BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –

Kenny Perry made a couple of early birdie putts from about 20 feet, mostly steered clear of trouble and finished well.

Perry birdied the final hole for an 8-under 64 and a two-stroke lead Thursday in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.

“I mean, I didn’t miss a green,” he said. “I putted for birdies or eagles on every hole so took a lot of pressure off myself by doing that. I hit the ball nicely, drove it beautifully, hit lots of fairways. Was able to attack the par 5s.”

Bernhard Langer matched him going into the final hole. Then Langer bogeyed No. 18 for a 66 to fall into a second-place tie with Gene Sauers at Greystone Golf and Country Club, hosting its first PGA Tour Champions event since the Bruno’s Memorial Classic in 2005.

Perry won the Regions Tradition a few miles away at Shoal Creek in 2014, and the 14-time PGA Tour winner started on a roll. He birdied five of the first eight holes in a bogey-free round, including the two long putts during that hot start.

He was in a tie going into 18 with Langer, who had three straight birdies starting on No. 11.

Billy Andrade was three strokes back at 67. Defending champion Jeff Maggert was among seven players four shots behind.

Langer, who has not finished worse than 11th this year, needed two attempts to escape the greenside bunker on 18. The two-time Masters winner, who leads the tour in scoring average, then two-putted.

“I bladed it,” Langer said about his first bunker shot. “I was just trying to bank it against it but not fly it into the netting. No other way to get it close. It was a very bad trap.”

He said he had hit “a beautiful 3-wood” that kicked right and into the sand.

Sauers, who tied for third at last year’s Regions Tradition, had birdies on four of the final six holes, including 18. The three-time PGA Tour winner has four runner-up finishes on the 50-and-over circuit. His only bogey came on the par-5 fifth hole.

Sauers started practicing a new putting grip a couple of days before leaving for the Insperity Invitational, where he tied for 12th after a closing 67.

“I made some putts where before I wasn’t making the putts and now I’m really rolling it better and I’m kind of going cross-handed, left hand low,” Sauers said. “This is my second week for it, so I should have done it 20 years ago.”

With an eagle and a double bogey, John Daly finished his first round in a PGA Tour Champions major with a 70. He made an eagle from the fairway on the 435-yard fifth hole. Two holes later, came the double bogey after Daly’s drive went into the rough.

“Getting into this thing is pretty cool, I’m enjoying myself,” he said. “But having a start like that is kind of cool. My last round at Houston I had it going but didn’t finish it, so I’ve just got to keep going and try to finish these good starts.”

In the meantime, he relished having a big following around Greystone – and not having to worry about making a cut.

“Oh, it’s great, man. It’s just awesome,” Daly said. “That’s what’s cool. They get me for three or four days now instead of two, so it’s good to work on weekends again.”

Jesper Parnevik, who’s coming off a four-stroke victory at the Insperity Invitational, finished with a 70. He was 3 over on the final three holes, including a double bogey on No. 18.

With rain and thunderstorms forecast for Friday, Perry expects the scoring and conditions to change significantly. Play will start on two tees with tour officials aiming for a mid-afternoon finish.

“I’m not a great rainy (day) player,” he said. “I have trouble hanging onto the club and stuff, so it’s going to be a challenge.”

Stephen Ames of Calgary and St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle sit T39 at even-par.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Jesper Parnevik won the Insperity Invitational for his first PGA Tour Champions victory, shooting a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory Sunday.

The 51-year-old Swede won in his 23rd career start on the 50-and-over tour. The five-time PGA Tour winner finished at 12-under 204 at The Woodlands Country Club.

Local favourite Jeff Maggert, first-round leader Mike Goodes and South Africa’s David Frost tied for second. Maggert, a Woodlands resident and former Texas A&M player, had a 71. Frost shot 69, and Goodes 70.

Canada’s Stephen Ames tied for 12th at 3 under after a 73.

John Daly tied for 17th with a group which included  Canada’s Rod Spittle at 2 under in his PGA Tour Champions debut. The two-time major champion closed with a 71 after opening with rounds of 70 and 73. He turned 50 on April 28.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Local favourite Jeff Maggert and Jesper Parnevik shared the Insperity Invitational lead at 7 under Saturday, leaving John Daly six strokes back in his PGA Tour Champions debut.

