Australian Senior Golfer

PETER SENIOR has begun his 2012 US Champions Tour campaign in familiar territory – again just a whisker away from his first win.

The 52-year-old sunk a birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff against Corey Pavin at the 2012 Allianz Championship at Broken Sound Golf Club in Florida but couldn’t match it the second time around.

“I putted awful all day,” Senior said. “I was happy to make the last one to get into the playoff, but I don’t think I’ve ever left so many putts short in my life.”

Pavin too was shooting for his maiden Champions Tour win and hadn’t tasted success anywhere in more than five years, dating back to the 2006 U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee, a stretch of 122 tournaments. This was his 35th start on the Champions Tour.

“It’s been a long time,” Pain said. “But I’m always more comfortable trying to win a tournament than trying to finish fifth or sixth.”

Whilst it was the 12 foot birdie putt he rolled in on the first playoff hole that won him the tournament, his left-handed chip from inside some sort of drain beside the 14th tee will be long remembered.

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime shot,” Pavin said. “I can’t think of a better up-and-down I’ve had in my career. It’s not like I practice turning 8-irons over and hit them left-handed. When that happens, you think you’re going to win, but I had to get that thought out of my head.”

Pavin and Senior both shot a final-round 71s to finish tied at 11-under in regulation.

Senior had three runner-up finishes in 2011, including two play-off losses. As we’ve said many times more than once before, that first win can’t be far off.

PETER SENIOR will have his first hit out of the 2012 US Champions Tour this week at the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida.

The 52-year-old Australian has had two great seasons on the tour but is still chasing that elusive first win.

Senior will be hoping this is the year and he can’t go much closer than last year when he had three runner-up finishes (including two play-offs) and 12 top 10 results in 22 starts.

He will be facing most of the usual suspects – minus Fred Couples who is in Dubai competing in the Desert Classic – when he takes to the Old Course in Broken Sound on Friday morning local time.

Senior has been earning greater and greater respect the longer he has spent on the Champions Tour.

The official tour website previewed him thus recently:

“Peter Senior earned high marks in his second full Champions Tour season for doggedness. He never stopped contending. The coveted first Champions Tour victory remained elusive but not for lack of trying.

Senior finished second three times, twice losing playoffs, and had 12 top 10 finishes in 22 tournaments. In the process, he nearly doubled his rookie season earnings. His $1,434,119 total was the third most in a season without a victory. Senior achieved a unique distinction on the Champions Tour, becoming the first player to have two bogey-free events in the same season.

Another key accomplishment for Senior: He finished in the top 10 in four of the Champions Tour’s five majors.”

2012 Allianz Championship Australian Television Times

The championship is being televised on Fox Sports:

1st Round, Saturday 11am – 12.30pm; 2nd Round, Sunday 11am – 1.30pm; Final Round, Monday 11am – 1pm.

DAN FORSMAN has taken the first event of the 2012 US Champions Tour with a two stroke victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.

The American closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday (local time) for his third Champions Tour title.

Jay Don Blake (67) was runner-up with defending champion John Cook and Michael Allen sharing third a further shot back.

Forsman, a five-time winner on the PGA TOUR, finished with a 15-under tournament total to take the US$307,000 winners cheque in the 41-man event.

He opened with rounds of 67 and 65 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round. He never lost it, earning his first win in 20 months.

“On the 18th green I couldn’t even speak,” the 53 year old said. “I am really humbled to top this field of guys I’ve admired and competed with all my professional life. The chance to be on top of a distinguished group of players like this is something I’ll always cherish. You’ve got to be blessed to have opportunities like this and I feel like I am.”

Forsman struggled with a painful left hip last year, and had just one top-10 finish. He dropped to 45th on the money list after finishing in the top 10 in his first two seasons on the tour.

“I sat home over the holidays and kept thinking, `What will it take to get through the door,’” he said. “I kept thinking, `I’ve got to do the little things that all add up.’”

