By Tom Wuckovich

Relatively unknown golfer Bob Gilder surprised a marquee field in last year’s edition of the Senior PGA tour Verizon Classic at the Tournament Players Club of Tampa Bay. With a final round of 4-under-par 67, the cross-handed putting Gilder won his first (Senior PGA Tour) event.

Gilder will be among the top senior golfers who will once again compete in the annual tournament scheduled for the TPC from February 11-17, 2002. Specially priced discount tickets are available at all AAA Auto Club South branch offices. And if you buy your Verizon tickets at any branch location before February 8, you’ll be eligible for a Grand Prize drawing that includes a 2-night stay at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa. Second Prize is an Airway 3-piece tapestry luggage set valued at $169.95. Third Prize is a beach collection (umbrella, beach chair, cooler, lunch bag and towel.)

This year’s event promises to be as exciting and well-attended as last year’s. This will be the 15th time the tourney has been staged in Tampa, and last February the Classic drew crowds totaling 148,000. The largest crowd was Sunday, as 55,000 came in for the final round. Nearly 42,000 on the first day were pleasantly surprised when Jack Nicklaus ended the day atop the leader board. Nicklaus relinquished the lead to Hale Irwin, who began the final round with a two-stroke lead, but couldn’t hold off Gilder, whose magnificent short game proved to be the difference during the final 18 holes. Had Irwin won the Verizon Classic instead of finishing 3-under and tied for ninth, he would have secured his record 30th Senior Tour victory.

This year’s winner will take home a $225,000 check out of a total purse of $1.5 million. The tournament contributes its proceeds to Tampa Bay Reads, a supporter of literacy programs.