Latest news with #CharlesSchwabCup
Los Angeles Times
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Tour rookie Brendan Jones leads after first round at Hoag Classic
Brendan Jones turned 50 just earlier this month, qualifying him to play in PGA Tour Champions golf events. The Australian got his tour card by qualifying through Q-School last December. He had played in just one PGA Tour event since 2013. But when Jones experienced the kikuyu grass fairways at Newport Beach Country Club that reminded him of his native Australia, his eyes lit up. 'When I saw this place the first day, I was just licking my chops,' he said. It showed Friday in the first round of the Hoag Classic. Jones fired a seven-under-par round of 64, taking the lead by a stroke after the first day of the three-day event. Sweden native Freddie Jacobson and Michael Allen of Arizona are tied for second at six-under-par. Three golfers, including two-time Hoag Classic champion and Charles Schwab Cup leader Ernie Els, sit two shots back at five-under par. Jones' round in ideal sunny conditions included an eagle on the par-five No. 3. Despite finding the right rough off the tee, he made about a 30-foot putt. He immediately bogeyed the next hole, No. 4, but that was the only misstep in a round that included six birdies, including five on the first six holes he played on the back nine. Jones said his length off the tee is an obvious strength, but it's important to be tactical with greens that are firming up. 'Even though I'm a little bit of a novice out here, I've had 25 years of experience around the world,' he said. 'It's not unusual [to play well], but it's unusual to be on the top of the leaderboard with the names that are right behind me. That's something that I've got to get used to.' Jacobson is also 50 and a tour rookie. His round included no bogeys and he also started quick on the back nine, earning birdies on four of his first six holes. 'It's certainly nice to get into a bit of a rhythm,' he said. 'I haven't played for a month, so if you can get off to a decent start, that's nice. It's been a little up and down, but as long as you have some ups in there, you know, get a little momentum going.' Newport Beach resident Fred Couples, a two-time Hoag Classic champion, is also in the hunt. Couples is one of eight golfers who carded a four-under-par round, three shots back of the lead. Like Jones, Couples also made eagle on No. 3, as about a 50-foot putt hit the hole and went in. Couples said he's been fighting sickness since going to the desert to practice. He felt he drove the ball well Friday, and putted fine, just didn't hit them hard enough to leave them short. He said his Friday evening plans included watching his stepson Hunter Hannemann play for the Corona del Mar High boys' volleyball team at Los Alamitos, then get plenty of sleep. 'I stayed in bed for four days, and I've been up here since Tuesday and I don't really feel a whole lot better,' said Couples, one of seven World Golf Hall of Fame members competing in this year's Hoag Classic. 'Hopefully, it goes away soon.' Defending champion Padraig Harrington is tied for 24th after carding a two-under-par 69. Tee times for Saturday's second round of the Hoag Classic start at 10:35 a.m. Leaders Jones, Jacobson and Allen are the final group to tee off from hole No. 1 at 12:35 p.m. Saturday's events also include a celebrity challenge foursome event on the 10th tee at 3:30 p.m. The Hoag Classic sunset celebration concert featuring LoCash starts at 6:30 p.m. at VEA Newport Beach.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tiger Woods (like Rory McIlroy now) once said he'd never play competitively in his later years
Rory McIlroy has a history of changing his views, particularly when it comes to LIV Golf, but he was certain as ever when he said he would 'absolutely not' play the PGA Tour Champions. 'Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50,' he said. Ernie Els isn't so sure. The Big Easy also felt certain the 50-and-older league would be the last place for him. Now he's a regular, and even leading the Charles Schwab Cup early in the season. 'At 35 years old I was also bullet proof saying things about not playing past 50,' Els said in a social media post. 'I'm 55 now and laughing at my comments from back then. ... Competition is a powerful tool!' It was reminiscent of a conversation with Tiger Woods in 2005, when he was 29 and on the verge of going on another big run. He was asked how long he would play. 'I'll definitely quit the game earlier than people think,' Woods said that day in a parking lot at Doral. 'The only reason I would play is the occasional tournament if my son is good enough to be out there, and he chooses to play.' This was four years before his son, Charlie, was born. 'When my best isn't good enough to win anymore, I'm walking,' Woods said. 'I've won tournaments when I wasn't playing my best. If I play my best and don't win, there's no reason to be out there.' Injuries were not part of that conversation, of course. At that time, Woods had only two surgeries on his left knee, both considered more about cleanup than repair. Views at age 29 are different than age 49. There's also knowing when a player can no longer compete. Woods was asked that day if he had ever played his best and didn't win. 'No,' he replied. Had he ever played his best and come close not to winning? 'No,' he said. That led to one last question. Had he ever played his best? He mentioned his 15-shot victory in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and his 12-shot win at the Masters. And as he turned to leave he added, 'And the (2000) British Open. That was a good week.' That was the year he said he hit a 2-inch draw on the 14th hole at St. Andrews. He won by eight to complete the career Grand Slam. He was 24.