Gary Hallberg (68) and Jeff Sluman (71) tied for fifth, four shots behind Forsman.

Mark Calcavecchia, Jay Haas, Brad Bryant and 62-year-old Tom Watson tied for seventh at 10 under. It was Watson’s ninth top-10 finish in 12 starts in the event.

The next Champions Tour event is the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, on February 10 to 12 where Tom Lehman is the defending champion.

THE 2012 US Champions Tour season begins this week with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at the Hualalai Golf Club in Hawaii.

A high quality field of 41 golfers will contest the event on what is the world’s most lucrative over 50’s golf circuit.

The field includes defending champion John Cook, 2011 Charles Schwab Cup winner Tom Lehman, Fred Couples, Corey Pavin , Mark Calcavecchia and nine World Golf Hall of Fame members including Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Larry Nelson, Nick Price, Curtis Strange and Lanny Wadkins.

They will be battling for a US$1.8 million prize purse, with the winner receiving US$307,000 and 307 Charles Schwab Cup points.

2012 Mitsubishi Electric Championship TV Times

The good news is that the event will be broadcast live in Australia on Fox Sports at some very accommodating viewing times.

Round 1, Saturday 10.30am – 1.00pm; Round 2, Sunday 11.30am – 2pm; Final Round, Monday 11.30am to 2pm.

2012 Mitsubishi Electric Championship Live Leaderboard

Mitsubishi Electric Championship Live Leaderboard

PETER SENIOR has finished third in the US Champion Tour’s season long Charles Schwab Cup picking up a cool US$300,000 in the process.

Senior concluded his 2011 US campaign on a high shooting an equal best final found 68 in the end of season championship to maintain his standing behind the Cup winner Tom Lehman and runner-up Mark Calcavecchia.

Senior will return to Australia after a superb second year on the lucrative over 50’s Champions Tour circuit. In 22 starts he had three second placings, one 3rd placing, 12 top 10’s and 17 top 25’s to net himself US$1,434,119 in prize money.

The only thing obviously missing for the 51 year old was a win. He went so close on a number of occasions and that can’t be far off.

On Sunday his 3-under par 68 wasn’t enough to overcome a crippling second round 76 but he still finished alone in 17th spot 1-over for the tournament.

American Jay Don Blake won the 2011 Charles Schwab Cup Championship event at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park. It was his second victory of the season following a 20-year drought.

Lehman took the US$1 million annuity for winning the season points title. Blake closed with an even-par 71 for a two-stroke victory, finishing at 8-under for the tournament.

Mark Calcavecchia (69), Loren Roberts (70), Michael Allen (71) and Jay Haas (71) tied for second.

Lehman shot a 72 to tie for 18th at 2 over, enough to hold off Calcavecchia by 74 points. Calcavecchia needed to finish no worse than a tie for second with one other player to have a chance to overtake Lehman.

Senior will be back in Australia no doubt with a spring in his step to, among other events, defend his title at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum.

Senior will be teeing it up this week at the Australian Open with fellow Champions Tour players Fred Couples and John Cook.

PETER SENIOR is just three shots off the pace after the first round of the season ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on the 2011US Champions Tour.

Senior went into the championship at the TPC Harding Park in San Francisco in third place in the year-long points tally and still has a big chance of sharing in some of the riches available  on the over 50 tour this weekend.

Leading after a wet and windy first round were US Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples and his assistant captain Jay Haas on three under.

The Charles Schwab points leader Tom Lehman was tied for 5th on 1-under while Senior had three birdies and three bogies to finish even.

Much like the Fedex Cup, there are all sorts of mathematical combinations of who needs to finish where to win what.

As well as the $US440,000 purse available for the winner this weekend there is also a bonus $1 million for winning the cup. The cup runner up will earn US$500,000, third place US$300,000, 4th place US$200,000 and 5th US$100,000.

