Rounds 2 & 3 - Steve Flesch wins first Champions Tour title

April 14, 2018

Steve Flesch needed 38 holes Saturday to win the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his first PGA Tour Champions victory.

The 50-year-old Flesch won with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff with Scott Parel at TPC Sugarloaf in the event completed a day early because of forecast rain and lightning. Bernhard Langer dropped out on the first extra hole.

''You never know if you're ever going to win again,'' Flesch said. ''Honestly, it's been harder than I anticipated winning on this tour. The guys are so good. That Langer guy is hard to beat.''

Parel bogeyed the par-5 18th on the second playoff hole after his approach hit the bank short and left and went into the water.

''I just was in between clubs a little bit,'' Parel said. ''I had like 209 (yards), which is probably about as bad a yardage that I can have, so I had to kind of choke up on a hybrid a little bit and not try to hit it too hard. If I hit it right, a normal shot's going to be in the bunker, which is no bargain. I just didn't hit it as crisply as I needed to.''

Flesch hit long and right into the back bunker, and blasted out to 3 feet. The left-hander won in his 22nd start on the 50-and-over tour after winning four times on the PGA Tour.

''When Scott hit it in the water, the most important thing for me was to obviously not hit it in the water.'' Flesch said. ''So, I just changed my line where I aimed. I didn't aim it as close to the hole. I made sure that my mistake was going to be long in the bunker and just clear the water.''

Facing a forecast of 1 1/2 inches of rain overnight Sunday and the threat of lightning Sunday, tournament officials decided Friday to play both the second and third rounds Saturday.

''Any 36-hole day is really tough,'' Flesch said. ''Being able to use the carts today certainly helped with some of the hills out there here at Sugarloaf. It's more mentally taxing to me than physically taxing, especially if you're in the mix kind of like that all day. I know I'll sleep great tonight, but mentally I'm more exhausted than physically.''

Because of the possibility of the playoff finishing Sunday, the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway during the extra holes.

Flesch and Parel birdied the 18th to start the playoff. Flesch and Parel each reached the green in two, with Parel leaving a 60-foot eagle try 3 feet short, and Flesch rolling a 50-footer to a foot. Langer laid up and missed a 15-foot birdie try.

Parel matched the course record with an 8-under 64, making a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 in regulation to post at 11 under. Flesch and Langer missed chances to win on 18 in regulation. Flesch missed a long eagle try, and Langer's 15-foot birdie putt went to the left. Flesch shot 68, and Langer had a 69.

Flesch opened with a 66 and shot 71 in the morning to enter the final round a stroke behind Langer, Jay Haas and Jerry Kelly.

The 52-year-old Parel's only tour victory came in 2013 on the Web.com Tour.

''Obviously, I would have liked to win, but Steve played great, too, and hit some great shots in the playoff.'' Parel said. ''He deserved it. I feel like I'm close, so we'll just keep trying to make birdies out here and see what happens.''

Langer missed a chance to break a tie with Hale Irwin for consecutive seasons with a victory at 12. The 60-year-old German star has 36 senior victories, winning at TPC Sugarloaf in 2013.

''I've been playing all right for most of the year, just my short game wasn't good enough,'' Langer said. ''The short game was better, I made a few putts.''

Haas, the first-round leader after a 65 at age 64, shot 71-71 on Saturday to finish two strokes out of the playoff. He dropped back with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16. Mike Fetchick is the oldest winner in tour history, taking the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational at 63 years to the day.

Wes Short Jr. was fifth at 8 under after a 70, and Vijay Singh had a 68 to get to 7 under.

Scores

Round 1 - Jay Haas takes lead in Georgia

April 13, 2018

Jay Haas nearly shot his age Friday to take the lead into a 36-hole Saturday finish in the PGA Tour Champions' Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

The 64-year-old Haas birdied the final two holes in breezy conditions at TPC Sugarloaf for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead over Steve Flesch. Bernhard Langer shot 67, and Gene Sauers and Scott Parel followed at 68.

Facing a forecast of 1 1/2 inches of rain overnight Sunday and the threat of lightning Sunday, tournament officials decided to play both the second and third rounds Saturday.

''The guys were saying we've got to play 54, so this gives us that opportunity,'' Haas said. ''It will be a long day. Thankfully, we can get in carts. This is a long walking golf course. I'm pretty whipped today. I didn't get in the cart today, but I'll probably be in there a little bit tomorrow.''

Haas won the last of his 18 senior titles at the 2016 Toshiba Classic.

''I had a decent year last year, not what I wanted maybe, and then starting off this year I've been pretty poor,'' Haas said. ''Haven't been 100 percent physically, but I'm feeling better.''

He birdied all four par-5 holes in a bogey-free round. The nine-time PGA Tour winner birdied four of the first six holes - the par-4 first and third and par-5 fourth and sixth. He added a birdie on the par-5 10th and closed with the birdies on the par-4 17th and par-5 18th.

''I hit the ball well, hit a lot of good iron shots,'' Haas said. ''I had four or five of them inside 10 feet. My distance control was really good. And I made some really nice putts and didn't really struggle at all with long putting or anything. ... I made a really nice one here at 18. It was a bonus there. Hit a beautiful 5-iron at 17 to about 3 feet.''

Flesh also birdied the final two holes in a bogey-free round.

''I hit it well and made putts,'' Flesh said. ''With the wind today it was a little confusing at times. I played conservatively where I had to and aggressively on a few holes. Birdied the last two to turn a good day into a great day.''

The four-time PGA Tour winner is winless in 21 senior starts since turning 50 last May. He was looking forward to the 36-hole day.

''Hey, I'd rather play 36 holes than play in rain,'' Flesh said. ''Some people don't mind rain. I would take 40 mph wind over any rain. So, I'm glad we're playing 36 tomorrow.''

Langer started on No. 10 and birdied the first three and five of the first seven. He played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. ''It was difficult conditions with the breeze, especially last few holes,'' Langer said.

The 60-year-old German star is seeking his first victory of the season and 37th on the senior tour.

''It's going to be tough,'' Langer said. ''A lot of us are - we're all old to some extent - and it's going to be a very long day. This course is very demanding. It's a lot of hills to walk. My knees were sore just now playing. I hate using carts, but I think I might have to utilize some of the carts to make it around 36 because it's very demanding - physically demanding.''

Scores