NBC Sports
18-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Tiger Woods (like Rory McIlroy now) once said he'd never play competitively in his later years
Rory McIlroy has a history of changing his views, particularly when it comes to LIV Golf, but he was certain as ever when he said he would 'absolutely not' play the PGA Tour Champions. 'Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50,' he said. Ernie Els isn't so sure. The Big Easy also felt certain the 50-and-older league would be the last place for him. Now he's a regular, and even leading the Charles Schwab Cup early in the season. 'At 35 years old I was also bullet proof saying things about not playing past 50,' Els said in a social media post. 'I'm 55 now and laughing at my comments from back then. ... Competition is a powerful tool!' It was reminiscent of a conversation with Tiger Woods in 2005, when he was 29 and on the verge of going on another big run. He was asked how long he would play. 'I'll definitely quit the game earlier than people think,' Woods said that day in a parking lot at Doral. 'The only reason I would play is the occasional tournament if my son is good enough to be out there, and he chooses to play.' This was four years before his son, Charlie, was born. 'When my best isn't good enough to win anymore, I'm walking,' Woods said. 'I've won tournaments when I wasn't playing my best. If I play my best and don't win, there's no reason to be out there.' Injuries were not part of that conversation, of course. At that time, Woods had only two surgeries on his left knee, both considered more about cleanup than repair. Views at age 29 are different than age 49. There's also knowing when a player can no longer compete. Woods was asked that day if he had ever played his best and didn't win. 'No,' he replied. Had he ever played his best and come close not to winning? 'No,' he said. That led to one last question. Had he ever played his best? He mentioned his 15-shot victory in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and his 12-shot win at the Masters. And as he turned to leave he added, 'And the (2000) British Open. That was a good week.' That was the year he said he hit a 2-inch draw on the 14th hole at St. Andrews. He won by eight to complete the career Grand Slam. He was 24.
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two of the PGA Tour Champions best 'out of nowhere' stories face off in playoff in Tucson
Two of the PGA Tour Champions best 'out of nowhere' stories face off in playoff in Tucson Two of the PGA Tour Champions best "out of nowhere" stories rallied late Sunday to force a playoff. Steven Alker's journey is well-known by now. He Monday'd into a Champions event in Seattle, parlayed that into a top 10, and before you knew it, he had nine top-10s and a win during his breakout 2021 season. He later won the Charles Schwab Cup in 2022 and 2024. Club pro Jason Caron hasn't yet accrued Alker's level of success but his path has been similar. In the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship, he finished tied for 32nd, which was good enough to earn him a spot in the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. He would tie for fourth there, which got him into several Champions events. In 2024, he would play in eight of then, make the cut at seven of them, including three top fours. He would go on to reach the Champions tour season finale in Phoenix last November, which also guaranteed him his tour card in 2025. "I'm not really supposed to be here," he said then at Phoenix Country Club, but he keeps doing his best to prove that to be untrue. So that's their backstories. Sunday at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Alker and Caron each posted 66s to finish tied at 12 under after regulation, forcing a playoff in the 2025 Cologuard Classic. Caron birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to get there. Alker birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th, as each man tracked down Greg Chalmers, the 18- and 36-hole leader. On Sunday, Chalmers bogeyed two of his final seven holes and settled for a 71 to finish at 11 under, tied with fellow Aussie Rod Pampling, both men a shot short of bonus golf. The playoff between Alker and Caron didn't last long. They went back to the 18th hole and Alker birdied it while Caron made par. It's Alker's ninth win and 58th top-10 in 78 starts on the Champions tour. "It's huge. It's been, what, 13, 14 months since my last win. Just to get over that hurdle and get that one," he said. "The game's just been feeling good, just consistent week in and week out. This is what I want, just to give myself chances. Moving forward, I've got a Schwab Cup to defend, so I've got to get it going." Alker had two bogeys in his first seven holes but responded with four birdies and an eagle over his last 10. "It's a lot of fun. And the competition's just getting so good. The Aussies coming out and the new blood, so it's getting good. "You've just got to keep getting better." Stewart Cink celebrates gender reveal with shirt color Stewart Cink was in Tucson as well this week and before the final round, he did an on-camera gender reveal. His son (and one-time caddie) Reagan and his wife Olivia are due in September and before Sunday's action got underway, Cink had a pink and a blue polo shirt on his bed, then opened an envelope to announce boy or girl. Spoiler alert if for those who didn't watch the video: it's going to be a boy. Winners on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Ernie Els Trophy Hassan II Miguel Angel Jimenez Chubb Classic Justin Leonard Cologuard Classic Steven Alker
Associated Press
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Steven Alker wins Cologuard Classic playoff for 9th PGA Tour Champions title
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Steven Alker won the Cologuard Classic on Sunday for his ninth PGA Tour Champions title, beating Long Island club pro Jason Caron with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff at La Paloma Country Club. Alker and Caron each shot 5-under 66 to finish at 12-under 201. Alker played the back nine in 5 under with an eagle on the par-5 11th and birdies on Nos. 15-17. Caron birdied the final three holes of regulation. Alker won the first playoff in the 11-year history of the event, moving the 53-year-old New Zealander into second place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings behind Ernie Els. The 52-year-old Caron is the head pro at Mill River in Oyster Bay, New York. He's winless in 13 career starts on the 50-and-over tour. Greg Chalmers, the leader after each of the first two rounds, missed a chance to join the playoff when his 8-foot birdie try on 18 slid past. He had a 71 to tie for third at 11 under with fellow Australian Rod Pampling (67). Els was fifth at 10 under after a 70. ___
