Champions Tour

Stephen Ames shoots 69 for 3 shot lead in Morocco Champions

Stephen Ames
Stephen Ames (Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

MARRAKECH, Morocco – Calgary’s Stephen Ames shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Morocco Champions.

Ames had a 12-under 132 total at Samanah Golf Club in the senior tour’s first event in Africa.. He matched the course record with a 63 on Thursday for a four-stroke lead.

“Not a bad day. I played nice today,” Ames said. “Wasn’t as much wind as yesterday on the back nine, but I think overall the pins were tucked a little bit more, obviously. But overall I think the golf course played very fair and the setup of the golf course by the officials was nicely done.”

The 55-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric in 2017 for his lone senior title. He won four times on the PGA Tour.

“Anytime you have a chance to win against the field that we have here this week, yeah, it’s a nice opportunity,” Ames said. “I’m going to take it as it comes, learn from it and hopefully everything comes out the way I expect it to be.”

Hall of Famers Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal were tied for second with Brett Quigley. Langer and Olazabal each shot 68, with Olazabal making a hole-in-one with a 3-iron on the 208-yard 17th hole.

“The breeze was hurting a little bit, so I decided to hit a 3-iron with a little fade,” Olazabal said. “When I struck it, it looked good. When the ball bounced on the green the first time, it was pretty much online with the flag. I kept on looking at the ball and the ball looked like it was rolling straight towards the hole. At one time the ball disappeared and that was it.”

Quigley, making his second Champions start, had a 66.

Defending Charles Schwab Cup champion Scott McCarron shot 65 to get to 8 under. He birdied three of his last five holes.

“I putted probably the worst I’ve putted in about a year yesterday and figured it out a little bit last night on the putting green,” McCarron said. “I putted nicely today, kept the ball in play, and 7 under’s a pretty good score.”

Colin Mongomerie, Rod Pampling and Scott Parel also were 8 under. Montgomerie had a 69, and Pampling and Parel shot 68.

Champions Tour

Stephen Ames takes PGA Tour Champions lead in Morocco

Stephen Ames
Stephen Ames (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

MARRAKECH, Morocco – Stephen Ames shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday to take a four-stroke lead over a Hall of Fame quartet in the Morocco Champions, the first PGA Tour Champions event in Africa.

Making his season debut, Ames matched the Samanah Golf Club record set by Daniel Brooks in the 2009 Samanah Masters. The 55-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad played the four par-5 holes in 5 under, making an eagle on No. 5 and birdies on Nos. 9, 12 and 18.

“Today was a great day,” Ames said. “I hit the ball very nicely and capitalized with my putting. … The main thing I worked on all week was putting and I putted extremely well today.”

Ames has one senior victory after winning four times on the PGA Tour.

Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Retief Goosen shot 67 in sunny conditions with an afternoon high of 77 degrees.

Kevin Sutherland was at 68 with Tom Pernice Jr., Ken Tanigawa, Scott Parel and Rod Pampling.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago in the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric in Hawaii, shot 70.

Champions Tour

Canadians raise over $14M at 2019 Champions Tour event

Shaw Charity Classic
(Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

CALGARY—Canadians made a major mark on the 2019 edition of the Shaw Charity Classic by chipping in to raise a record $14,071,188 for 200 youth-based charities across Alberta.

The seventh-straight record-setting donation for any event on the PGA TOUR Champions now brings the award-winning tournament’s fundraising totals to more than $48 million since it first teed off in Calgary in 2013.

“It is an absolute thrill for me to look back on another record-setting year and realize this spectacular tournament continues to have a tremendous impact on our youth, which was the core goal in bringing the event to Calgary,” said Jim Riddell, who was determined to build on his late father Clay’s legacy of ensuring the Shaw Charity Classic continues to have a positive impact on Alberta youth when he took over as Tournament Chairman last fall.

“I firmly believe it takes an entire community to build a successful international event of this magnitude, so this accomplishment should be celebrated by everyone – from the more than 1,400 volunteers, to our generous corporate community, friends in the media, and all of the great citizens of this amazing city who came down to Canyon Meadows this summer. Each of you have made Calgary one of the top stops on the PGA TOUR Champions, and for that, I thank you.”

