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 But that didn’t deter five maturing golfers — Julius Boros, Gardner Dickinson, Bob Goalby, Don January and Dan Sikes — from pitching the idea of a senior circuit to PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman in 1980. The idea seemed presumptive. Although the five players had combined for 52 wins on the PGA Tour, they were all past their prime, and the idea of a separate tour for older members seemed like a pipe dream at best. But it succeeded — beyond the wildest expectations of everyone involved. The first year, there were two scheduled tournaments. By 1985, there were 24. The Champions Tour (known as the Senior Tour its first 23 years) has made many of its members multimillionaires and has kept some of the most popular golfers in the public eye. “The success of the Champions Tour is one of the great wonders of the world, and one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my career,” said Gary Player, who has 19 senior titles on his resume. “The standard of play is not good, it’s phenomenal. The standard of play out there is just a notch below that of the regular tour and the shot-making is actually superior.” There are 28 events on the Champions Tour this year, including the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club March 7-13 and the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club March 14-20. While the number is leaner than previous years, officials hope the streamlined season leads to stronger fields and more competitive events. But the Champions Tour has always promoted its big names and personalities, and players had to weather a few lean years before big names such as Player and Arnold Palmer turned 50. Then it was Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino; Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan; Craig Stadler and Peter Jacobsen. On deck? Perhaps Greg Norman and Scott Hoch. Relying on name recognition makes the Champions Tour the most individualistic golf tour out there. So it’s only fitting that, during its 25th anniversary season, our reflection turns to the best of the best. Forming a Top 10 isn’t easy, and there are many names not on our list that deserve mention, such as January, Bob Charles, Bruce Crampton and Raymond Floyd. But the 10 we’ve selected rank among the greatest players in golf history, while others were relative unknowns before turning 50 and getting new leases on their golfing lives. Regardless of their beginnings, all of these players ended — or will end — their careers as true champions on the Champions Tour. Hale Irwin The only knock against Irwin is that he hasn’t won all four senior major titles. Yet. But that’s nit-picking. He’s won 41 times and has seven major titles (the only one missing is The Tradition) on his resume. Irwin is the tour’s all-time leading money winner, and topped the money list and victory list three years each. He has 168 top-10 finishes and shows no signs of slowing down. Although he turns 60 this year, his overall ranking was second last year, and he’s already won in 2005. “I’ve already won $100 from a colleague of mine who didn’t think he’d win all year,” said Jim Kelly, the voice of the Champions Tour since 1987. “What Hale Irwin has done, and is doing, is amazing. It defies logical description. It’s not just the number of victories. He’s finished second 38 times and third 20 times. That’s an amazing percentage. He’s just a different breed. He’s focused, very proud and always been a great athlete. I don’t think we’ll ever see someone (dominate) like Hale Irwin on the Champions Tour again.” Irwin finds it difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for his success. “I get asked it all the time and I don’t really know,” Irwin said. “ I’d have to say I have reasonably good health and haven’t been totally knocked out of the box for a very lot time. I have good genetics. I’ve worked hard at staying in pretty good shape and I give a lot of thought to my game. I don’t pound hundreds of balls every day but I practice in my mind and steer myself in the right direction, so when it’s time to actually hit golf balls, I’m more ready than others. And I also love the competition and the requirements it takes to play the more difficult courses.” It sounds like Irwin’s legend will only continue to grow. Gil Morgan Morgan had seven PGA Tour victories — including two Los Angeles Opens — before joining the senior circuit in 1996. But the fact that he hadn’t won since 1990 didn’t appear to bode well for his chances on the Champions Tour. But what people failed to recognize is that Morgan had five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour during his two years leading up to the Champions Tour. He was definitely ready for the senior circuit, and it showed. Morgan won his second tournament in 1996 and won six times each in 1997 and 1998. Morgan has 23 Champions Tour titles, including at least one victory in each of his nine years, which ties him with Miller Barber for the second longest consecutive win streak. He earned at least $1 million in seven of those years. He also has five professional titles in the Los Angeles area, including victories at Riviera Country Club, Rancho Municipal Golf Course, Valencia Country Club and Wilshire Country Club. Gary Player Already a legend by the time he began playing on the Champions Tour in 