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3 days ago
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Derek Sanders is making his PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open debut after years as a caddy
ENDICOTT — Imagine a dream weekend playing golf. Who are you playing with? Do you have a caddy? Which golf course are you playing at? What's your tee time? The answers probably come to mind instantly, but it stays a dream — just a picturesque world created by an impossibly fictional scenario. Advertisement Derek Sanders' dream was to always play in three major events: A PGA Tour qualifying event, the PGA Tour and a PGA Tour Champions tournament. He'd accomplished the first two, and the final felt like that distant pipe dream. Until last week, when he got the phone call from Dick's Open Tournament Director John Karedes while brushing his teeth to get ready to attend a wedding. More: Lupo's spiedies, wings and John Daly cocktails: Your Dick's Open food and drink guide 'I still wake up every morning thinking it's a dream,' Sanders said. 'But it's getting really close to tee time.' Sanders knows everything imaginable about the En-Joie Golf Club. He knows how the ball rolls down the fairways, which greens are harder than others and where to lay off if he can't get to a par five. Advertisement He's been around the course for years as a caddy. And for the first time in his career, he's teeing off at the Dick's Open in his first PGA Tour Champions tournament. 'It's overwhelming,' Sanders said. 'Being a caddy for 12, 15 years out here, and then John (Karedes) giving me the spot to come play with these guys is a dream. I mean, you can't make this up.' John Karedes, Dick's Sporting Goods Open tournament directors, addresses media members April 15, 2021 at En-Joie Golf Course. Sanders had only had mere days to prepare for the tournament. He played in the Pro-Am with the other professionals, partook in the two practice days beforehand. But he took a 7:15 a.m. flight to New York the morning after the wedding he attended — which was last Saturday night. Advertisement He didn't even get a chance to bring his family or friends along with him. Instead, he'll have his caddie, Mike 'Fluff' Cowan. Yes, that's the same Fluff who was Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk's caddie, who's been caddying for nearly 50 years. 'Then I've got Fluff on the bag, the Hall of Fame caddie,' Sanders said. 'It's a good week, it's just amazing.' Sanders will have one other familiar face, though he'll also be playing in the Dick's Open. Jason Caron, who Sanders worked with as a caddie during the U.S. Senior Open just two weeks ago. Aug 16, 2019; Medinah, IL, USA; Caddie Mike "Fluff" Cowan waits on the 1st tee during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Medinah Country Club - No. 3. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports Caron said the two of them have a lot in common, which helped him trust Sanders so quickly. He's encouraged Sanders to soak up the experience at the Dick's Open, and to use his knowledge of golf as a caddie to his own advantage throughout the tournament. Advertisement 'He loves the game of golf and he does a great job,' Caron said. 'I mean, you can't really ask for anything more than that.' With the dream opportunity in front of him, Sanders said he's turning his focus toward playing well. He's been given numerous tips and pieces of advice from other golfers, including Caron, but it's been pretty cliché. Jason Caron plays a tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club. () 'You're gonna want to downplay it because he wants to perform well, that's the problem, right?' Caron said. 'The more you downplay like you're playing with your buddies, he can go make five, six, seven birdies around and shoot decent scores and finish up there. You never know, right? So I just want him to go and have a good time, and hopefully, he'll enjoy the experience.' Advertisement Play like you're playing with your friends, play your own game and just have fun with the experience. But Sanders is still a competitor, and even if this is his first PGA Tour Champions event, he wants to do well. More: Dick's Open nets $500K from NY: 'It deserves to grow and thrive' He never had nerves as a caddie. Sanders had the up close and personal chance to see golfers win championships and get frustrated having a bad day on the course. Now he wants to make a good impression in his tournament debut. Sanders is almost hyperaware of the pairs of eyes that will fall on him now that he's one of the competitors. He's watched golf fans glue their eyes to the pros, while he's looked on and prepared to offer whatever advice needed after the swing. It elevates the heart rate, but it's not completely unmanageable, he said. Advertisement But then there's the nerves of playing against some of the best golfers in the world. 