Maggert birdied the par-4 18th for a 3-under 69, and playing partner Parnevik had a bogey on the par-4 17th in a 68 at The Woodlands Country Club.

Daly followed his opening 70 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 21st at 1 under.

“I just have to get some confidence with the putter. That’s the thing,” Daly said. “My chipping wasn’t very good today, but I’m under par and I think seven is leading, you never know what can happen tomorrow. Maybe try to get maybe a little more aggressive with the driver, hit it a little bit more, get some more wedges in the holes and give myself a chance.”

The two-time major champion made four straight bogeys in the middle of the round and rebounded with birdies on 15 and 18. He turned 50 on April 28.

“Just bad execution, bad chips, bad putts,” Daly said about the bogey run on Nos. 8-11. “I actually thought I had a good shot on 9. I hit a 9-iron and it went over the back and you’re dead. But all in all, I hung in there. … I didn’t hit it real close today. The wind was a little tricky on the back nine.”

Maggert had four birdies and a bogey.

“Up and down today,” Maggert said. “I think the golf course played a couple shots harder today. I hit the ball great. I didn’t even struggle with the ball-striking. … I was trying to press a little bit on the back nine, trying to make up a little ground. But it was good. Gusty wind, and also the direction was shifting quite a bit, so that made shot selection harder.”

The Woodlands resident and former Texas A&M player led the tour with four victories last year, including major wins at the U.S. Senior Open and Regions Tradition. He won three times on the PGA Tour.

“I had a great career, and it’s different now,” Maggert said. “I think the difference is, when you’re younger, we’re all out here trying to prove things to ourselves and now, it’s more like there’s not a lot left to prove. I’d like to play well here tomorrow, but just going to enjoy the day and really looking forward to this week to jump-start my summer.”

Parnevik eagled the par-5 13th and had four birdies and two bogeys.

“The game didn’t feel good today, but putting felt a little bit better, even though I seemed to miss every short one,” Parnevik said. “Then, I holed two monsters, to sort of kind of even it out.”

The 51-year-old Swede is winless on the 50-and-over tour. He won five times on the PGA Tour.

“It’s great to feel the butterflies come alive,” Parnevik said. “All of a sudden you go, ”Oh, I have to focus on these shots.’ It’s different and it’s going to be fun tomorrow, just to be able to have a chance to win.“

First-round leader Mike Goodes was 6 under after a 72. Glen Day (68), Michael Allen (69), Grant Waite (69) and David Frost (70) were 5 under.

Canadian Stephen Ames (73) was in a tie for 8th at 4 under.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – John Daly shot a 2-under 70 on Friday in his PGA Tour Champions debut, leaving him four strokes behind leader Mike Goodes in the Insperity Invitational.

Daly had four birdies and two bogeys at The Woodlands Country Club, playing alongside friend Fuzzy Zoeller and Peter Jacobsen. The two-time major champion turned 50 on April 28.

“It was like starting all over,” Daly said. “The nerves were good, but it’s cool coming out here and having positive nerves, and I just fed off Fuzzy and Jake. You know, I couldn’t have asked to play with two better people. For my first round on the Champions Tour, we just had a blast.”

Daly was in a nine-man tie for 12th. He hit 13 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens in regulation and topped the field with a driving average of 317.5 yards on the two measuring holes.

“I was surprised how good I hit the ball,” Daly said. “I mean, I hit a lot of fairways, and that 1-iron was a blessing today for me. Even when I didn’t hit it good, it was going in the fairway, and I gave myself a lot of chances, a lot of chances to hit greens and a lot of opportunities.”

Daly parred the first six holes, bogeyed the par-4 seventh and rebounded with birdies on the par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth. He added birdies on the par-4 11th and par-5 13th, had a bogey on the par-3 14th and closed with four pars.

“I just couldn’t get the putter to make anything,” Daly said. “But I rolled it good, and for me that’s what mattered today, is just hitting the ball solid and getting it around, and I didn’t shoot myself out of the tournament.”

The 59-year-old Goodes bogeyed the par-4 18th for a 66. He made four straight birdies on Nos. 13-16.