1985, Player is the greatest PGA Tour player to have sustained success on the senior circuit. His 19 Champions Tour titles are only one less than Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus combined, and Player quickly dominated the tour with 11victories in his first three years. Player also won six senior majors, with his last victory one of the most dramatic in tour history. It came in 1990 at the Senior PGA Championship when Player held off Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. Lee Trevino Trevino won 29 times on the PGA Tour and 29 times on the Champions Tour, but it was the way he performed on the latter circuit that makes him a great champion. No one dominated the tour in as short a time as Trevino, who won 14 times from 1990-92 — his first three seasons on the senior circuit. After a relatively quiet 1993 (three wins), he won six more times in 1994 and also has three senior majors on his resume. Trevino was the first Champions Tour player to crack the $7 million, $8 million and $9 million marks and became its all-time victory leader in 1995, when he won his 25th tournament. Though he hasn’t won since 2000 and injuries continue to hinder him, he remains competitive. Last year, limited to only 12 events, he still finished 11th at the Bruno’s Memorial Classic. Jack Nicklaus His 10 Champions Tour victories doesn’t put him in the top 20, and he’s only played 74 events on the tour. So what’s he doing here? Well, the Golden Bear has won 14 percent of his starts, finished in the top 10 in more than half, and nine of his 10 victories have been major titles, including the senior career grand slam. No other Champions Tour player has won more majors. Had he not been hobbled by injuries since 1998, Nicklaus may have put up an Irwin-like run. In 1990 at the Ford Senior Players Championship, Nicklaus shot a 27-under 261, still the lowest score in Champions Tour history. In 1991, Nicklaus beat Chi Chi Rodriguez in the last 18-hole playoff in Champions Tour history to win the U.S. Senior Open and complete the senior career grand slam. He remains the only Champions Tour player to win all four of the tour’s major titles. Nicklaus’ last victory came in 1996, but what a win. Trailing Hale Irwin by four strokes with eight holes to go in the 1996 Tradition, Nicklaus posted a birdie and double eagle to force a tie en route to a three-shot victory — the 100th of a professional career many consider the greatest ever. Jim Colbert Colbert won eight times on the PGA Tour but didn’t hit his stride until joining the senior circuit, where he won three times and finished second five times en route to rookie-of-the-year honors in 1991. In 1993, he held off Raymond Floyd at the Ford Senior Players Championship to win his only major title as a professional. He was Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996, successfully battled prostate cancer in 1997 and was Comeback Player of the Year in 1998, when he won his 19th tournament. Colbert’s 20th victory on the Champions Tour came in 2001, when became the oldest player to win an event at the age of 60. Chi Chi Rodriguez Although he won only eight times on the PGA Tour, the charismatic Rodriguez was one of the world’s most popular and beloved sports figures when he first teed it up on the Champions Tour in 1986. He had one of the greatest years in tour history in 1988, winning seven times and becoming the first senior player to earn more than $500,000 in one year. Rodriguez won 22 times on the Champions Tour, including four straight events in 1987, a tour record. He also brought a sense of fun and enthusiasm to the game that attracted viewers of all ages. Miller Barber The early days of the Champions Tour were uncertain times, but two players dominated: Barber and Don January, who won 22 times from 1980 to 1987. But Barber’s longevity is hard to overlook. The Louisiana native won 24 times in his career and has competed every year since 1981. He won five senior majors and is the only three-time winner of the Senior Open. He was the leading money winner twice and, in 1987, was the first Champions Tour player to top $3 million in career earnings. Only Hale Irwin has more top-10 money list finishes, and Barber’s 603 tournaments are the most in senior circuit history. Most important, however, are Barber’s contributions to the tour during its early years. Dave Stockton Stockton has 14 senior victories, three major titles, finished in the top 10 on the money list seven straight times and led the tour in 1993 and 1994. He has finished in the top 50 on the money list an unprecedented 12 straight years and was named Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994, Rookie of the Year in 1992 and has never played fewer than 20 tournaments in a season. Stockton was born in San Bernardino, lives in Redlands and continues to give back to his community in a number of charitable ways. Bruce Fleisher Bob Charles and Bruce Crampton won more times than Fleisher and Larry Nelson has earned more money, but Fleisher’s 18 victories in six years and U.S. Senior Open title in 2001 give him the edge. Fleisher has won every year since his debut in 1999 and has been in the top 5 on the money list every year. In his first year, Fleisher won seven times, earned $2.5 million and won Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. n |
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