The field is filled with major championship winners as well as current members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The current field lists World Golf Hall of Famers Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer, Larry Nelson, Nick Price and Tom Kite. A total of 17 players with PGA TOUR major championships on their resume are scheduled to compete.
A number of new faces, including Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry and Brad Faxon, the Champions Tour’s newest rookie, will make their first appearances in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. These three are joined by Tom Pernice, Jr., John Huston, Steve Lowery, Mark Brooks, Steve Pate, Lee Rinker, Jim Gallagher, Jr., and Roger Chapman.
Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY will serve as the third different venue in the last five years for the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, but the majority of the field is quite familiar with the West Course, having played there numerous times in their PGA TOUR careers. The course served as the host of the Westchester Classic from 1967-1975, the American Express Westchester Classic from 1976-1978, the Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic from 1979-1989, the Buick Classic from 1990-2004, the Barclays Classic and then The Barclays from 2005-2007. Bob Gilder’s four-round total of 19-under 261 at Westchester in 1982 was the tournament record and included one of the most famous shots in golf, a double-eagle two on the 509-yard 18th hole on the third day with a driver and three wood.
In addition to Gilder, four other former winners at Westchester are expected to compete in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship – Scott Simpson (1984), Bob Tway (1986), Hale Irwin (1990) and David Frost (1992). Irwin finished among the top 10 five times in 17 appearances at Westchester. Tom Watson and Tom Kite never won on the PGA TOUR at Westchester but both had a number of good finishes. Watson was T2 in 1976 and had eight top-10s in 13 appearances. Kite was T2 in 1982 and also had eight top-10s in 23 appearances at Westchester Country Club. Nine players in this year’s field played at Westchester 20 or more times in their PGA TOUR careers – Jay Haas (27), Bob Tway (23), Tom Kite (23), Ben Crenshaw (22), Bob Gilder (22), Loren Roberts (21), Fred Couples (20), Don Pooley (20) and Craig Stadler (20).
This event will mark the first time since 1993 that a Champions Tour event has been held in Westchester County. Sleepy Hollow CC in nearby Scarborough was the host for the NYNEX Commemorative event from 1986-1993. Among the winners were Lee Elder, Gene Littler, Bob Charles (twice) and Lee Trevino. Roberto DeVicenzo also won the first U.S. Senior Open in 1980 at Winged Foot GC in Mamaroneck.
In addition to a star-studded field, this event promises some exciting golf. Last year, Mark O’Meara made a par putt of just over three feet on the first extra hole to defeat Michael Allen at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. O’Meara, who narrowly missed winning in regulation when his 30-foot birdie opportunity finished just inches short on the 72nd hole, hit two near-perfect shots in the playoff and then two-putted from 30 feet for the win. Allen got into the playoff by making up a three-stroke deficit over the final five holes thanks to three birdies. However on the first playoff hole, Allen hit his tee shot into the right rough and could do no better than a bogey-5. O’Meara became the 10th player with a Senior Players title as well as at least one major championship to his credit on the PGA TOUR and the first since Craig Stadler in 2003. He was the only player in the field with four consecutive rounds in the 60s at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
There's plenty at stake. This year's purse is $2.7 million, with the winner collecting $405,00 as well as 810 points toward the Charles Schwab Cup.
If you can't make it to the club in person (aw come on--it's less than $25 and kids under 18 are free!), you can watch all four rounds on the Golf Channel.
In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.
No comments:
Post a Comment