The rains held up just long enough to allow Paul Simson of Raleigh to hold on and win the 55th North and South Senior Men's Amateur Championship, which concluded at Pinehurst Resort No. 2 Thursday.

Simson fired a final-round 69 to finish a whopping 15 strokes ahead of his nearest competitors, Pinehurst's Chuck Wunsch and Bill Palmer, of Bluffton, S.C.

After a second round shortened to nine holes Wednesday, Simson led the field by five. The event was shortened to 45 holes because of the weather situation. Simson finished with a 169 total.

The senior men played Pinehurst Nos. 8 and 5 in addition to the final round on No. 2.

Simson, a two-time winner of the North and South Men's Amateur Championship in the mid-1990s, has had quite the run at Pinehurst this summer.

The 55-year-old insurance executive made it through qualifying to reach the 64-player match play field in the 106th North and South held in July. He won his first-round match against Jordan Payne in 19 holes to earn the right to face Webb Simpson, a Wake Forest All-American and fellow Raleigh resident. Simpson, one of the top-ranked amateur's in the country, defeated Simson 3 and 1.

In the men's Super Senior Championship, Walter Anderson of Richmond, Va., overtook second-round leader John Wheeler of Littleton, Mass., to pick up the win.

Anderson shot a final-round 75 to nip Wheeler by one stroke. He carded a three-day 72-73-75--220, while Wheeler shot 74-70-77--221. The Super Seniors played Pinehurst Nos. 2, 8 and 5.

In the 49th North and South Senior Women's Championship, shortened to 36 holes, Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas overtook first-round leader Karen Ferree of Hilton Head, S.C., to clinch the championship.

Creekmore carded a 75-70--145 to claim a six-shot win over Ferree, who finished with a 74-77--151.