With the tournament’s charitable spirit rooted in the generous leadership of its corporate partners of the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program, the record donation in 2019 will have a positive impact on thousands of youth representing 200 charities that includes the areas of sports, arts, health, development and counselling.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has become a powerful example of what can be accomplished when family, charity, and community rally together for a common cause,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “Over the past seven years, we have seen the Calgary community support this tournament in ways we never could have imagined, and we are exceptionally grateful for their continued enthusiasm and generosity as we continue to grow the Shaw Charity Classic to help more kids and their families.”

The Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program, which ramped up the tournament’s charitable giving arm when it was created in 2015, welcomed donations from Canadians in all corners of the country.

“In the five years since we helped launch the Shaw Birdies for Kids Presented by AltaLink program, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Albertans in supporting hundreds of children’s charities throughout our province,” said Scott Thon, AltaLink President & CEO. “The incredible growth of Birdies for Kids means that more kids are getting the assistance they need for a bright future. We know that supporting kids today leads to a great community and province tomorrow.”

The records didn’t stop with the financial side of the tournament in 2019. A star-studded field of PGA TOUR Champions players highlighted by six World Golf Hall of Fame members including: Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara and Vijay Singh put on a stellar show in 2019. In the end, it was Wes Short Jr. who sported the winner’s white Smithbilt Cowboy Hat after holding off two-time defending champion, Scott McCarron. Short had luck on his side when his ball took a favourable bounce off a rock in the water hazard on the final hole to land on the green. Short went on to two-putt for his second PGA TOUR Champions title.

Another highlight in 2019 was the inaugural Super Saturday at the Shaw Charity Classic, presented by Freedom Mobile which featured a live concert experience with country music artist, Chad Brownlee, on the 10th fairway. The concert took centre stage following a nine-hole Celebrity Shootout where Brownlee battled with NHL and CFL greats, along with many of Canada’s Olympic best for $40,000 in charity prize money. Each participant received $1,000 for their charity of their choice in the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink initiative.

NHL Hall-of-Fame goaltender, Grant Fuhr, took the top prize in the golf exhibition, earning an additional $15,000 for Children’s Wish Foundation. Olympic alpine ski champion, Kerrin Lee-Gartner, locked up second place and $7,000 for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. Olympic curling champion, Ben Hebert, won $5,000 for KidSport Calgary thanks to his third-place finish.

The award-winning golf tournament will return to Calgary through to 2022.

Champions Tour

Maggert wins tournament, McCarron wins Schwab Cup

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Scott McCarron, Jeff Maggert (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

PHOENIX – Jeff Maggert holed out from 123 yards for eagle on the third playoff hole Sunday to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and hand Scott McCarron the season points title on the PGA Tour Champions.

Two holes earlier, Retief Goosen missed a 4-foot birdie putt that would have given him the tournament and the Charles Schwab Cup.

Instead, the South African could only watch from the fairway as Maggert’s shot on the par-4 17th landed in front of the pin, bounced once and dropped for a stunning conclusion to the season. Maggert threw both hands up in the air to celebrate.

“I’ve seen it happen. I never, ever thought it would happen to me,” Maggert said about his game-winner.

No one was happier than McCarron, who has led the Charles Schwab Cup since April but did not contend in any of the three post-season events. McCarron tied for 27th in the final event at Phoenix Country Club, opening the door for others to claim the $1 million bonus.

Bernhard Langer got in the mix for another title with a hole-in-one on the eighth hole, only for his putter to go cold. Goosen, No. 5 in the standings, was poised to capture the cup when he birdied three of his last four holes for a 7-under 64 to finish at 21-under 263.

Maggert, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, pulled his drive into the trees on the par-5 18th and had to lay up. He hit wedge to 8 feet and made the birdie putt for a 66 to force the playoff.

Canadian Stephen Ames finished in sole possession of 12th place with a score of 13 under par.

Champions Tour

PGA TOUR Champions announces 2020 schedule

Shaw Charity Classic
Shaw Charity Classic (Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – PGA TOUR Champions announced today the 2020 tournament schedule, featuring 27 events and culminating with the fifth annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The Tour will contest tournaments in four foreign countries and 18 states, with total prize money of nearly $59 million.

