Latest news with #BooWeekley
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Allan goes wire-to-wire for second Champions Tour win
Australia's Steve Allan has claimed his second PGA Tour Champions title as he became the first wire-to-wire winner of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. The 51-year-old Victorian closed with a six-under 66 for a four-stroke victory. Allan finished at 18-under 198 at En-Joie Golf Course at Enditcott, New York for his second win on the 50-and-over tour this season following his breakthrough at the Galleri Classic in California in March. The first wire-to-wire winner in @DicksOpenGolf history!What a moment for Steve Allan 🤩 — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 13, 2025 He opened the tournament with a blistering 63 on Friday for a two-shot edge and had a 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Boo Weekley into the final round. After playing the first seven holes Sunday in one under with two birdies and a bogey, Allan birdied five of the next six and parred the last five. "It was tough. It was tough, even yesterday, hanging in there, and today early on it was a bit rough with the driver," Allan said. "In the rough a lot and just managed to hang in there. Then on the back nine, made a few putts." Joey Allan is looking to help his dad win his second event of the year @ would be Steve Allan's second win this season, both with one of his sons on the bag 🤩 — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 13, 2025 Jason Caron was second after a 68. Weekley (70) and Notah Begay III (67) tied for third at 13 under. Australia's Michael Wright shot a closing 67 to tie for fifth with Soren Kjeldsen (64) and Jeff Sluman (68). Padraig Harrington wasn't back to try to win for a fourth straight time, skipping the event to play in the Scottish Open. He also has the British Open at Royal Portrush and the Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl. Ernie Els, in the British Open field, shot 69 to tie for 16th at 8 under.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How amateur golfers choose their pro in the Dick's Open Pro-Am
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Sixty seconds on the clock and a dozen names are on the board — pick just one. In between trays of frozen Miami Vices, smoked old fashions and lobster-roll sliders displayed on the 1st tee in En-Joie Golf Club sat orange and black hightop tables with numbers ranging from one to 50. Tuesday night, clusters of men gathered in groups around each table, hunched over their bourbon s'mores pudding cups and half-finished drinks as they scrolled through their phones and a yellow and green paper. Advertisement They have to pick one name that's left on the board. But who? Do they go with Derek Sanders or Boo Weekley? John Daly was an option moments ago, but one of the groups ahead already nabbed the two-time major champion and all-around folk hero for Wednesday. Time's ticking down. Only a handful of seconds left before the buzzer. It's all fun and games for everyone playing. The Dick's Open Pro-Am rounds are how amateur golfers get their chances to interact with the professionals and help donate to charity. More: What to know for the PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open For some golfers, this particular Pro-Am is a yearly event. As soon as the tournament dates are announced, they're booking flights, hotels and lining up tickets. They try to pick a new pro golfer to play with every year. Boo Weekley of the United States plays his shot on the third hole during the first round of the Chubb Classic 2025 at Tiburon Golf Club on February 14, 2025 in Naples, Florida. For others, this is a once-in-a-lifetime day. It's their chance to potentially play with a favorite golfer, maybe even pick up some new tips on their swing. Advertisement But while it is all fun and games, the draw party is serious business. 'We were Googling as soon as they handed these out to us just to figure out who we had as our big names,' one amateur golfer, Kevin Dutkowsky, said while gesturing to his green paper littered with pencil markings. 'As the names were picked, we obviously had to go down our list, but they're all so accomplished that it's pretty easy to find someone every year.' Dutkowsky said the Dick's Open has become a reunion for his extended family. He flies in from Tampa Bay to Endicott, which is where he grew up. Dutkowsky is playing in the Pro-Am on both days, teeing off alongside Soren Kjeldsen on Wednesday and Neal Lancaster on Thursday. Advertisement While some people like the Dutkowskys may have relied on some Googling and a bit of personal experience for their selection strategy, other golfers were looking for someone with personality on the course — or even off the course, too. One group, led by Bradley Cook, went as far to use AI to make a decision for who would be the best professional with which to spend 18 holes. Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark tees off at the Genesis Championship 2024 at Jack Nicklaus GC Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) 'By about the 20th slot, we took a picture of what was left on the board, sent it through ChatGPT with certain criteria,' Cook said, 'which required an engaging professional who has won two PGA events, enjoys giving basic swing and other analysis and would be most likely to have a beer at the bar with us afterwards.' Advertisement This is Cook's fourth year participating in the Pro-Am, and he brought along his wife and kids to enjoy the experience as well. 'It's amazing, it's a generational experience for us,' Cook said. 'It started with my grandfather and now our kids, and hopefully the kids get to play in it in a few years.' Cook ended up selecting Australian golfer John Senden for a Wednesday afternoon tee time. John Senden putts toward the second hole during the first round of the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club on Thursday in Akron. (Photo: Jeff Lange/Akron Beacon Journal) Cook's friend, TJ Carden, played in a separate party for his first-ever Pro-Am. He worked as a caddy for his grandfather, who played at the golf course, and got a chance to play with a pro through his company, United Health Services (UHS). Advertisement Carden's colleagues were the ones to pick his golfing pro, John Rollins. They did most of the research ahead of time and came in with a list of names to select. To Carden, this experience is as close to a dream as it gets. He's known the sport his entire life, and though he claims he doesn't have the best swing around, just watching Rollins up close up counts as something Carden won't forget. 'This Pro-Am, the Dick's Open, is absolutely a bucket list item for me,' he said. 'I'm just going to soak in the whole thing.' So with their finished glasses in hand and the knowledge of who their golfing partner will be for the day, the groups slowly marched toward the exit. The next time they'll be here, they'll be living and breathing the experience of their makeshift strategies becoming a reality. Advertisement Whether they implemented the potential tips from their pros or end up sharing a meal with them after, well, that will be determined on the course. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How amateur golfers choose their pro in the Dick's Open Pro-Am
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Allan has slim lead heading into Dick's Open final round; Weekley close behind
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — One of the biggest strategies for the pro golfers in the Dick's Open is to aim for a total score of roughly 12-under-par or more. Steve Allan achieved that marker by the end of Day 2. Though not the career-best marker from his first outing, Allan was 3-under-par in his second go around the En-Joie Golf Course to keep him in sole possession of first place heading into the final round of the tournament. Advertisement Allan made four birdies, including a putt on 18 that put him into first place to end the day. He also recorded his first bogey of the tournament on 17. 'It's very rare to go that many holes without a bogey,' Allan said. 'So I knew one was coming. It's just hopefully not too many tomorrow.' Friday's leader Steve Allan watches his shot after teeing off on number 1 at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open But it was Boo Weekley's 8-under-par performance that shook up the rest of the leaderboard. Starting the day tied for 20th, Weekley made eight birdies in his second trip around the course, catapulting him to second place. He notched three straight birdies at holes 3 through 5 and had back-to-back birdies twice in the back nine. Advertisement 'Today I hit a little close and, you know, made the putts,' Weekley said. 'I mean, that's the, you know, that's the only difference out here between any of us, who's going to make the most putts? And today, I made them. Weekley reached the top of the leaderboard twice throughout the afternoon, and nearly helped a tied ranking with Allan until the Australian's clutch put at 18. Jason Caron tees off at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open Jason Caron held steady at third place through his second round, teeing off with the second-to-last group and finishing 10-under-par. Caron has never won an open, and his performance at the Dick's Open has given him one of the best opportunities he's had since joining the PGA Tour Champions less than two years ago. Caron said he's felt very comfortable on the course, and that he's been able to make consistent putts despite the speed of the greens. Advertisement More: Jason Caron's daughter takes over Dick's Open as social media guest star 'I'm just gonna just do what I've been doing, which is, you know, just trying to control what I can do and not what everyone else does,' Caron said. 