Tag: Pure Insurance Championship

Thongchai Jaidee outlasts Justin Leonard in a playoff to win Pure Insurance Championship

Thongchai Jaidee needed four playoff holes to do it, but he finally outlasted Justin Leonard at Pebble Beach.

Thongchai Jaidee needed four playoff holes to do it but on a sunsplashed day at Pebble Beach Golf Links, he finally outlasted Justin Leonard to win the 2023 Pure Insurance Championship.

Jaidee had a chance to win in regulation but couldn’t drain his birdie putt on the par-5 closing hole. The duo parred then birdied the 18th in overtime before they each parred the par-3 17th. Back to the 18th tee they went for the fourth time Sunday but par was enough this time around for Jaidee after Leonard launched his tee shot left over the retaining wall. A four-man search party of the two golfers and their caddies couldn’t locate it, so Leonard reteed, then hit his second into a greenside bunker before walking off the green with a seven.

Last season, Jaidee became the first Thai golfer to win on the Champions tour. The 2015 Presidents Cupper now has his second win on the circuit. He does have 19 international wins on his resume but never did win on the PGA Tour.

As for Leonard, he came out of the TV booth to return to competition last year, playing four times on the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50. On Sunday, in his 14th event of this season and with his suitcases presumably packed for his pending return to broadcasting later this week for NBC Sports at the Ryder Cup, Leonard fell just short of his first professional win since 2008. Leonard, the 1999 Ryder Cup hero for the Americans, will be an analyst in the booth with Terry Gannon in Rome.

First Tee golfers Alyssa Stewart, Brayden Casolari win junior divisions at Pure Insurance Championship

The Pure Insurance Championship pairs PGA Tour Champions pros with golfers from the First Tee.

The Pure Insurance Championship on the PGA Tour Champions is a special event, in that veteran pros are paired with standout junior golfers from the First Tee program on the Monterey Peninsula.

Amateur Alyssa Stewart had a week to remember, teamed up with fellow Texas Justin Leonard and hit golf’s magic number, a 59, during the second round at Spyglass in a fourball format.

Stewart, ranked 241st in the Golfweek/Sagarin girls junior golf rankings, led by four in the girls division after 36 holes and went on to win by eight shots over Alaythia Hinds.

“She’s awesome,” Leonard said Saturday afternoon. “She’s made two eagles in the last two days and a bunch of birdies.”

The 17-year-old is a high school junior from Mansfield, Texas, and is committed to play college golf at Houston Christian. Leonard sounds like he  enjoyed being a mentor during this tournament.

“I’m not reading every putt and everything, but helping her with a little yardage or a decision here or there,” he said. “It’s fun. And it’s, look, she’s a great golfer, and she’s a better person and just a really fun personality to be around.”

Brayden Casolari, who was paired with Brian Gay, finished 21 under and won the boys division by a shot over Garrett Harrison, Sebastian Velazquez and Andre Follmer.

There were 80 First Tee members from 45 U.S. chapters competing in the event at the start of the week. The top 24 – 12 boys and 12 girls – advanced to Sunday.

Steve Flesch birdies No. 18 at Pebble Beach to win Pure Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee

“It’s like you envision people winning at Augusta, you envision people winning at Pebble Beach.”

Steve Flesch birdied his first four holes Sunday but got his biggest birdie of the week on the famous closing hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Flesch bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes but made a 4 on the par-5 18th to win the PGA Tour Champions Pure Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee by a shot over Ernie Els, Steven Alker and Paul Stankowski.

His 11 under total earned him his third win on the senior circuit and second this season. The left-hander won four times on the PGA Tour.

Alker bogeyed the 17th and parred the 18th and Flesch made the most of the situation.

“You don’t get many opportunities to win, but I got an open door when Steven gave me a chance on 18 and hit a great wedge shot in there,” Flesch said. “It ran the putt in, but it meant so much more to me because every pro wants to win at Pebble Beach and it was just a lot of fun. I hung in there all day, I got off to a great start, but winning at Pebble Beach I think is every professional golfer’s dream.”