“We are excited to announce the 2020 PGA TOUR Champions schedule as we continue to focus on building a tremendous tournament product for our players, partners and fans,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady. “Our Tour benefits greatly from the numerous legends who compete each week, as well as the ‘rookies’ who make their debuts, and 2020 will be an incredible year for both.”

The 2020 season will mark the first year of PGA TOUR Champions eligibility for a number of the game’s biggest names. World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els celebrated his 50th birthday on October 17, while 17-time PGA TOUR winner and 2010 FedExCup Champion Jim Furyk, 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir, 2011 PLAYERS Champion K.J. Choi and World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson will all turn 50 in the next 12 months.

“I am looking forward to my first start on PGA TOUR Champions in January at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii,” said Els. “It will be great to reconnect with all of my friends I grew up competing with, and I know the camaraderie and competition will provide a lot of excitement for our fans.”

The 2020 season will begin with Els’ debut at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai the week of January 13-18 (Saturday finish), where Tom Lehman will be the defending champion.

PGA TOUR Champions will welcome two new events to the annual schedule next year, including the Morocco Champions (Jan. 27 – Feb. 1) at Samanah Golf Club in Marrakech, Morocco, as well as the Ascension Charity Classic (Sept. 28 – Oct. 4) at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis.

The Shaw Charity Classic will be held in Calgary, Alta., from Aug. 24-30 at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.

The Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs will once again provide an exciting end to the season. The Boca Raton Championship – which has been contested at The Old Course at Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton, Florida, since 2007 – moves from its traditional February date into the second Playoffs event slot.

The Boca Raton Championship will be preceded by the fifth annual Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia, with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship returning to Phoenix Country Club for a fourth year to finish out the Playoffs.

DATE CHARLES SCHWAB CUP PLAYOFFS HOST COURSE LOCATION
Oct. 12-18 Dominion Energy Charity Classic The Country Club of Virginia (James River) Richmond, Va.
Oct. 26-1 Boca Raton Championship The Old Course at Broken Sound Club Boca Raton, Fla.
Nov. 2-8 Charles Schwab Cup Championship Phoenix Country Club Phoenix, Ariz.

Since 2001, the Charles Schwab Cup has been awarded to the winner of a season-long, points-based competition. Bernhard Langer is a five-time winner of the Cup, while Jay Haas, Hale Irwin, Tom Lehman, Loren Roberts and Tom Watson have each won twice.

The schedule of five major championships starts in May with the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama, where 12-time PGA TOUR winner and 2017 Presidents Cup U.S. Team Captain Steve Stricker will be the defending champion at Greystone Golf & Country Club.

The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship returns to Harbor Shores Golf Club in Michigan the week of May 19-24, while the U.S. Senior Open will make its first trip to historic Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island, the week of June 22-28. Newport C.C., which was founded in 1893, hosted the first U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in 1895, as well as the 1995 U.S. Amateur (won by Tiger Woods) and the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open.

The senior major season will conclude in July with the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship returning to Firestone Country Club’s South Course in Akron, Ohio, for a second straight year, and The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex being contested at Sunningdale Golf Club in England for the third time in tournament history.

The Tour’s lone Challenge Season event will be the PNC Father Son Challenge, which will return to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, the week of December 14-20.

PGA TOUR Champions tournament programming is available via TV linear partners in 170+ countries and territories across more than 270 million potential households, with 28 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories across 65 million potential households. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the US, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 120+ countries and territories.

The complete 2020 schedule for PGA TOUR Champions can be found at PGATOUR.com.

Champions Tour

Wes Short Jr. birdies final hole to win Shaw Charity Classic

Wes Short Jr
Wes Short Jr. (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

CALGARY – Wes Short Jr. took full advantage of a fortunate bounce.

Short made a short birdie putt on the final hole to win the Shaw Charity Classic by one stroke on Sunday.

His second shot on the par 5, 18th hole at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club just cleared the water before bouncing off a rock and onto the green.

“I caught a little bit of a thin three wood and pushed it a little bit,” Short said. “I thought it might have been over, but it hit a rock and kicked up on the green. It was a really good break.”

After his eagle attempt came up short, he tapped in a three-foot putt for a final-round 4-under 66 and a a 13-under 267 total – just ahead of two-time defending champion Scott McCarron.

“It probably looked five, six feet and I was sure glad it went in,” Short said. “All the hard work you put into this stupid game comes to the top.”

