Category: PGA Tour Champions

Shane Bertsch wins PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament

Shane Bertsch shot a final-round 65 and survived Thongchai Jaidee’s 62 to win the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament by a stroke.

Shane Bertsch shot a final-round 65 and survived Thongchai Jaidee’s 62 to win the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament by a stroke.

Bertsch opened the tournament with a 70 on Tuesday but went 67-65-65 to finish his week and win the event at the TPC Scottsdale Champions course, which is next door to the Stadium Course, home to the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Jaidee had five birdies and two eagles to match a third-round 62 from Bob Sowards and get within a stroke of Bertsch. Those rounds of 62 were the lowest of the week.

Bertsch’s bogey-free final round featured fix birdies, four on the front side, to set the pace.

Robert Karlsson, who led after three rounds, shot a 69 on Friday to finish in third, three shots back.

Robin Byrd and Stephen Leaney finished 12 under, five back and tied for fourth.

By finishing in the top five, those players all earned fully exempt status on the PGA Tour Champions for the 2020 season.

John Riegger missed the cutoff by a stroke but definitely fought until the end, making birdies on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 to finish at 11 under.

Paul Stankowski, who turned 50 just four days ago, told pgatour.com that he’s been eyeing the PGA Tour Champions since 2013. He just missed gaining full status, as he came in at 10 under.

Sixty-eight-year Dick Mast, who shot a 68 in the second round, closed with a 78. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee shot a 75 on Friday and finished 70th.

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Robert Karlsson takes lead at PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament

Robert Karlsson shot a 65 on Thursday and holds a one-shot lead after three rounds at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament at TPC Scottsdale.

Robert Karlsson shot a 65 on Thursday and holds a one-shot lead after three rounds at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament at TPC Scottsdale.

Karlsson had seven birdies and a bogey on the Champions Course to get to 12 under, one stroke ahead of Shane Bertsch, Stephen Leaney and Paul Stankowski.

Leaney, co-leader after Day 1 and the solo leader after Day 2, shot an even-par 71 to slip back into a tie for second.

Meanwhile, Bob Sowards climbed 31 spots up the leaderboard after shooting the round of the week with a bogey-free 9-under 62. His round was 12 strokes better than the one he posted on Wednesday. Sowards is tied with Cameron Beckman in fifth place.

PGA Tour Champions: Leaderboard

Rounding out the top ten are Robin Byrd and Harry Rudolph (-9) at T-7 and Jarmo Sandelin and Patrick Sheehan (-8) at T-9.

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee shot a third-round 73 and is 4 over for the tournament, 16 shots back. Shaun Micheel withdrew from the event on Thursday.

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Stephen Leaney opens up four-shot lead at PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament

Stephen Leaney shot a second-round 66 on Wednesday to take a four-shot lead at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament Final Stage.

Stephen Leaney shot a second-round 66 on Wednesday to take a four-shot lead at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament Final Stage.

Leaney had six birdies and a bogey in his round at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

Todd Fischer, who also shot a second-round 66, joins Paul Stankowski and Frank Esposito in second. All four golfers have shot in the 60s in the first two rounds.

First-round co-leader Craig Bowden shot a 74 on Wednesday and now sits T-23.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS: Leaderboard

Dick Mast shot his age in the second round, posting a 68, one day after opening with a 74. Mast moved up 13 spots and is T-30 heading into Thursday’s third round.

Other notables include Robert Karlsson (T-5), Cameron Beckman (T-7), Carlos Franco (T-14), Todd Hamilton (T-23), Robert Gamez (T-39), and Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, who shot a 75 on Wednesday and is T-53 in the 78-man field.

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Craig Bowden, Stephen Leaney lead Final Stage of PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament

Seventy-eight players are competing for five spots on the PGA Tour Champions 2020 season at the Final Stage of the Qualifying Tournament.

Seventy-eight players are competing for five spots on the PGA Tour Champions 2020 season at the Final Stage of the Qualifying Tournament at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

After Day 1 of the event, Craig Bowden and Stephen Leaney share the lead after they shot 65s on Tuesday.

Frank Esposito and Robin Byrd are tied for third. Robert Karlsson, Thongchai Jaidee, John Riegger, Bob Sowards, Paul Stankowski, Carlos Franco and Jesus Rivas are tied for fifth.

Brandel Chamblee, an analyst for Golf Channel, is T-17.

Other notables include major champions Todd Hamilton (T-24), Michael Campbell (T-43) and Shaun Micheel (T-75).

Also sitting T-43 is Dick Mast, who is 68 years old. Two weeks ago, he almost shot his age during the qualifying stage.

PNC Father/Son Challenge: Field list and how to watch

The Father/Son is a feel-good weekend in the middle of the so-called “silly season” of golf.

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All things considered, the PNC Father/Son Challenge field is remarkably strong. For one thing, the qualifications to get in are steep. Only major champions and winners of the Players Championship are eligible, and 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus headlines that category.

The Father/Son is a feel-good weekend in the middle of the so-called “silly season” of golf. This year, it overlaps the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

In addition to Nicklaus, the field includes icons Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson. Despite the Nov. 27 death of his wife Hilary, who had battled pancreatic cancer, Watson remains in the field for now along with his son Michael.

Twelve of the 20 teams include a World Golf Hall of Famer. Individually, the final field shares more than 700 worldwide titles as well as 192 Champions Tour wins, with the all-time Champions Tour wins leader Hale Irwin, returning to this event after a two-year hiatus.

There are also seven former World No. 1 players in the field. That category includes Annika Sorenstam, who is playing with her father Tom and will become the first female professional to compete in the tournament.

The event will be played Dec. 5-8 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.

The field

Darren Clarke/Tyrone Clarke (son)

John Daly/Little John Daly (son)

David Duval/Brady Duval (son)

Jim Furyk/Mike Furyk (father)

Retief Goosen/Leo Goosen (son)

Padraig Harrington/Paddy Harrington (son)

Hale Irwin/Steve Irwin (son)

Lee Janzen/Connor Janzen (son)

Tom Kite/David Kite (son)

Bernhard Langer/Jason Donald Langer (son)

Tom Lehman/Thomas A. Lehman (son)

Jack Nicklaus/GT Nicklaus (grandson)

Mark O’Meara/Shaun O’Meara (son)

Jerry Pate/Jenni Pate (daughter)

Gary Player/James Throssell (grandson)

Nick Price/Greg Price (son)

Vijay Singh/Qass Singh (son)

Annika Sorenstam/Tom Sorenstam (father)

Lee Trevino/Daniel Trevino (son)

Tom Watson/Michael Watson (son)

How to watch

All times Eastern

Friday, Dec. 6 

Golf Channel (Pro-Am Special): 5-6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 7 

Golf Channel: 2-3 p.m.
NBC: 3-6 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 8 

Golf Channel (live): 11 a.m.- Noon
NBC (live): Noon – 3 p.m.

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