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Money Game: The PGA Tour Champions is a lucrative option for late bloomers

Mike Goodes was playing the finest golf of his life at age 49. In one year, he won the three most prestigious amateur tournaments in North Carolina against men 20 or 30 years his junior. At a plus-5 handicap, his golf life was nirvana. Then he got a wild idea. Why not turn pro at 50 and make a go of it on the PGA Tour Champions? He’d never played profes­sionally; he hadn’t even played college golf. He also had a day job — running a plastics recycling company.

But his wife and business partner supported him. So why not try to fulfill every amateur’s dream of teeing it up with the leg­ends and making a run at the prize money and prestige? Then a strange thing happened: Goodes made it. And for the past decade he has maintained fully exempt status on the Champions Tour, where he has played 271 events and taken home $6.17 million. In 2009, he won the Allianz Champion­ship, where he bested a field that included Bernhard Langer, the Tour’s top player.

“I made more money when I was playing good golf than I did in my business,” Goodes says. “For me to say the money meant nothing, I’d be lying. It’s been a blessing.”

Every scratch golfer has, on some level, wondered what it would be like to trade amateur greatness to tee it up with the pros, to go head-to-head with legends like Fred Couples, Tom Watson and Langer, who remains dominant at age 62.

Fulfilling that dream is even harder than it looks — don’t even think about it unless your handicap is plus-something — and it isn’t cheap. Goodes says over 60 percent of what he has won has gone to paying taxes, his caddie and travel expenses.

The most successful amateur ever to turn pro late in life was Jay Sigel. At the time he qualified for what was then the Senior Tour in 1993, he had an amateur record that rivaled Bobby Jones’. He competed on nine Walker Cup Teams and in 1983 won both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur. He was the low amateur at the U.S. Open , the British Open and three times at the Masters .

He also had a lucrative insurance business outside of Phila­delphia where he grew up. To trade that for a chance at the tour was a huge risk to his reputation, particularly if he failed. He wasn’t any amateur; he was a spokesman for the amateur game. “Trevino, Palmer, Nicklaus, David Fey — they all said I should try it,” says Sigel, who admits to having some nerves as he went through Q-School at age 50. “Once I made it and was able to com­pete against my childhood heroes, that was pretty special. Then to socialize with them was even better.”

Sigel had a great 10-year run and remains among the top 30 all-time money winners on the Champions Tour, with over $9 million in prize money. He had eight victories and finished in the top 10 more than 100 times. But translating his match-play mind-set of winning to the money game of professional golf was a challenge — at first. “In an amateur event, no one remembers who finishes fourth,” he says. “In professional golf, you have to build up your earnings to stay exempt for the next year.”

For others, Q-School can be a bucket-list item. Ken Tan­igawa, who had been a good college player but didn’t make it professionally, had been running a family business from Scottsdale.

In his early 40s, married with two kids and not much golf, he ran into old friends who convinced him to join Whisper Rock. The club boasts a membership of PGA Tour players like Paul Casey, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.

Tanigawa’s game came back, and he gained respect around the club — for beating the pros. “Every once in a while I was able to get into their wallet,” he demurs. “To do that, to get a couple of shots and beat some of these Tour players, was kind of cool. It gave me some confidence that I could do it.”

Still, when Tanigawa made it through Q-School in 2017, he was shocked. “I said, ‘Oh my God, now what do I do?’ lt was incred­ible but it was a massive pivot in my life.”

In his first year, he rolled in an eagle putt on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach to win the PURE Insurance Championship by one shot. Last year, he won the KitchenAid Senior PGA Champion­ship. Already he has earned nearly $2 million in prize money.

“While a lot of folks think the PGA Tour Champions may be a closed shop, that’s just not the case,” says Miller Brady, the tour’s presi­dent. “Every event has the possibil­ity for an individual to join. If they perform and play well, they can stay out there. A top 10 gets them into the next event, or if they make it through Q-School they have a year to prove it.”

Gary Bendert qualified through a Monday event for the 2016 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y. It was held at the En-Joie Golf Club, where he played with his pals on weekends. In the tournament, he didn’t break 80 in three rounds and fin­ished last, taking home a check for $920.

Even if he’d played better, Bendert would not have gained the same playing status as, say, Couples or Watson or Langer, who can compete on the Champions Tour as long as they like. The guys who qualify need to finish the year within the top 36 to remain fully eligible. Mike Goodes, now 63, knows that hustle. “I’ve managed to stay exempt all these years,” he says. “I hope to get another year or two out of it.”