Short’s final round included six birdies and two bogeys to give the 55-year-old golfer from Austin, Texas, just his second-ever PGA Tour Champions victory. His last one was also in Canada at the 2014 Quebec Championship.

“Maybe I need to move here,” he joked.

The start of the final round of the three-day event was delayed by 30 minutes due to thick fog and golfers also had to battle chilly conditions at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club until it warmed up in the afternoon.

McCarron rolled in a 39-foot putt for eagle on the 18th hole to card a round of 5-under 65, which pulled him into a tie for the lead with Short and Tom Gillis at 12 under.

“It was going a little faster than I wanted, kind of banged the stick and went in,” McCarron said. “Just to do that to have a chance was really cool, but I shouldn’t have put myself in that position to begin with.”

The Charles Schwab Cup points leader then watched as Short made his clutch birdie, while Gillis fell back into fourth at 10 under with a double bogey on the last hole.

“Wes obviously got a great break on 18, hit the rocks in the hazard and bounced on the green and birdied it to win the tournament,” said McCarron, who had bogeys on 16 and 17 before his eagle on the final hole. “Sometimes those things happen when you win. He got the good breaks and I made a few bad swings with poor timing, unfortunately.”

Second-round leader Steve Flesch shot 69 to fall back into third at 11 under.

“I wanted to play aggressively and I drove it great and I ironed it okay on the front, but I just didn’t make any putts today,” Flesch said.

Joe Durant, Billy Andrade and Tom Byrum finished in a tie for fifth at 9 under.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and former Calgary resident Stephen Ames had a 69 to finish in a tie for 29th with six others at 3 under.

“Besides freezing, it was really good,” said Ames, who recently relocated from Vancouver to Turks and Caicos. “When you don’t play as often in the cold weather, I tend to struggle a little bit with it. That’s always been my nemesis is cold weather.”

Champions Tour

Stephen Ames closes Chubb Classic with share of 6th

Stephen AMes
Stephen Ames (Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

NAPLES, Fla. – Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Chubb Classic on Sunday for his seventh PGA Tour Champions title, beating Bernhard Langer and Olin Browne with a 5-foot par putt on the first hole of a playoff.

Jimenez closed with a 5-under 66 at The Classics at Lely Resort to match Langer and Browne at 13-under 200.

“I’m working hard and I practice and go to the gym, apart from smoking and drinking,” Jimenez said. “This is what I love to do. I love to play golf. To me, competing is my life. I go to any competition, I want to win. I working for that.”

Jimenez has won in each of his six seasons on the 50-and-over tour. The 55-year-old Spaniard won the major Regions Tradition and Senior British Open last season.

“It’s the beginning of the season,” Jimenez said. “We are on the third tournament of the season and all the season in front of us. This is gives you the energy and the confidence coming up.”

Langer shot 68, and Browne had a double bogey on the par-4 18th in regulation for a 66.

“I didn’t hit a very good tee shot in regulation and I had a lot of club in,” Browne said. “I was in between and I thought there was more wind, and frankly I hit a poor shot, but I ended up in a horrible situation.”

The 61-year-old Langer, the Oasis Championship winner last week near his home in Boca Raton, won the event in 2011, 2013 and 2016.

“Played some good golf, hung in there,” Langer said. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

Kevin Sutherland and Woody Austin each shot 69 to finish a shot out of the playoff.

Stephen Ames, tied for the second-round lead with Ken Tanigawa and Glen Day, had a 71 to tie for sixth at 11 under with Tom Lehman (65), Sandy Lyle (68), Retief Goosen (69) and Colin Montgomerie (70).

Tanigawa and Day each shot 72 to finish at 10 under. Steve Stricker (70) also was at 10 under.

Champions Tour

Canada’s Stephen Ames shares PGA Tour Champions lead

Stephen Ames
Stephen Ames (Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

NAPLES, Fla. – Ken Tanigawa had six back-nine birdies in a 5-under 66 for a share of the Chubb Classic lead Saturday with Glen Day and Stephen Ames.

Tanigawa rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 with birdies on Nos. 10-12, 14, 15 and 17 at The Classics at Lely Resort.