To scoop the pool and return home to Australia next week a very happy and richer man, Senior needs to have his first ever win on the tour and have Lehman in a two way tie for 4th or worse.

Others still in contention include Mark Calcavecchia, John Cook and Russ Cochran.

Couples is probably getting heartily sick of being continually asked why he picked Tiger Woods in his Presidents Cup team but the success of his German back treatments seem to be keeping him mostly happy.

“In my mind some of it’s very serious and some of it is comical because it just keeps going,” said Couples, who guaranteed Woods a spot weeks before his captain’s picks were due.

“We have 11 other guys on the team. But it seems like it’s all about Tiger. I’ve picked him and we’ll wait until we get to Australia and we’ll see how he plays.”

Unfortunately, for some reason there seems to be no live or even timely delayed coverage of this event on Fox Sport in Australia.

FRED COUPLES put on a master class at the US Champions Tour 2011 AT&T Championship to street the field by seven strokes on the TPC San Antonio Canyons Course in Texas.

Couples followed up his opening rounds of 65 and a course record 62 with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to finish at a total of 23-under – the largest winning margin on the tour this year.

It was his 6th win in two seasons on the over 50’s circuit and his second since undergoing what has been termed “non-traditional” treatments on his back in Germany earlier in the year.

Couples has suffered from nagging back issues for years and the German treatments have allowed him to come back and play an unprecedented (in recent times) three tournaments in a row and to do some extensive work on his game.

“I haven’t had a seven-shot lead since ’92 or ’90 or whenever the heck it was,” Couples said.

“I probably may never ever get another one. It’s a weird feeling, and I was kind of unnerved (on the front side). But once we got to the back nine I played much better and I pulled away to a lead that was plenty.”

Mark Calcavecchia shot a 66 to finish second while Charles Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman and John Cook tied for third at 14 under after closing with 66s.

Peter Senior fifth and still has Charles Schwab Cup hopes

Australia’s Peter Senior had yet another top 10 finish to retain his third spot on the season long points table.

Senior had a bogey-free, 13-birdie tournament and carded rounds of 69, 67 and 67 to finish alone in fifth spot on 13-under.

The 51 year old has had an ultra consistent year with three runners-up finishes, one third placing and 12 top tens.

What he hasn’t had is a win and that is probably what he will need to take the Cup when the top 30 on the tour battle it out in the final event for the year in two weeks time.

That event is the 2011 Charles Schwab Cup Championship which will take place at the TPC Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco with a prize purse of US$2,500,000.

KENNY PERRY has won his maiden US Champions Tour title with a one stroke victory at the 2011 SAS Championship at the Prestonwood Country Club in North Carolina.

The 51 year old fired a two under 70 to defeat joint runners-up Jeff Sluman and John Huston.

Australia’s Peter Senior had one of his worst results of the year, opening with a fine 67 in the first round but fading with 73 then 78 to finish tied for 37th. Senior remains sixth on the money list.

Perry, who has 14 US PGA Tour wins under his belt, has now been competing on the Champions Tour for two years and has cracked a win at his 11th attempt.

Perry almost pulled out of the event after hearing of the death of his 59 year old sister Kay after a long battle with breast cancer.

“When I heard the news last night, it was a long night,” Perry said. “I didn’t sleep a lot, thought about just getting on a plane and heading home. But Dad was great. He called me, he said, ‘Son, you just need to go out there and represent Kay today.’”

He did, highlighting his round with a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th.

“I was very calm all day. I had no nerves,” he said. “Normally, I’m a little jumpy, a little jittery, tense. Today, I was just – I felt like I was on a low. I was really down. I was kind of depressed, and my swing was in rhythm. It wasn’t fast, and I had great control of the golf ball.”

Defending Champion Russ Cochran closed with a 71 to finish fourth at 8 under, a stroke ahead of Fred Couples (70).

Tom Lehman (72) tied for 12th at 4 under, maintaining his lead in Charles Schwab Cup points race. Mark Calcavecchia (68, T10) is second and Senior remains in third spot.

