despite a Lead that ranged up to 6 shots most of the Stormy Day it was not All that easy for player a even with 4 strokes in hand and Only three holes to go when the Iasi weather interruption ended. Player squandered two of those shots in a Pond by the 16th Green made double bogey and saw his Lead halved. But he brought it Home from there. Neither Nicklaus nor Trevino could generate a move in what appeared to be a Battle of nerves in the Early going and turned the anticipated struggle among three giants of the game into a mass of mistakes. "1 know they say they were playing the course but maybe they were going at each other a Chi Chi Rodriguez said. Even player was not exempt from those Early embarrassing problems. He 3-Putlcd from 2 feel on the second Hole. Nicklaus missed from 3 feet on the same Hole failed from Only slightly longer Range on the next and hit into the water on the sixth. Rodriguez shot a final round 66 and claimed second alone at 283. Nicklaus and Trevino tied for third at 285