“I never felt all that comfortable early on and it kind of showed,” Tanigawa said. “I kind of hung in there, then I made those two bogeys on 8 and 9, which was easy to do. I made a nice putt on 10 to make a birdie and just tried to stay patient and plug away. I started hitting better shots and making some putts and got some momentum my way.”

He won the PURE Insurance Championship in September at Pebble Beach for his lone PGA Tour Champions title.

Day birdied the final two holes for a 66.

“I made a double on th–e front nine,” Day said. “Other than that, everything was real solid. You’re going to get a lot of birdie opportunities out here, so you’ve got to stay patient.”

Ames, tied for the first-round lead with Sandy Lyle after a then-course record 63, had a 68 to keep a share of the top spot at 11-under 131.

“I’m quite happy to be in the position I’m in,” Ames said. “Tomorrow’s another day.”

Kevin Sutherland broke the day-old course record with a 62, birdieing six of his first eight holes in a round that started on No. 10.

“I hit it better than I did yesterday and got in a rhythm early and I putted well,” Sutherland said. “I made all the putts I needed to make and made a couple that probably were a gift.”

Sutherland was a stroke back with Bernhard Langer (64), Colin Montgomerie (63), Woody Austin (65), Tom Byrum (65), Dan Olsen (67) and Kent Jones (67).

The 61-year-old Langer, the Oasis Championship winner last week near his home in Boca Raton, won the event in 2011, 2013 and 2016.

Tour newcomer Retief Goosen (65) and Steve Stricker (66) topped the group at 9 under.

“I’ve been giving myself some opportunities around here the first couple of days and just not getting it in there, not knocking ’em in,” Stricker said. “I’ll hit good putts, a lot of misreads. I’ll hit a few bad putts. I’m just struggling on getting it in the hole.”

Lyle followed his opening 63 with a 71 to drop into a tie for 15th at 8 under. Jay Haas also was 8 under, shooting a 70 a day after the 65-year-old player bettered his age with a 64.

Champions Tour

Shaw Charity Classic announces $12.3M donation to youth charities

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(Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

CALGARY—Standing high atop the city’s skyline at the Calgary Tower, the Shaw Charity Classic announced it has shattered its own fundraising record for a sixth straight year on the PGA TOUR Champions with a $12,357,863 donation that will be shared amongst 182 youth-based charities in Alberta.

Smashing its target of hitting the $10 million mark for 2018, the sizeable donation now brings the award-winning tournament’s fundraising totals to more than $34 million since its inception on the senior professional golf circuit in 2013.

“This donation is nothing short of remarkable. Year-after-year our tournament has broken records for charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions, and we have done it again in 2018,” said Jim Riddell, who will continue to build on his father, Clay’s legacy, ensuring the Shaw Charity Classic continues to have a positive impact on Alberta youth.

“Achieving these substantial fundraising goals is simply not possible without the shared passion we have with our incredible corporate partners for watching the greatest names in golf come to Calgary, and a commitment to helping the children in our province. I know we will continue to have a tremendous impact on the lives of Alberta youth through the continued support of this program.”

To support the growth of the Shaw Charity Classic’s fundraising efforts, the tournament’s title sponsor, Shaw Communications, also signed on this year as the title sponsor for the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program. Shaw kicked off this year’s fundraising by donating $1 million to the charitable giving program, which will benefit over 180 charities across Alberta.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has given us a meaningful opportunity to connect to the city we love and support the people and organizations who work to make our communities a better place, every day,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “Through the support and dedication of the partners, fans and volunteers who help to ensure the success of the tournament, this year’s event will have a significant impact on the lives of hundreds-of-thousands of kids and youth from across our province.”

With the tournament’s charitable spirit rooted in the generous leadership of Shaw Communications and AltaLink, the record donation in 2018 will have a positive impact on more than 500,000 youth representing over 180 charities in the areas of sports, arts, health, development and counselling. The program welcomed donations from more than 3,127 Canadians in all corners of the country.

“Every year I am amazed at how the Birdies for Kids participating charities come together with donors across our country to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids, and this year is no different,” said Scott Thon, President and CEO of AltaLink. “Being the presenting sponsor of the Birdies for Kids program is incredibly rewarding, and the good the program does in our community made it easy for us to sign on for another three years earlier this year.”