'If I didn't know any of these guys, and they weren't professionals and they didn't have six major wins like Ernie Els or (Miguel Angel) Jimenez and Jerry Kelly I don't think I'd be that nervous,' Sanders said. 'But now I'm going out and teeing off second, and I'm gonna be a little nervous.' Ernie Els of South Africa sends his ball down the No. 3 fairway during the first round of the 2025 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Akron, Ohio. And although Sanders will claim he's not superstitious, he used to never play with a ball that's marked number two. It's not something he's worried about recently, but did mention when he steps to the tee box Friday morning, he'll double check to avoid that number. Advertisement Then, he'll take his first swing of the tournament, and use the bits of knowledge he's gained watching the pros play to his advantage. And make his dream weekend of playing golf come true. 'I have all this stuff in my book,' Sanders said. 'It's just executing and having some confidence to take the next step.' This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Derek Sanders in first PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open after caddying
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Allan, Jeff Sluman put together confident first rounds at Dick's Open
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Red-faced from sweat and a growing sunburn, the 78 golfers participating in the PGA Tour Champions Dick's Open cruised their way through En-Joie Golf Club in overwhelming heat. But the sweltering heat didn't phase anyone's determination to make a good impression on Day 1. Advertisement With a career-best opening round of 9-under-72-par, Steve Allan stands alone as the top performer in the first round of the Dick's Open. Allan sat already 7-under par through the end of the front nine, picking up birdies in five holes and an eagle. He ended his day with two more birdies, including a long putt on the 18th Green to secure the 9-stroke lead. Stephen Allan finished on top of the leader board at 8 under at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open. The 51-year-old Australian already picked up his first career-Champions win during the Galleri Classic in March, but hadn't cracked the top 10 since taking home the trophy. Now, he's set the pace in a Dick's Open that's open for the taking for the first time since 2021. Advertisement 'I've had a few rough holes, but managed to escape and get out of trouble,' Allan said. 'And then the back nine, I played pretty solid, but not as good as the front.' Allan's bogie-free round made him one of two golfers inside the top 10 that didn't go over par, the other being 52-year-old Jason Caron, who sits in third at 6-under-par. Doug Barron claimed the second-place spot over Caron, sitting at 7-under, after Caron missed his shot for birdie by just inches on 18. Caron's pairing partner, Jerry Kelly, also finished in a tie for third at 6-under. Still, Allan said he doubts he can completely match his top tier performance from Friday afternoon for the rest of the weekend. Instead, he's focusing on his consistency — making birdies across all 18 holes and keeping his tee shots along the Fairway. 'You got to keep your head down and keep going,' Allan said. 'You never know what you're going to do the next day. You never know what the condition is going to be like. It does show that low scores are out there for everyone else. So, you know, if you're going to stay up there and give yourself a chance, you've got to keep making some birdies.' Advertisement More: Dick's Open nets $500K from NY: 'It deserves to grow and thrive' And still playing within arm's reach, Rochester native Jeff Sluman strung together a performance that placed him in the top 10 of the first round. Sitting 4-under-par through the front nine, the 67-year-old held steady through all 18 holes, only bougieing once on 18 to end the day. Sluman is making his 12th appearance in the Dick's Open, and his first since 2022. He played the En-Joie Golf Club when the Dick's Open was the BC Open as part of the PGA Tour. This year's Dick's Open is Sluman's second tournament in nearly a year, since he's been taking time off to accommodate his age. However, he made sure that he got to play in this golf tournament one more time. Jeff Sluman takes a shot from the tee at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open 'The golf course is magnificent. What a treat,' he said. 