Golf: Haas follows in his father's footsteps in Hope Classic

NINE-TIME PGA Tour winner Jay Haas saw son Bill win the Bob Hope Classic 22 years after he did – and predicted he will not want to lose the winning feeling.

Bill Haas followed in his father's footsteps as he claimed his first PGA Tour title at the 90th hole in Palm Springs, California.

Jay Haas, 56, who won the 1988 Bob Hope Classic, the tour's only annual five-round event, paid a surprise trip to the PGA West's Palmer course having played in the opening Champions Tour event of the season in Hawaii on Sunday.

He arrived to see his 27-year-old son two-putt from 27 feet for a final-round 64 to win by a stroke at 30 under par from Tim Clark, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson.

"It's somewhat of a monkey to get that first win," Jay Haas said. "I think Bill came out (on tour) with some great expectations from a lot of people but especially of his own. But it's tough out here, there's a deep field every week and now that he's tasted winning I think he'll like it and want to do it again and again.

"I told him he'd be nervous but you'd much rather be nervous on those last few holes with a chance to win as opposed to being in 50th place or in the car, already gone from the event."