The Champions Tour moves on to the 2011 Insperity Championship at The Woodlands Golf Club in Texas this week where Fred Couples is the defending champion.

PETER SENIOR goes into the 2011 Boeing Classic at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Washington State this weekend still searching for his elusive maiden US Champions Tour victory.

As noted on the US PGA Tour website this week, Senior has been playing “wonderful golf” this year.

“It seems like every week he’s in with a chance to win,” the website said, highlighting the fact that the 52 year old Australian is the only player on the tour to have been in the top 10 in the four US senior majors this year.

In his second year on the tour , Senior lost the Regions Tradition in a playoff to Tom Lehman and missed by one shot of joining the Fred Couples-John Cook playoff at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship last week.

Senior admitted the frustration is getting to him.

“Becoming the same thing every week, isn’t it?” he said. “I just don’t seem to produce anything on Sunday. [It’s] just starting to really bug me.”

As noted, all that has separated him from the winner’s circle is a timely putt or two.

“But I seem to do it a lot on Sundays,” he said. “I just don’t make many putts on Sunday.”

“I’m really happy with the golf I’ve been playing. I’d just like to hoist something. It’s been nearly two years, and I’ve had plenty of opportunity and haven’t closed one out yet. So yeah, I just feel a little disappointed. Hopefully it’ll happen soon.”

There will be plenty of quality golfers happy to stand in his way this weekend, beginning with last week’s Senior Players Champion Fred Couples, playing in what for him is a home town tournament.

“I’m always excited to come back, as I’ve said a million times,” Couples said. There haven’t been a whole lot of tournaments in Seattle, and it’s just very nice to be up here.”

The 2011 Boeing Classic is being telecast in Australia on Fox Sports at a much more user friendly time than has been lately the case for the Champions Tour.

1st Round Live Saturday 8.30am to 10.30am; 2nd Round Sunday 8.30 am to 11am; Monday 12.30 pm to 2pm.

Peter Senior goes so very close again on the US Champions Tour

PETER SENIOR has missed the playoff for the year’s final US Champions Tour major by a stroke.

A bogey on the 15th left him one short of American duo Fred Couples and John Cook who finished the 2011 Senior Players Championship tied on 11-under.

Couples knocked in a three foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to take his first senior major.

With two birdies and two bogies in his even par final round, Senior finished alone in third spot.

The 52 year old Queenslander continued his great run this year and was never far off the pace at the  Westchester Country Club’s West Course in Harrison, New York, opening with a 5-under round of 66 and following that with rounds of 69, 68 and 71.

The win pushed his winnings on the Champions Tour this year over the million dollar mark (US$1,004,229) and he is now seventh on the money list.  Senior has finished in the top six in four of the five senior majors this year.

Couples was fresh from some type of alternative procedure on his notoriously temperamental back in Germany but still wasn’t entirely comfortable on the course.

The 1992 Masters champion won four times on the over 50’s tour last year but has been absent for much of 2011 and this was his first win this year.

He had to battle s stiff wind and a sore left hip that began giving him trouble during a nearly two-hour rain delay.

“I wouldn’t say I was playing awesome golf before the rain delay but it wasn’t bad,” Couples said. “After the rain delay, I just didn’t feel very good. I hit some good drives but I was not all that great.”

Couples joined Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd as the only players to win both The Players Championship on the regular tour and the Senior Players and thus earned a spot in The Players next year.

“That’s great,” Couples said. “I get to play with the studs, so that’ll be fun.”

Cook (70) held a share of the lead for nine holes but bogeyed No. 16 and missed birdie putts on the final two holes, forcing the second straight playoff and fourth overall in the event.

Tom Lehman (68) was fourth at 9 under, a stroke ahead of 2010 winner Mark O’Meara (69), with first-round leader Jeff Sluamn (70) slipping into a five-way tie for sixth.