It took Mickey Tettleton more than 10 years of playing Celebrity Tour golf to win his first individual title. He couldn't have achieved it in much better fashion.
Tettleton, a hard-hitting catcher who played 14 years in the majors, ripped a 9-iron shot to 2½ feet on the 18th hole yesterday to make birdie and capture the San Diego Classic, presented by Stan Humphries, at the Morgan Run Resort in Rancho Santa Fe.
What made the $10,000 victory sweeter was that Tettleton's playing partner for the day was perennial celebrity power Rick Rhoden, who happens to be one of Tettleton's best friends.
“I know that Rick wanted to win, but he might have been happier for me than he would have been for himself,” said Tettleton, whose final round of even-par 7I earned him the title at 3-under 139.
Rhoden, who has won more than 50 celebrity events, including the Humphries four times, shot 73 and tied for second at 140 with former NHL goalie Grant Fuhr (69).
Tettleton, 47, who hit 30 homers in a season four times while playing for Oakland, Baltimore, Detroit and Texas, has been playing on the Celebrity Tour for more than a decade and estimates he's competed in more than 100 tournaments. He'd won one title, in a team competition.
“It's unbelievable,” he said of finally breaking through. “It's kind of hard to describe. I was awfully nervous on the 18th tee.”
Tettleton had drawn even with Rhoden with a birdie on the par-5 16th hole, where Rhoden hit into the front bunker in two shots and couldn't get up and down for birdie.
Tettleton barely missed a birdie on 17, and then on the 153-yard 18th, he chose a 9-iron. “I just wanted to hit something hard,” he said.
His shot landed only a couple of feet from the hole, and when Rhoden hit to 20 feet and missed the putt, Tettleton had a straight and easy uphill putt to win.
“I couldn't hit that putt fast enough,” Tettleton said. “It was fun.”
Tettleton said it was Rhoden who encouraged him to join the Celebrity Tour years ago. Their families are close and vacation together, and Tettleton said he enjoyed the final round more because caddying for Rhoden was his wife, Liz.
“They are Uncle Rick and Aunt Lizzie to our kids,” Tettleton said.
Tettleton had caddied several times for Rhoden, including twice in the Senior PGA, a Champions Tour major.
“It's a lot more demanding (on the Champions Tour),” Tettleton said, “than what we're doing out here, trust me.”
Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