If not, his old foursome will have him back — with enough shots.

Read more “Money Game” by Paul Sullivan: Here’s where the PGA Tour’s money goes With caddie scholarship programs, we can shoulder the needs of those who carry our bags What’s a professional golfer’s logo worth?

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Scott dunlap wins for first time in 10 years at rain-shortened insperity invitational, share this article.

The first round got postponed Friday by heavy rain. They were able to play 36 holes Saturday. More overnight rain then wiped out Sunday’s final.

Enough is enough, said PGA Tour Champions, as the 2024 Insperity Invitational was called and Scott Dunlap was declared the winner.

The tour’s official statement said:

“The weather affecting the greater Houston area overnight and throughout the morning has required Round 3 of the Insperity Invitational to be cancelled. Therefore, in accordance with the PGA Tour Champions Regulations, the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 36 holes.”

Dunlap shot 65-70 on Saturday to finish 9 under, one stroke ahead of Joe Durant and Stuart Appleby. Dunlap earned his second PGA Tour Champions win and first in a decade.

After play on Saturday, with Sunday’s action uncertain, Dunlap commented on his efforts to keep grinding at his game.

“I’ve been pretty mediocre for the last few years and even though I’m getting older, it’s like, I think I can do better than this but you don’t know until you do,” he said. “It’s the great thing about golf. You just keep trying to get better, and you never know if you are going to until you do.”

On Sunday, after being declared the winner Dunlap expounded on what this win does for him.

“At the end of the day, these are real first-world problems. I mean, I knew I was going to play twentysome tournaments this year, but I got to make hay if I want to not do that next year I’ve got to finish 45th to 49th on the Money List, which is what I’ve done,” he said. “And once again, like I said, I think I should have been doing better than that. I wasn’t. I was getting a little worse each year, but I said ‘This is not an inevitable slide.’ I should be able to turn this around possibly, but until you do, you don’t know if you are going to. And, now we’ve taken a good step in the right direction.”

Dunlap earned $405,000 for the win, his first in 191 starts, and was only in the field on a sponsor exemption.

Scott Dunlap wasn’t expecting to play golf this week. After receiving a sponsor exemption @InsperityInvtnl , Dunlap was overcome with emotion. Now, he’s a two-time champion on PGA TOUR Champions. pic.twitter.com/VpdebLCqn7 — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 5, 2024

Charles Schwab Cup points leader Steven Alker was tie for fourth alongside Thonchai Jaidee.

Bernhard Langer, playing for the first time since tearing his Achilles in early February , shot 69-74 and tied for 31st. That means the 66-year-old beat 40 guys in the field this week outside Houston just three months removed from surgery.

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Insperity Invitational

The Woodlands Country Club

The Woodlands, Texas

May 3 - 6 , 2024

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PGA Tour purses skyrocket; Korn Ferry Tour money is better; But what about PGA Tour Champions?

The highest purse is $4 million for the u.s. senior open. the winner of next year's players championship will win $500,000 more..

  In August, the PGA Tour announced its series of 13 events — including The Players Championship — that will offer purse increases of nearly $100 million for the 2023 season, plus a doubling of the Player Impact Program to $100 million. 

The Korn Ferry Tour had previously announced in 2021 that its purses will increase to $1 million for each regular-season event (up from $600,000 for most tournaments) and $1.5 million for the four-event Korn Ferry Finals. 

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In between is the PGA Tour Champions, whose average purse this season of $2.1 million is only $600,000 more than the Korn Ferry Finals. There will be modest gains next year to an average of $2.3 million but only nine of the 27 events will offer bumps and at this point, the Constellation Furyk & Friends, being played this week at the Timuquana Country Club, may not be one of them. 

So while PGA Tour players will have a chance to compete for first-place checks of up to $4.5 million for winning The Players (which exceeds the total purse for every PGA Tour Champions event), and Korn Ferry Tour players can make $180,000 for winning a regular-season event (nearly double the amount from most regular-season events in 2019), why aren’t Champions Tour earnings increasing at a fast pace than the projected 10 percent for next season? 

The answer reflects the reality of the economics: Champions Tour purses are more dependent on title sponsorship contracts than TV money and it’s a tour financially supported by the PGA Tour anyway. 