“The key in my game is keep giving myself opportunities,” Goodes said. “You make some putts and you go around, it looks like you’re not making much, and all of a sudden I make four in a row and that’s just the way this game is. You have to be patient, keep giving yourself opportunities.”

Canada’s Stephen Ames had a 67, and area resident Jeff Maggert and Duffy Waldorf shot 68.

“Struggling a little bit with my golf swing right now, but I’ve put a lot of work on my putting the last couple weeks when I haven’t been playing,” Ames said. “I haven’t put a lot of work into my golf swing so it’s showing now for me. Made some nice putts and a lot of birdies.”

Defending champion Ian Woosnam opened with a 73.

Zoeller and Jacobsen each shot 76.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA TOUR Champions and Pacific Links International announced today that the 2016 Pacific Links Championship, originally set to be contested in Tianjin, China, has moved to Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.. The tournament dates will remain September 19-25, with the field increasing from 60 players to 81 players, and the purse remaining $2.5 million.

“Bear Mountain Golf Resort is an incredible property, offering not only great golf, but an impressive variety of activities and accommodations,” said Mr. Du, Owner & Chairman of Pacific Links International. “Western Canada is a prime travel destination with attractions that include the internationally prized wine region of the Okanagan Valley, the cosmopolitan coastal city of Vancouver, Vancouver Island and to the east Jasper and Banff National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. We are proud to showcase Bear Mountain and the entire travel destination of spectacular British Columbia by bringing this special event to Victoria.”

Tournament play at the Pacific Links Championship will be held on the Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Resort, which opened for play in 2003.

The Jack & Steve Nicklaus co-design sits just minutes from Victoria’s downtown harbor, and is one of two Nicklaus Design courses at the resort. The Mountain Course sits at the base of Mount Finlayson, and features panoramic city, ocean and mountain views throughout.

“We are delighted that PGA TOUR Champions and Pacific Links have chosen Bear Mountain to host this event, and at such an important time of the year in the Tour’s schedule,” said World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus. “Players and fans will find that this is an incredible backdrop for golf, with gorgeous mountains framing the resort and spectacular vistas from many holes. It also made for a terrific canvas on which Steve and I could create a challenging but memorable resort golf experience. I hope the competitors will enjoy the experience as much as Steve and I did designing it.”

“Bear Mountain is honored to be a part of Pacific Links’ PGA TOUR Champions event,” said Dan Matthews, President and CEO, Ecoasis Developments LLP. “Hosting The Pacific Links Championship at Bear Mountain will enable us to showcase Canada’s only 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf and go a long way in supporting our goal to demonstrate why we are fast becoming the finest golf resort community in Canada.”

The tournament will give PGA TOUR Champions two events in golf-rich Canada during a four-week stretch, pairing with the Shaw Charity Classic on September 2-4 to provide an exciting late-season run up to the inaugural Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs this fall.

In addition to the Pacific Links Championship, Victoria serves as host of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, a Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada event operated by the Island Open Golf Society for 33 years. The event’s past champions include Steve Stricker (1990), who is set to make his PGA TOUR Champions debut in early 2017, and current PGA TOUR Champions member Mike Grob (2006). Victoria native and Tour member Jim Rutledge has served as the event’s Honorary Chairman since 2014.

“Pacific Links International has been a wonderful partner for PGA TOUR Champions, and we are confident that Bear Mountain Resort will provide a championship-caliber setting for one of our premier events,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin. “The passion for golf is strong in British Columbia, and should make for a wonderful tournament week atmosphere for our fans and players.”

From 2012-14, PGA TOUR Champions held the Pacific Links Hawai’i Championship at Kapolei Golf Club on Oahu. Following the 2014 tournament, Pacific Links announced it was moving the 2015 tournament to Tianjin, China, to be played at the company’s flagship course in Asia, The 27 Club. Tragically, in August, a factory explosion in the port area of Tianjin forced the cancellation of the event, with officials making the decision just weeks prior to tournament week out of respect for the hundreds of victims of the tragedy.

Pacific Links and the PGA TOUR remain committed to holding a PGA TOUR Champions tournament in Tianjin, but due to ongoing challenges in the city associated with the explosion, the joint decision was made to move the 2016 event to British Columbia.