'I don't know if everybody realizes what a special treat this is. They have a golf course like this in their backyard, in the condition it is, and the public can go out and play it on a daily basis. This is a rare thing to have in any community.' Advertisement It's the closest thing to a hometown tournament as it gets for Sluman, and he said there's that same homegrown feeling the other golfers relate to. Sitting in the top 10 after 18 holes, Sluman's focusing on maintaining the confidence he had throughout the afternoon. 'It rekindled the fact that I showed that I was a decent player at one time,' he said. 'I really did play well. Today I had the ball absent the tee shot on 18 and the second shot. I mean it was really good. It could have been extremely low, not complaining for under. But it was nice to hit quality golf shot after quality golf shot.' The second round begins at 7:50 a.m., with Allan, Barron and Kelly teeing off at 12:25 p.m. Jerry Kelly, who finished at 6 under for the day, lines up a putt with help from his caddy at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open With Padraig Harrington playing in the Genesis Scottish Open, Cameron Beckham is the most recent Dick's Open champion participating in the tournament, winning the title in 2021. Despite an eagle on 12, he bougied four times in the opening round to finish 1-over-par. Barron is the other most recent champion in attendance. Advertisement Charles Schwab Cup leader Miguel Angel Jimenez had five birdies and two bogies to finish 3-under-par, sitting in a tie for 20th after the first round. He stayed 2-under throughout most of the day, until he picked up the offsetting birdie on 16 — his second shot from the green. Round 1 results (par 72) Steve Allan 63 Doug Barron 65 Jerry Kelly 66 Jason Caron 66 Alex Cejka 66 Tim O'Neal 66 Shane Bertsch 66 Felipe Aguilar 67 Paul Goydos 67 Michael Wright 68 Mario Tiziani 68 Gordon Burns 68 Mark Walker 68 David Brandsdon 68 Willie Wood 68 Jeff Sluman 68 Paul Stankowski 68 Gene Sauers 68 Chad Campbell 68 Jay Jurecic 69 Advertisement John Huston 69 Miguel Angel Jiménez 69 Boo Weekly 69 Jeff Maggery 69 Harrison Frazar 69 Greg Chalmers 69 Kevin Sutherland 69 Kirk Triplett 69 Bo Van Pelt 69 Scott Parel 69 Robert Karlsson 70 Charlie Wi 70 Tag Ridings 70 Scott Hend 70 Soren Kjeldsen 70 Billy Andrade 70 Ernie Els 70 John Rollins 70 J.J. Henry 70 Y.E. Yang 70 Mark Wilson 70 Notah Begay III 70 Tom Pernice Jr. 70 Ken Duke 71 John Daly 71 John Daly sinks a putt at the at the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Open Bernhard Langer 71 Paul Broadhurst 71 David Duval 71 Matt Gogel 71 Fred Funk 72 Michael Allen 72 Ken Tanigawa 72 Glen Day 72 Dicky Pride 72 Billy Mayfair 72 Rob Labritz 73 Cameron Beckman 73 Joe Durant 73 Mark Hensby 73 Brian Gay 73 Bob Estes 74 Advertisement Tim Petrovic 74 Jason Bohn 74 Chris DiMarco 74 Carlos Franco 74 Brendan Jones 75 Rocco Mediate 75 Stephen Ames 75 Hiroyuki Fujita 75 John Senden 75 Brett Quigley 75 Neal Lancaster 75 Corey Pavin 76 Heath Slocum 76 Duffy Waldorf 76 Gary Hallbery 76 Derek Sanders 77 Michael Bradley 80 Round 2 starting times 7:50 - Gary Hallberg, Derek Sanders, Michael Bradley; 8:01 - Corey Pavin, Heath Slocum, Duffy Waldorf; 8:12 a.m. - John Senden, Brett Quigley, Neal Lancaster; 8:23 - Rocco Mediate, Stephen Ames, Hiroyuki Fujita; 8:34 - Chris DiMarco, Carlos Frano, Brendan Jones; 8:45 - Bob Estes, Tim Petrovic, Jason Bohn; 8:58 - Joe Durant, Mark Hensby, Brian Gay; 9:07 - Billy Mayfair, Rob Labritz, Cameron Beckham; 9:18 a.m. Ken Tanigawa, Glen Day, Dicky Pride; 9:29 - Matt Gogel, Fred Funk, Michael Allen; 9:40 - Bernhard Langer, Paul Broadhurst, David Duval; 9:51 - Tom Pernice Jr., Ken Duke, John Daly; 10:02 - Y.E. Yang, Mark Wilson, Notah Begay III; 10:13 - Ernie Els, John Rollins, J.J. Henry; 10:24 - Scott Hend, Soren Kjeldsen, Billy Andrade; 10:35 - Robert Karlsson, Charlie Wi, Tag Ridings; 10:46 - Kirk Triplett, Bo Van Pelt, Scott Parel; 10:57 - Harrison Frazar, Greg Chalmers, Kevin Sutherland; 11:08 - Miguel Angel Jimenez, Boo Weekley, Jeff Maggert; 11:19 - Chad Campbell, Jay Jurecic, John Huston; 11:30 - Jeff Sluman, Paul Stankowski, Gene Sauers; 11:41 - Mark Walker, David Brandson, Willie Wood; 11:52 - Michael Wright, Mario Tiziani, Gordon Burns; 12:03 - Shane Bertsch, Felipe Aguilar, Paul Goydos; 12:14 - Jason Caron, Alex Cejka, Tim O'Neal; 12:25 - Steve Allan, Doug Barron, Jerry Kelly This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Allan leads, fan favorite Sluman in hunt as Dick's Open gets going