2022 Pure Insurance Championship
Steve Flesch reacts after making a birdie on the 18th hole to win the 2022 Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo: Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)

“It’s just one of those things, it’s like you envision people winning at Augusta, you envision people winning at Pebble Beach. There’s been so much history around this great golf course that winning at Pebble Beach is just one of those places you always want to be a champion. To have an opportunity to do it today means so much. You know, even though we are over 50 and we’re still playing good golf, these guys are good and it’s hard to win. To win at Pebble Beach just makes it all the more special.”

Alker shot 68-69-69 to tie for second and bounce back from his tie for 58th a week ago at the Sanford International, his lowest finish in 28 outings on the Champions tour. His final-round 76 at the Sanford is his worst score on the tour.

“I struggled last week with my game a little bit, especially down the stretch, then just kind of got it together this week,” he said. “I enjoy playing here anyway. So I got it together, gave myself a chance, hung in today and got super start.”

Meng, Hughes wins First Tee portion

There were 78 First Tee members from 54 chapters at the event.

Megan Meng won the girls division at 22 under, also sinking a birdie putt on No. 18 to win by a stroke.

Bryson Hughes won the boys division at 18 under.

There were three aces made by junior golfers during their practice rounds.

  • Cooper Groshart, No. 7
  • Theresa Shaw, No. 17
  • Sophia Bardunias,  No. 5

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K.J. Choi makes PGA Tour Champions history at Pebble Beach

Choi edged Langer and Cejka by two shots to win at Pebble Beach.

K.J. Choi backed up his second-round 68 with another 68 on Sunday and went on to win the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach by two shots at 13 under. He is the first South Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions.

It’s his first win on the Champions circuit and his first win anywhere since he claimed the 2012 CJ Invitational on the Asian Tour, an event he hosts in Korea. Prior to that, he won the 2011 Players Championship in a playoff over David Toms.

Bernhard Langer and Alex Cejka also closed with final-round 68s but finished tied for second at 11 under. Scott Dunlap had the best final round, posting a 6-under 66. He finished solo fourth at 10 under.

The Pure Insurance was played on two golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Resort and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The tournament featured participants from First Tee chapters around the country, who were paired with a Champions tour players for the week.

Colin Vineberg shot 23 under after scores of 64-64-65 to finish as low boys junior golfer. Sydney Craven finished 26 under after going 65-61-64 over the three days to finish as the low girls junior.

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Stuart Appleby, Alex Cejka lead Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach

Jim Furyk is not back to defend as he is serving as a vice captain at the Ryder Cup.

A year ago, Jim Furyk joined Arnold Palmer and Bruce Fleisher as the only players to win their first two PGA Tour Champions starts. Phil Mickelson would later become the fourth member of that club.

But Furyk is not at Pebble Beach Golf Links this week to defend his title at the PGA Tour Champions Pure Insurance Championship. Lefty’s not there either. Instead, they’re both serving as vice captains for U.S. boss Steve Stricker at the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

In Friday’s opening round, Stuart Appleby and Alex Cejka posted matching 66s to share the lead. Appleby had seven birdies and a bogey at Pebble Beach Golf Links while Cejka had a bogey-free round with six birdies. Cejka won the first two majors in 2021 on the senior circuit; Appleby is seeking his first Champions victory and his first win anywhere since the 2010 Greenbrier Classic on the PGA Tour.

Tom Lehman, who has 12 PGA Tour Champions wins and five more on the PGA Tour, shot a 67 at Pebble Beach. He is tied for third with K.J. Choi.

Glen Day, Esteban Toledo, Larry Mize and Kirk Triplett all shot 68s and are tied for fifth.

The Pure Insurance is being played on two golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Resort and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The tournament features participants from First Tee chapters around the country and they are paired with a Champions tour players for the week.

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Jim Furyk wins second PGA Tour Champions title at Pure Insurance Championship

Jim Furyk claimed his second PGA Tour Champions title, winning the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.

Jim Furyk is racking up the PGA Tour Champions wins.

The 50-year-old made his debut on the over-50 tour back in August, winning the  Ally Challenge. On Sunday he earned his second win in as many starts, claiming the title at the Pure Insurance Championship at 12 under after a one-hole playoff against Jerry Kelly at Pebble Beach.

Furyk, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour including the 2003 U.S. Open, won the tournament with a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th. Kelly made par. Ernie Els finished third at 11 under, followed by Mike Weir and Retief Goosen T-4 at 9 under.

Pure Insurance Championship: Leaderboard