Tournament week in Victoria will begin with pro-ams on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by 54 holes of tournament play from Friday through Sunday, with no cut. All three rounds will be broadcast on Golf Channel.

In November of 2015, Bear Mountain was named Golf Canada’s official training centre.

RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Woody Austin and Michael Allen won the PGA Tour Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge on Sunday, giving Austin two straight victories and three in the last four events on the 50-and-over tour.

Austin and Allen birdied the final hole for a one-stroke victory over David Frost and Roger Chapman.

Austin and Allen closed with a 6-under 48, playing nine holes of modified alternate shot and nine of better ball on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. They finished at 23-under 156. Frost and Chapman also shot a 48.

Austin won the Tucson Conquistadores Classic last month in Arizona for his first senior title and took the Mitsubishi Electric Classic last week in a playoff in Georgia. Allen has eight senior titles.

Billy Andrade and Joe Durant, the winners last year, were third at 21 under after a 49.

Larry Nelson and Bruce Fleisher completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Legends Division for players 65 and older, beating John Bland and Graham Marsh by two strokes. Nelson and Fleisher shot a 4-under 23 in a better-ball nine to finish at 19-under 116. Bland and Marsh also had a 23.

CALGARY—Tom Watson will make his debut at the Shaw Charity Classic this summer – the PGA TOUR Champions event that has quickly become a staple on the schedules of the world’s best players over 50.

The World Golf Hall of Fame member has won 39 times on the PGA TOUR, including eight majors. Throughout his illustrious career, Watson has also captured five Claret Jugs as the British Open Champion (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983) and won both the 1982 US Open and the Masters Tournament in 1977 and 1981.

“I still enjoy preparing for a tournament and teeing it up competitively,” said Watson, who recently made his 43rd and final appearance at The Masters. “I have not played in Calgary before but I have heard nothing but positive things about the Shaw Charity Classic. I am looking forward to getting up there this summer and being a part of the show.”

Named Golfer of the Decade in the 1980’s for his 19 wins and 86 top-10 finishes, Watson is a six-time PGA TOUR Player-of-the-Year and was the leading money-winner five times throughout his career. After playing on four Ryder Cup teams for the United States (1977, 1981, 1983, 1989), Watson captained the 1993 Ryder Cup squad to a come-from-behind victory.

While Watson is now most comfortable playing on the PGA TOUR Champions Tour – where he has won 14 times, including six senior major victories – he did capture the world’s attention one more time in 2009 when Mr. British Open lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink after leading the Open Championship until the 72nd hole.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has been very successful in bringing many of the best names in golf to Calgarians, and we are thrilled to add Tom Watson to that list,” said Sean Van Kesteren, executive director, Shaw Charity Classic. “Having players like Tom Watson continue to tee it up with the PGA TOUR Champions rekindles special memories for many of our spectators and allows them to create new ones with their children. I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2016 than by confirming that one of the most respected and accomplished sportsmen will be coming to Calgary.”

DULUTH, Ga. – Woody Austin’s Sunday putter came through again.

Austin tied the tournament record with an 8-under 64 and beat Wes Short Jr. with a par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff in the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

The 52-year-old Austin has two victories in the last three events on the 50-and-over tour, also winning in Tucson, Arizona, last month. In each win he switched putters for the final round.

It’s an example of why he said “I’m not a normal person when it comes to golf.”

“I do everything quite different than most golfers,” Austin said. “I’m not a range guy. I don’t even go to the range an hour before my round.”

Austin also didn’t go to the range after his 64, instead sitting in the clubhouse for about an hour as Short and others finished. The televised coverage of the tournament kept showing Austin munching on popcorn.

Austin didn’t hear the commentators speculate about why he wasn’t warming up, because he wasn’t even watching the tournament.

“I went in the clubhouse because I wanted to watch the Cavaliers-Pistons game,” he said. “I’m a sports junkie. I was more happy watching that. That keeps my mind off what is going on.”

Austin won the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship at age 49 for the last of his four PGA Tour titles. His win in Tucson last month was his first on the senior tour.