And with the PGA Tour tapping into its reserves and asking for more help from its title sponsors in response to the LIV Golf tour luring players away with mind-boggling, there’s little left in the kitty to throw to the Champions Tour. 

Purse bumps depend on sponsors

“We’re in a different situation with the Tour,” said Steve Flesch, one of the members of the Champions Tour Policy Board. “We rely on tournament sponsors to generate our purses so we don’t have as big a piece of pie.” 

Champions Tour president Miller Brady said it comes down to the contracts with each title sponsor. For example, the Furyk & Friends purse is $2 million for the balance of the five-year deal, unless Constellation agrees to a bump based on the event’s performance. 

Judging from the success of the first two years, it might happen. 

“When we sign a contract with a title sponsor, we have to see if the event will sustain itself,” Brady said. “There’s no question this tournament has done well.” 

Tournament host Jim Furyk is optimistic. 

“I think you'll start to see purses go up,” he said. “Is it always going to be as fast as the players want it? Probably not. I really do believe we're in a strong place right now and I think you will see increases.” 

The top purses on the Champions Tour are $4 million for the U.S. Senior Open and $3.5 million for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, which are not run by the Tour. The highest purse for a Champions Tour event is $3 million for the Senior Players. 

The Players Championship purse reached $3 million in 1995. 

Players seem content

Despite the numbers, guess who’s not complaining? 

The players, who seem to be doing their best to not be greedy when they have a situation unique in sports: a second chance after their PGA Tour careers to make what they consider pretty decent money, in mostly no-cut events, with the option of riding in carts. 

“I’m still playing for more money than my rookie year on Tour,” said Jerry Kelly, one of five players who have won three times this season on the Champions Tour and fourth on the money list with more than $1.9 million – on the verge of his third consecutive season with $2 million or more in annual earnings, a barrier he reached four times on the PGA Tour.

“I’m pretty happy with what I’ve gotten," he continued. "Other guys coming out are maybe going to look at it and go ‘okay, this is low for what I’m used to,’ but as long as we don’t stay static, as long as it keeps trending up, that’s fine.” 

Miguel Angel Jimenez, who is fifth on the money list with more than $1.8 million and on target to pass $2 million for the second season in a row said it would be nice if more money was available to players who were the backbone of the PGA Tour, but like Kelly, went out of his way not to appear disgruntled. 

“I think they need to resource a little bit more [money],” said the 13-time Champions Tour winner. “Since I’ve been part of the Champions Tour the purses [are] not changing much and I think we make a little contribution to the golf in all those years. I think it would be good.” 

Flesch said purses have been a topic in policy board meetings but not to a great extent because most have done so well on the PGA Tour. 

“The PGA Tour has been great to us our whole career,” he said. “Yes, everybody would like the purses to go up but I don’t think guys are out here demanding.” 

Career earnings sustain players

Nineteen players in this week’s Furyk & Friends field have made $20 million or more in career PGA Tour earnings, topped by the tournament host with $71.5 million (fourth on the all-time list), trailed closely by Vijay Sing ($71.2 million). 

Ten in this week’s field have earned at least $10 million on the Champions Tour, led by Bernhard Langer with more than $33 million. 

The Tour pension, based on cuts made also is lucrative. According to the last PGA Tour annual report that was made available in 2019, more than 600 professional golfers have $1 million or more in their pension plans and 114 had $3 million or more. 

Brady said he understands if some Champions Tour players see the purses skyrocketing on the PGA Tour and wonder if there’s any loose change left for them. 

“Of course, all of us want to grow our purses, players, the Tour, everyone,” Brady said. “But they have to grow organically through the title sponsors and local sponsorships. I don’t think money is an issue with the players but I get it if they see what’s happening on the regular Tour and they might as, ‘where’s our money?’ They would like a piece of it.” 

But Furyk pointed out that the Champions Tour is unique among professional sports: its members can win tournaments and money long after the youngest social security age of 62. 

Just look at Langer, who is 65, has won five times since turning 62 and is eighth on the current money list. 

“We would like to see [purses] increase quicker, but as a player, I also have to realize I'm 52 years old,” he said. “I'm playing a sport for a living, I get to do what I love.”

Contact Garry Smits at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter

2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final results: Prize money payout, PGA Tour Champions leaderboard and how much each golfer won

T he 2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final leaderboard is headed by winner Paul Broadhurst, who topped the PGA Tour Champions leaderboard this week with a win on the 2024 PGA Tour Champions schedule at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas.