After partnering with children representing nine of the tournament’s official charities to unveil the 2018 donation, the Shaw Charity Classic announced Jim Riddell as its new tournament chairman. Riddell will build on his father, Clay Riddell’s, vision for bringing the PGA TOUR Champions to his home club at Calgary’s Canyon Meadows. Clay, the driving force behind making the Shaw Charity Classic a reality, passed away in September at the age of 81.

“My father’s vision for bringing professional golf to Calgary was clear – to help the children in our community live a healthier and happier life,” said Jim Riddell. “Working with the patron group, the event team, our corporate partners, and the PGA TOUR, we will continue to expand the unparalleled legacy he has established with this tournament by helping as many kids as we can throughout Alberta.

“I know he would be smiling tonight in celebration of what we achieved together this year. Tomorrow, he would be challenging us to raise the bar and do even better in 2019. Giving back to Alberta through a premier sporting event that benefits the next generation of Albertans is as important to me as it was to my father.”

The 2019 Shaw Charity Classic returns to Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, Aug. 28 – Sept. 1.

Champions Tour

Canadian Stephen Ames closes season with T5 finish in Phoenix

Stephen Ames
Stephen Ames Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

PHOENIX – Bernhard Langer celebrated his fifth Charles Schwab Cup with his wife and friends, a glass of red wine in his hand.

He might consider sending the best bottle to Vijay Singh.

Both walked away winners Sunday when Singh produced the best round of his PGA Tour Champions career, a 10-under 61 that turned a six-shot deficit into a four-shot victory in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and allowed Langer to claim another $1 million bonus for the season title.

“At age 61 to do it is quite an achievement,” Langer said, holding a glass of red wine on the balcony at Phoenix Country Club. “Maybe there’s another in me.”

It was the fourth time in the last five years that Langer won the Schwab Cup.

This one was out of his hands when he could only manage a tie for 13th in the tournament. That paved the way for Scott McCarron, who had a one-shot lead going into the final round and needed to win the tournament to capture his first Schwab Cup. McCarron faltered from the start, however, opening with a three-putt par and hitting a tee shot out-of-bounds for double bogey two holes later.

Singh blew by McCarron and everyone else at Phoenix Country Club, winning by four shots over Tim Petrovic.

Needing a big finish to try to catch the surprising leader, McCarron hit over the green into a corporate grandstand behind the 17th hole and made another double bogey. He closed with a 72 and tied for third.

“There’s not really much to say today about the round. It wasn’t very good,” McCarron said. “I couldn’t quite get it going, but I was still hanging in there. I had a good opportunity at 10, just missed it. And I hit a poor tee shot on 11, which cost me a bogey. By then, I looked up and Vijay’s at 21 or whatever he was at that point and it was like almost over.”

Singh holed putts from everywhere and lost track of his score until it was time to sign his card. His 61 was his lowest score by two shots on the 50-and-older circuit.

“I really didn’t think I had any chance,” Singh said.

Singh said he saw a leaderboard around the 13th hole that showed him tied for the lead, and he poured it on. He punched a wedge under the trees to 30 feet and holed the birdie putt on the 16th, rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th and was on his way.

Singh finished at 22-under 262 to win by four shots over Petrovic, who started the final round one shot behind McCarron and closed with a 70.

The 55-year-old Fijian won for the third time this year and finished at No. 4 in the Schwab Cup.

“The way they were scoring all week, I thought if I got to 20 (under), I might finish top 5,” Singh said. “I birdied the first two, hit it close at 4. I just kept going. I didn’t think about much. I didn’t even know what we were shooting.”

Singh missed only one green in regulation.

Langer capped off another remarkable year for a 61-year-old German with an ageless game. He only won twice, his fewest since 2015, but was runner-up six times.

“It doesn’t get old,” he said.

Langer was among only six players who had a mathematical chance to win the Schwab Cup. McCarron was the only one who had a chance to win Sunday, and he wound up second in the Schwab Cup, worth a $500,000 bonus.

Wes Short had a 69 and tied for third with McCarron.

“To look at the start of the year, if you would have said, ‘Hey, with nine holes to go, you had a chance to win the Schwab Cup,’ I’d say, let’s go, let’s take it,” McCarron said. “Unfortunately, I’m a little disappointed in the way I performed today.”

After setting the course record on Saturday with a 61, Canadian Stephen Ames slipped three spots into a tie for 5th with a final-round 72 (+1).