Austin said his Sunday putter – the same style but black instead of silver – has earned a try in the first round of his next tournament.

Short bogeyed the second playoff after pulling his tee shot left into tall grass for the second time.

“You can’t hit it left,” Short said. “I mean, I’m dead. I knew it as soon as I hit it both times. … I didn’t think I’d be tree-locked on the second time, though.”

Short finished with a 68. He could have avoided the playoff at TPC Sugarloaf, but missed a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18, leaving him tied with Austin at 11 under. That missed putt may have been more painful than his errant drives on the playoff holes.

“It was very makeable,” he said. “I pushed it. As soon as I hit it, I knew. That kind of stings.”

Paul Goydos had a 67 to finish third at 10 under. Joey Sindelar (67), Tom Lehman (67), Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Colin Montgomerie (69) were another stroke back.

Bernhard Langer shot a 67 to tie for 11th at 6 under, ending his streak of five top-10 finishes on the tour this season. He had one win and two second-place finishes in the tournament’s first three years.

Tom Watson, the 66-year-old star who shared the first-round lead a week after playing in his final Masters, closed with a 68 to finish 4 under.

DULUTH, Ga. – Wes Short Jr. shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic to take a lead into the final round for the first time in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.

Short had a 7-under 137 total at TPC Sugarloaf for a one-shot advantage over Colin Montgomerie, Todd Hamilton and Mark O’Meara. Montgomerie shot 66, Hamilton 69, and O’Meara 70. Miguel Angel Jimenez, the 2014 winner, was 5 under after a 67.

Tom Watson, tied for the first-round lead at 68, fell back with two early double bogeys and finished with a 76. The 66-year-old Watson was seven shots behind Short.

Short, from Austin, Texas, won his lone PGA Tour title in Las Vegas in 2005. He took the 2014 Quebec Championship for his only PGA Tour Champions victory.

An even-par round has Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont., in a tie for 25th, while a second-straight 73 has Calgary’s Stephen Ames at T46.

DULUTH, Ga. – Tom Watson said farewell to the Masters last week and then went back to work on his swing.

The results have him in position to make PGA Tour Champions history.

Watson shot a 4-under 68 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Tom Byrum and Mark O’Meara in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

The 66-year-old Watson is trying to become the oldest winner on the 50-and-over tour. Mike Fetchick set the mark in the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors International on his 63rd birthday.

That fact surprised Watson, who said “Thanks for putting the pressure on me.”

Watson hasn’t won on the tour since 2011, and he wasn’t ready to talk about his possible shot at history.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it, if we come to it,” Watson said, adding he was confident after arriving early this week.

“I had a good idea on the practice round on Monday I was going to hit the ball pretty well. I made an adjustment to my swing and it carried on through today. I don’t know if that adjustment is going to work tomorrow. I hope it does.”

O’Meara said he is never surprised by low scores from Watson.

“I never underestimate Tom Watson,” O’Meara said. “Every time I play with him, he breaks his age. … He doesn’t cease to amaze me.”

Todd Hamilton, Jesper Parnevik and Kenny Perry were a stroke back at TPC Sugarloaf.

Canada’s Rod Spittle was tied for 16th after a 71, while compatriot Shephen Ames had a 73 and was 1-over.

Bernhard Langer had a 75, breaking his string of seven straight rounds in the 60s in the tournament. He has a victory and two second-place finishes in the tournament’s three years.

Olin Browne, who won last year’s tournament when rain washed out the final round, had a 74.

Battling windy conditions, Watson had five birdies and one bogey.

“I putted for 18 birdies today, so I hit the ball well,” Watson said. “That’s pretty good on this golf course. The wind was blowing and I was very happy about the way I hit the ball.”

Watson noted that the 58-year-old Langer was two shots off the Masters lead through three rounds last week.

“There’s longevity in the game if guys keep themselves in good shape,” Watson said.

“When we go play against the kids sometimes we still have a little bit left in the tank, although that course last week is way too uphill for me anymore.”

The story was different Friday when he was happy with his tee shots, including one that helped set up a 15-foot attempt for an eagle putt on the par-5 sixth. Watson settled for a birdie but was still proud of the drive.

“Pretty long for a 66-year-old,” he said, smiling.