John Mahaffey recognized that final-round feeling in his stomach yesterday. Though it had been a long time since he'd experienced that feeling, he knew what it was right away.

"It's that struggle to control your emotions when you're in contention," Mahaffey said. "I haven't been there in quite a while, and I think that made it tough."

Starting the day just one shot off the lead at 10-under par, Mahaffey fired a somewhat disappointing round of 70 to finish in a three-way tie for second place (12-under) with Doug Tewell and Bobby Wadkins at the Greater Baltimore Classic.

Though he didn't make a bogey all day, he carded only two birdies and finished one shot behind his friend J.C. Snead, who made a 10-foot downhill putt put on the last hole to win the event.

"I was really proud of J.C.," Mahaffey said. "That was a hell of a putt. If I couldn't win, I'm glad he did. ... I just wasn't aggressive enough with my putter today."

Some of that, he said, was nerves. Mahaffey's tie for second was his best finish on the Senior PGA Tour since he won the 1999 Southwestern Bell Dominion in San Antonio. Over the past couple of years, the skinny, affable Mahaffey has been working to find the right groove in his swing and coming up with varied results. Some tips from Snead made a big difference this week, but Mahaffey said he couldn't completely trust his swing under pressure because it wasn't instinctive yet.

"It's kind of like almost having a car wreck," said Snead, trying to describe what it's like to swing under pressure. "When you almost get in a wreck, you don't think about how scary it is. You just react. It's the same way with golf. Afterward, you might look back and say, 'Wow, how close was I to blowing that shot?' But when it's happening, you don't think about it. ... John will find that again."

Mahaffey was certainly patient early. His playing partner, Rodger Davis, was on fire at the start, making four birdies on the first four holes while Mahaffey made four pars. But Mahaffey's consistent game paid off while Davis fell apart late in the round.

"When Rodger went 4-under in the first four holes, I knew it was early in the round," Mahaffey said. "I couldn't worry about what he was doing. I just had to keep giving myself chances."

Mahaffey's golf career has been an interesting journey, full of chances, victories and near- misses. The NCAA champion in 1970, Mahaffey was right there with the best players in the world in the 1970s, and many predicted he would compete with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller in a race to rack up majors. He barely lost to Lou Graham in a playoff in 1975 at the U.S. Open, and then finished fourth at the U.S. Open the next year. He finally broke through in 1978 at Oakmont Country Club, winning the PGA Championship in a playoff over Jerry Pate and Watson.

However, Mahaffey admittedly squandered a lot of good years with heavy drinking before giving it up for good in the 1980s. He got refocused in his late 40s, started training like a madman and seemed destined to make a big splash on the senior tour. It hasn't happened yet, but he seems optimistic it will.

"It's just maintaining your focus," Mahaffey said. "That's the difference right now. You have to be able to do on the course what you do in practice and not anticipate that it will just happen."

In the end, though, it was an extremely positive week for Mahaffey. He was patient, he didn't get in any trouble and he kept a smile on his face throughout the round. And don't count him out this week at the U.S. Senior Open at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills.

"Am I close? Am I swinging better? I think so," Mahaffey said. "Got to think about just hitting fairways and greens. If I do that, I've got a chance."