There have been just two Champions Tour events played in Colorado in the last 22 years, so 2010 will be a welcome change with the Senior PGA Championship coming to Colorado Golf Club in Parker May 27-30.
If for no reason other than that, golf fans in the state will be paying closer attention than usual to the Champions Tour season, which starts Friday (Jan. 22) on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Senior PGA will be the 10th tournament on the schedule, and the first major championship of the year.
With that to look forward to, it’s a good time to preview the season for the half-dozen Champions Tour players with strong Colorado connections. It’s quite an accomplished group, to say the least, having compiled a combined 70 Champions Tour wins, including 10 senior majors.
Three of the locals will be in the 36-man field for the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii this week: two-time champion Hale Irwin (pictured), the former University of Colorado athlete; Aurora resident Mark Wiebe; and Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks. Others with strong Colorado ties who expect to compete at least some on the Champions Tour this year are Craig Stadler of Evergreen, and Gary Hallberg and Dale Douglass of Castle Rock.
Irwin is far and away the all-time victories leaders on the Champions Tour, with 45, while Douglass has 11, Stadler eight, Eaks four and Wiebe two. As for victories in senior majors, Irwin owns seven (including four in the Senior PGA), while Stadler has two and Douglass one.
But despite the stellar resumes the Colorado contingent has put together, no one in the group posted a Champions victory in 2009. Especially with the Senior PGA at Colorado Golf Club this year, the locals are aiming to end that drought soon.
With that in mind, let’s take a look where each player stands heading into the 2010 season:
“¢Dale Douglass (CU graduate and Castle Rock resident; 3 PGA Tour wins and 11 Champions Tour victories) — Douglass has played a very limited schedule the last two years, and didn’t earn any official money on the circuit in 2009. The 73-year-old, who finished fourth in the 1993 U.S. Senior Open at Cherry Hills, has said the 2010 Senior PGA probably will be the final Champions Tour event of his career.
“¢R.W. Eaks (Colorado Springs native and attended the University of Northern Colorado; 4 Champions Tour wins and 3 Nationwide Tour victories) — After 26 top-10 finishes — and four wins — from 2005 through 2008, Eaks managed just one top-10 last year (eighth at Cap Cana). A bad back continues to be a problem for the 57-year-old, who placed 58th on the 2009 Champions money list.
“¢Gary Hallberg (Castle Rock resident; 3 PGA Tour wins and 1 Nationwide Tour victory) — Hallberg posted just one top-10 finish (eighth at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open) in 19 starts last year, placing 61st at the Champions Tour money list.
“¢Hale Irwin (Boulder High School and CU graduate; 20 PGA Tour wins and a record 45 Champions Tour victories) — Irwin’s last victory on the Champions Tour came at the season-opening event in 2007. At 64, he’s trying to become the oldest winner in the history of the tour. Irwin finished the 2009 season with a sixth-place showing at the AT&T Championship, his best performance since September 2007. He ended up 55th on the 2009 Champions money list. The World Golf Hall of Famer is playing this week in Hawaii on a sponsor exemption.
“¢Craig Stadler (Evergreen resident; 13 PGA Tour wins and 8 Champions Tour victories) — The former Masters champion managed just one top-10 in an individual event in 2009 (sixth at the Boeing Classic). Thanks in large part to his runner-up showing in the Legends of Golf team event with partner Jeff Sluman, Stadler finished 33rd on the 2009 money list.
“¢Mark Wiebe (Aurora resident; 2 PGA Tour wins and 2 Champions Tour victories) — Wiebe has been remarkably consistent in his 28 months on the Champions Tour. He’s finished 17th and 19th, respectively, on the Tour money list the last two seasons. In 2009, Wiebe placed in the top 25 in each of his last eight tournaments. That includes a third-place performance in the final major of the year, the Senior Players Championship.
One player with strong Colorado ties, former CU golfer Steve Jones, has yet to play on the Champions Tour since turning 50 (Dec. 27, 2008). The 1996 U.S. Open champion has been sidelined with elbow problems (and other maladies) since 2007, and he underwent elbow surgery in August. He’s not sure when — or if — he’ll return to competition.
SENIOR PGA SEEKS ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS: The Senior PGA Championship that will be held at Colorado Golf Club May 27-30 has registered more than 1,300 volunteers, but is looking for more. Among the committees with positions remaining are admissions, contestant transportation, corporate hospitality services, distribution, leaderboards and thruboards, marshals, media center registration, spectator services and volunteer services.
The volunteer fee of $120 includes a uniform, food and beverage vouchers, the Senior PGA Championship Journal, a merchandise discount, and access to the grounds May 24-30.
Juniors down to age 13 can volunteer on a complimentary basis for leaderboards/thurboards, and as standard-bearers. Participants age 13-22 receive a free shirt and headwear and six-day access to the grounds.
To register for volunteer positions, go to seniorpga2010.com.