Broadhurst won the tournament after it was shortened to 36 holes from a scheduled 54 holes after Saturday play was rained out in Texas.

In the final day of action on Sunday, Broadhurst shot 66 to post 11-under 131, which was good enough to beat David Toms by a shot.

Y.E. Yang and Thomas Bjorn finished in a tie for third place at 8-under total.

Broadhurst won the $330,000 winner's share of the $2,200,000 purse.

Invited Celebrity Classic recap notes

Broadhurst wins the seventh PGA Tour Champions title of the year, getting into the winner's circle again on the 50-plus tour.

The money Broadhurst -- and every player in the field -- earned is converted into Charles Schwab Cup points, with every dollar converted into two points during the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.

There is no cut on PGA Tour Champions-run events, including the major championships they run. Every pro who finished the tournament was paid.

The 2024 PGA Tour Champions schedule continues next week with the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Georgia.

2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final leaderboard, results and prize money payouts

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The post 2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final results: Prize money payout, PGA Tour Champions leaderboard and how much each golfer won first appeared on Golf News Net .

Copyright, Golf News Net. All rights reserved.

2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final results: Prize money payout, PGA Tour Champions leaderboard and how much each golfer won

The 2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final leaderboard is headed by winner Paul Broadhurst, who topped the PGA Tour Champions leaderboard this week with a win on the 2024 PGA Tour Champions schedule at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas.

Broadhurst won the tournament after it was shortened to 36 holes from a scheduled 54 holes after Saturday play was rained out in Texas.

In the final day of action on Sunday, Broadhurst shot 66 to post 11-under 131, which was good enough to beat David Toms by a shot.

Y.E. Yang and Thomas Bjorn finished in a tie for third place at 8-under total.

Broadhurst won the $330,000 winner's share of the $2,200,000 purse.

Invited Celebrity Classic recap notes

Broadhurst wins the seventh PGA Tour Champions title of the year, getting into the winner's circle again on the 50-plus tour.

The money Broadhurst -- and every player in the field -- earned is converted into Charles Schwab Cup points, with every dollar converted into two points during the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.

There is no cut on PGA Tour Champions-run events, including the major championships they run. Every pro who finished the tournament was paid.

The 2024 PGA Tour Champions schedule continues next week with the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Georgia.

2024 Invited Celebrity Classic final leaderboard, results and prize money payouts

Click header to sort; rotate mobile screens for details

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

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2024 Wells Fargo Championship purse, prize money: Payout for golfers from $20 million pool for signature event

Plenty of green will be on the line this week as players aim to conquer the green mile.

Another signature event has arrived on the PGA Tour calendar meaning big stakes and big money will be on the line this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. Quail Hollow Club will once again host and welcome 69 players to the Charlotte area for four days of a major championship caliber test.

While the trophy may not be one of the four big ones -- that will have to wait until next week when Valhalla hosts the 2024 PGA Championship -- the purse is in the same ballpark. A total of $20 million will be up for grabs this week falling in line with the total from the Masters last month and other signature events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Genesis Invitational.

Unlike the those two tournaments, however, only $3,600,000 will be shelled out to the winner. This represents the third-highest payday a winner could receive so far in 2024 as the top prize gets boosted to a nice, round $4 million for the three player invitationals while the Players Championship awarded Scottie Scheffler $4.5 million for his victory.

Wyndham Clark is no stranger to cashing big checks as a winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and contender at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship and RBC Heritage. The defending champion hopes to go back-to-back while other big names like Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth hope to cash their first winner's circle in just about two years.

Those who fall short won't leave empty handed as every player will take home at least $40,000 as there is no cut in this event. The top three will all clear seven figures, the top 11 will all clear half a million and the top 36 will all take home at least six figures for their four days of work in the Queen City.

2024 Wells Fargo Championship prize money, purse

Total purse: $20 million

1st: $3,600,000 2nd: $2,160,000 3rd: $1,360,000 4th: $960,000 5th: $800,000 6th: $720,000 7th: $670,000 8th: $620,000 9th: $580,000 10th: $540,000 11th: $500,000 12th: $460,000 13th: $420,000 14th: $380,000 15th: $360,000 16th: $340,000 17th: $320,000 18th: $300,000 19th: $280,000 20th: $260,000 21st: $240,000 22nd: $224,000 23rd: $208,000 24th: $192,000 25th: $176,000 26th: $160,000 27th: $154,000 28th: $148,000 29th: $142,000 30th: $136,000 31st: $130,000 32nd: $124,000 33rd: $118,000 34th: $113,000 35th: $108,000 36th: $103,000 37th: $98,000 38th: $94,000 39th: $90,000 40th: $86,000 41st: $82,000 42nd: $78,000 43rd: $74,000 44th: $70,000 45th: $66,000 46th: $62,000 47th: $58,000 48th: $54,800 49th: $52,000 50th: $50,400 51st: $49,200 52nd: $48,000 53rd: $47,200 54th: $46,400 55th: $46,000 56th: $45,600 57th: $45,200 58th: $44,800 59th: $44,400 60th: $44,000 61st: $43,600 62nd: $43,200 63rd: $42,800 64th: $42,400 65th: $42,000 66th: $41,600 67th: $41,200 68th: $40,800 69th: $40,400

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2024 Wells Fargo Championship Final Payouts, Prize Money, Purse from Quail Hollow

Jeff ritter | may 10, 2024.

The PGA Tour is in Charlotte, N.C., this week for its annual Wells Fargo Championship. It's the final event before next week's PGA Championship, and it's putting up another big purse as part of its elevated status as a signature event.

The Wells Fargo has a $20 milion purse, with $3.6 million to the winner. Wyndham Clark is the defending champion, while Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and most of the top players in the rankings are set to compete. McIlroy is a three-time champion at this event and entered the week as the betting favorite.

Of note, Scottie Scheffler is not in the field this week , but he remains No. 1 in the world and will try for his second major title of the season next week at Valhalla.

Here are the final payouts from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Payouts

Win: $3,600,000

2nd: $2,160,000

3rd: $1,360,000

4th: $960,000

5th: $800,000

6th: $720,000

7th: $670,000

8th: $620,000

9th: $580,000

10th: $540,000

11th: $500,000

12th: $460,000

13th: $420,000

14th: $380,000

15th: $360,000

16th: $340,000

17th: $320,000

18th: $300,000

19th: $280,000

20th: $260,000

21st: $240,000

22nd: $224,000

23rd: $208,000

24th: $192,000

25th: $176,000

26th: $160,000

27th: $154,000

28th: $148,000

29th: $142,000

30th: $136,000

31st: $130,000

32nd: $124,000

33rd: $118,000

34th: $113,000

35th: $108,000

36th: $103,000

37th: $98,000

38th: $94,000

39th: $90,000

40th: $86,000

41st: $82,000

42nd: $78,000

43rd: $74,000

44th: $70,000

45th: $66,000

46th: $62,000

47th: $58,000

48th: $54,800

49th: $52,000

50th: $50,400

51st: $49,200

52nd: $48,000

53rd: $47,200

54th: $46,400

55th: $46,000

56th: $45,200

57th: $44,800

58th: $44,400

59th: $44,400

60th: $44,000

61st: $43,600

62nd: $43,200

63rd: $42,800

64th: $42,400

65th: $42,000

66th: $41,600

67th: $41,200

68th: $40,800

69th: $41,400

70th: $40,000

JEFF RITTER

Jeff Ritter is the Managing Director of SI Golf. He spent more than a decade at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine, and in 2020 joined Morning Read to help spark its growth and eventual acquisition by Arena Group, the publisher of Sports Illustrated. He has covered more than 25 major championships, and previously helped launch SI Golf Plus Digital, Golf Magazine’s first original, weekly e-magazine, and served as its top editor. He also launched Golf's “Films” division, the magazine’s first long-form video storytelling franchise, and his debut documentary received an Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. His writing has earned first-place awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the MIN Magazine Awards, and the Golf Writers Association of America, among others. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. A native Michigander, he remains a diehard Wolverine fan and will defend Jim Harbaugh until the bitter end.

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Rains in Houston can't dampen his end to long victory drought

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Scott Dunlap awoke on Sunday at the PGA TOUR Champions’ Insperity Invitational ready to play, but he never had to hit a single shot. The event’s 36-hole leader –all 36 holes played on Saturday – was declared the official champion early in the morning when bad weather affecting the greater Houston area wiped out Sunday’s scheduled third round.

For Dunlap, 60, who had seized the lead on Saturday after rounds of 65 (his best of the season) and 70 at The Woodlands Country Club’s Tournament Course, Sunday’s victory marked the second of his PGA TOUR Champions career – and first since August 2014. He had waited nearly a full decade to savor victory again, making 191 starts since winning the Boeing Classic in his first full season on tour, 2014.

“The Tour has only gotten tougher since I’ve turned 50,” Dunlap said on Sunday after his victory was deemed official. “Some really great quality players have turned 50 since I’ve been out here, so it only got harder. So, I knew that I could be better (his play), but I didn’t know if that meant that I could beat these guys again.

“There is still a nice living to be made playing golf, but you do play to win. Did I think I could win? Maybe. But I wasn’t sure.”

Dunlap’s 36-hole total of 9-under 135 was one shot better than the twosome of Joe Durant – a winner earlier this season at the Cologuard Classic – and Stuart Appleby, who shot 67 on Saturday afternoon. Steven Alker (68-69) and Thongchai Jaidee (66-71) tied for fourth.

Scott Dunlap holes birdie putt from off the green at Insperity Invitational

Players dashed around Saturday through 36 holes in soggy conditions fully aware that more bad weather was headed to Texas, and realizing in the backs of their minds that 36 holes might be all that they would play this week.

Sunday morning, players woke up to the following text from the PGA TOUR Champions Rules Committee: The weather affecting the greater Houston area overnight and throughout the morning has required Round 3 of the Insperity Invitational to be cancelled. Therefore, in accordance with the PGA TOUR Champions Regulations, the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 36 holes.

It was the third time this season that an event had to be shortened to 36 holes on PGA TOUR Champions because of poor weather, joining the Chubb Classic (Stephen Ames) in Florida and Invited Celebrity Classic two weeks ago in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, which was won by Paul Broadhurst.

Dunlap had missed a 4-footer for par at the ninth hole (his 36th of the day) to finish off his afternoon round of 2-under 70, but he had otherwise played brilliantly. Earlier in the day, he produced some of his best golf in some time, shooting 65 with just 23 putts. Still, he wasn’t about to let down his guard by thinking he was done playing for the week.

“Let’s plan to play,” Dunlap said before leaving the property Saturday, “and if we don’t, well, OK. I did good work for the two rounds we knew we were going to play.”

That work included a clutch birdie on his 35th hole, the 221-yard, par-3 eighth, where he launched a well-struck 5-iron to 8 feet and converted the putt to reach 10 under. Dunlap would give a shot back at the following hole, only his second bogey of the day, but he had done enough to be a winner on PGA TOUR Champions once more. He earned $405,000 for his victory.

Scott Dunlap's nice tee shot leads to birdie at Insperity Invitational

Alker was gunning for his third consecutive title at Insperity, but he fell two shots shy. The last competitor to capture a PGA TOUR Champions event in three consecutive seasons was Bernhard Langer (Kaulig Companies Championship, 2014-16).

Langer, 66, was not defending this week in Houston, but there was a good deal of attention on him at Insperity as he returned to play far earlier than most expected after tearing the Achilles tendon in the back of his left foot just three months earlier. Langer, a four-time winner at Insperity and 46-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, played 36 holes on Saturday, shooting 69-74 and tying for 31st.

“I’m not very patient with myself,” Langer said, “but I tried to say, ‘Hey, you didn’t have any expectations, just enjoy being out here.’ But there were a couple of times that I wasn’t happy with myself. When I laid the sod over with a 4-iron or something, I am going, ‘What’s going on?’”

Dunlap was making his 207th career PGA TOUR Champions start, but he has never been afraid to travel the globe to find playing opportunities. His resume includes international victories such as the Manitoba (Canada) Open, South Africa Masters, Dimension Data Pro-Am (South Africa), Peru Open (twice) and Argentine Open.

Dunlap’s victory in Houston also adds to what already has been an impressive season for PGA TOUR Champions pros in their 60s. In addition to Langer’s inspiring and rapid comeback – he turns 67 in August – Durant returned to the winner’s circle in Arizona in March, and Stephen Ames celebrated his 60th birthday a week ago with his second Champions Tour victory of the season (Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta).

Winning again means improved status and more playing opportunities (Insperity was Dunlap’s sixth start of 2024), as well as an invitation for the next two years in the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

“Vacation, Hawaii?” Dunlap asked. “Geez, I’ll see if I can clear my schedule.”