'Playing the last group is always good because it kind of gets you down the line, maybe some opportunities that may come up and be ready for it. So, you know, I'm just going to try my best and see what happens.' Allan, Weekley and Caron dealt with a 45-minute weather delay while playing the back nine, halting the momentum they had on the course. The delay resulted in the two of them having their first bogeys of the tournament, but the two quickly found a groove once again. 'To be honest, I knew I was probably going to make a bogey on my first one, and then I didn't hit a great shot in the next hole,' Caron said. ' Advertisement The final round tees off at 8:55 a.m., with players starting at holes 1 and 10 to combat incoming weather. Allan, Weekley and Caron tee off at 10:55 a.m. More: Derek Sanders is making his PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open debut after years as a caddy Rochester native Jeff Sluman doubled down on his opening day performance, putting together another 4-under-par round to stay inside the top 10. Sluman sits in a tie for seventh with six other golfers, including Billy Mayfair and Notah Begay III, who both jumped 24 spots after Saturday. Jeff Sluman was at 8 under when play was delayed because of lightning at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open Doug Barron, who began the day in second place, finished one stroke over par that led to an 18-place drop in the standings. Jerry Kelly was also standing in the top three after the first round and dropped 28 places to T31, finishing the day 2-over-par. Advertisement All three golfers sitting in the top three haven't won a Champions event in their career — Allan picked up his first win just weeks ago. Now, Allan will have a chance to become the first wire-to-wire champion in tournament history. 'It's always nice when you have a chance,' Allan said. 'It doesn't happen that often for me anyway.' More: Gordon Burns relies on wife as Day One caddie for Dick's Open Leaderboard after Round 2 (par 72) Steve Allan 63, 69 (-12) Boo Weekley 69 64 (-11) Jason Caron 66 68 (-10) Greg Chalmers 69 66 (-9) Kevin Sutherland 69 66 (-9) Paul Goydos 67 68 (-9) Billy Mayfair 72 64 (-8) Notah Begay III 70 66 (-8) Advertisement Harrison Frazar 69 67 (-8) Jeff Maggert 69 67 (-8) Jeff Sluman 68 68 (-8) Paul Stankowski 68 68 (-8) Gene Sauers 68 68 (-8) This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Steve Allan holds top spot heading into final round of Dick's Open
Washington Post
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Steve Allan completes the first wire-to-wire victory in Dick's Sporting Goods Open history
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Steve Allan became the first wire-to-wire winner in Dick's Sporting Goods Open history Sunday, closing with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory. Allan finished at 18-under 198 at En-Joie Golf Course for his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the season. The 51-year-old Australian opened Friday with a 63 for a two-shot edge and had a 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Boo Weekley into the final round.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Allan completes the first wire-to-wire victory in Dick's Sporting Goods Open history
ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) — Steve Allan became the first wire-to-wire winner in Dick's Sporting Goods Open history Sunday, closing with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory. Allan finished at 18-under 198 at En-Joie Golf Course for his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the season. The 51-year-old Australian opened Friday with a 63 for a two-shot edge and had a 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Boo Weekley into the final round. Advertisement After playing the first seven holes Sunday in 1 under with two birdies and a bogey, Allan birdied five of the next six and parred the last five. 'It was tough. It was tough, even yesterday, hanging in there, and today early on it was a bit rough with the driver," Allan said. "In the rough a lot and just managed to hang in there. Then on the back nine, made a few putts.' He also won The Galleri Classic in late March at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California. Jason Caron was second after a 68. Weekley (70) and Notah Begay III (67) tied for third at 13 under, and Soren Kjeldsen (64) was another stroke back with Michael Wright (67) and Jeff Sluman (68). Advertisement Padraig Harrington wasn't back to try to win for a fourth straight time, skipping the event to play in the Scottish Open. He also has the British Open at Royal Portrush and the Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl. Ernie Els, in the British Open field, shot 69 to tie for 16th at 8 under. ___ AP golf:
