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Retief goosen survives chaos of final holes to win soggy galleri classic, share this article.
Sometimes all you need to win a golf tournament is a par. That’s what worked for Retief Goosen on Sunday in winning the second annual Galleri Classic during a soggy final round at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.
Fighting just for a good finish after a sluggish start to his final round, Goosen turned into the last man standing on a day when he had been a forgotten figure for much of the rainy final 18 holes.
With Steven Alker putting together a stunning bogey-bogey finish, Goosen survived hitting his approach into the lake on the par-5 18th hole of the Dinah Shore Tournament Course by rolling in an eight-foot par putt. Alker, still with a chance to win, also hit into the lake in front of the island green with his second shot but failed to get up and down.
“I wouldn’t call it thrilling.” Goosen laughed about the frenetic finish. “I mean, it was more of a disaster for me and Stevie to get to the last hole and the last couple of holes.”
The wild finish allowed Goosen to post a bogey-free 3-under 69 Sunday for a three-day total of 13-under 203. Alker’s 70 dropped him to 12-under for the week, tied with Alex Cejka and overnight leader Ricardo Gonzalez for second place. It also allowed Goosen to rally from three shots back with nine holes to play.
“I was just trying to hang in there and say to myself, you know what, let’s just play solid and at least get a top-5 or something,” said Goosen, who hit just 10 greens in regulation on the day but was eight for eight scrambling. “Then suddenly everybody started sort of coming back and that’s when, after I made the birdie on 15, I was like I have a chance to win this.”
Cejka, at one time tied at 14-under with Alker and Gonzalez, finished with a 70 that included bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes. Gonzalez struggled with all parts of his game on the back nine from errant drives to key missed putts but still posted a 71 with two birdies and three bogeys in his final six holes.
“I kind of hit the shots I wanted and went with them,” Alker said of the closing holes. “Yeah, just putting wasn’t — just didn’t make some putts I should have, the three-putt on 17 there. So felt fine, my long game felt good, just didn’t get it done.”
The crowd in the grandstands surrounding the 18th green gave a subdued reaction as Goosen sank the winning putt, not because they weren’t happy for him, but they were still trying to do the math of exactly what happened.
“I think he just won” one spectator said with the man standing next to him saying “Nope, it’s a playoff.”
But Goosen was the winner as he politely doffed his cap to the crowd before Rodriguez and Alker finished the hole.
Alker made seven straight pars to start his back nine and was tied for the lead at various points with Cejka, Gonzalez and defending champion David Toms. But as the other golfers fell back, Alker seemed in control of the tournament.
A birdie by Goosen on the 15th brought him to within one shot of the lead. Alker then three-putted the par-3 17th for a bogey, rolling a 30-foot putt downhill 10 feet past the cup and missing the putt coming back. Goosen managed to make a short, twisting putt on the hole for a par after finding a bunker off the tee.
“That little four-foot slider or whatever I had there too wasn’t an easy putt,” Goosen said of the par save. “Going down 18, I just thought birdie, birdie definitely to have a chance to win or in a playoff.”
Both golfers drove into the light rough to the right of the fairway, then hit approach shots into the water on the famed 18th with its island green. Goosen’s 4-iron shot from 231 yards to the flag never came close to hitting the green.
“I just completely thinned it,” Goosen said.
But Alker then chose to go for the green in two rather than lay up and reach the green in three. Alker’s 5-iron barely cleared the lake and bounced back into the water.
“It was just a really good solid 5-iron. I had a super lie, could almost hit driver off the lie in the semi-rough there, that’s how good the lie was,” Alker said. “If I hit rescue, then I flush it and it’s gone through the green. So just got a little high on the face, a little grassy. It got over. I kind of flew the front, but just got maybe a little unlucky.”
Goosen admitted he was surprised that Alker went for the green in two, not even watching Alker’s second shot and not knowing the ball had gone in the lake until he reached his own fourth shot.
Alker hit a poor chip from the front of the island green and two-putted from 30 feet for a bogey. Goosen managed a strong pitch shot to eight feet, then rolled in the putt for a par to close out Alker.
For Goosen, the former two-time U.S. Open champion on the regular tour, Sunday was his third PGA Champions Tour title and his first in two years. But the day had a frustrating feel to it as he grinded for pars in the middle of the round as the heaviest rain of the weekend hit the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Goosen said the rain made the holes play longer, but he was still missing birdie chances.
“It rained hard but there wasn’t any wind which makes it a little easier,” Goosen said. “Yesterday a few showers, you’re walking like this (leaning forward). At least it was just coming straight down. I think it was a little bit easier playing in the rain today because there was no wind.”
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The galleri classic preview.
Prepare to tee off as the golfing icons descend once again upon the picturesque landscapes of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. The stage is set from March 29th to 31st, 2024, as the PGA Tour's Champions' Galleri Classic unfolds in all its glory. Tee up to witness legendary shots, intense rivalries, and triumphant moments where champions are crowned amidst the palm-lined fairways and sun-kissed greens.
TICKETS AND SPECTATING
Attendees seeking enhanced Galleri action will want to tee up Weekly Grounds passes (Friday-Sunday), while fans aiming for further fun should check out Clubhouse Tickets, which present an upgraded venue opportunity with table services for drink & dine purchases.
A full-on Galleri experience can be found via the Champions Club, which offers access to the private, open-air venue and a prime perch to view the action on the Dinah Shore Course's par-5, island green 18 th hole. Holder of the Champions Club passes couple the view with a premier hospitality selection of included food and a full bar.
And with the tournament’s final round held on Easter Sunday (March 31), fans may partake in a 6:30 a.m. service in the bleachers around the 18 th green, before an Easter egg hunt for kids (with a reported 2,000 candy-filled eggs to be discovered) will get underway at the Mission Hills driving range at Noon.
A FIELD OF FAIRWAY FAME
Prepare for an electrifying showdown as the legends converge once again on the greens of Greater Palm Springs! The chase for a repeat crown by Toms is about to ignite, but with a pack of golfing legends hot on his trail, victory is far from guaranteed. Among the contenders is the illustrious Fred Couples, whose commanding presence drew thunderous applause in 2023, while the esteemed Galleri ambassador Steve Stricker, hailed as the PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year, returns to stake his claim on the coveted title.
But the competition only intensifies with the return of Steven Alker, a force to be reckoned with after clinching Player of the Year honors and the Charles Schwab Cup in 2022. With an impressive track record boasting eight Champions Tour victories, including a recent triumph at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, Alker is primed for another shot at glory.
Adding to the star-studded lineup is the legendary Ernie Els, fondly known as "The Big Easy," whose magnetic charisma promises to light up the course. And let's not forget the colorful characters of the sport, including the irrepressible John Daly, alongside former world No. 1s David Duval and Tom Lehman, each bringing their brand of excitement to the tournament.
As anticipation reaches a fever pitch, the roster expands with the inclusion of World Golf Hall of Famers Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, as well as seasoned pros Jerry Kelly and Stephen Ames, fresh off his triumphant victory at the Chubb Classic. With such a star-studded lineup, the stage is set for a golfing extravaganza unlike any other, where every swing, every putt, and every moment promises to be nothing short of legendary.
PLAY INSIDE THE ROPES
But the perks don't end there. Immerse yourself in the spirit of the tournament with a premium gift package, thoughtfully crafted to commemorate your time at the event. As a cherished keepsake, each participant receives a framed photo autographed by their PGA TOUR Champions professional, serving as a tangible reminder of the memories made on the greens of Mission Hills. Secure your spot today for an opportunity to tee off alongside golfing legends and create memories that will last a lifetime – book your foursome now for $18,000 per day.
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Galleri Classic
Date/Time Date(s) - 03/25/2024 - 03/31/2024 All Day
Location Mission Hills Country Club
- PGA Tour Champions
The PGA Tour Champions
Dates: March 25-31, 2024
Venue: Mission Hills Country Club
Galleri Classic March 25-31, 2024:
- The PGA Tour Champions Palm Springs area golf tournament. Consist of the PGA Tour for male golfers 50 and older. Purchase available tickets here. Venue location Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club.
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The Galleri Classic
March 22, 2023 - march 26, 2023.
PGA TOUR Champions and GRAIL, LLC announced Tuesday a partnership to host a new professional golf tournament in Rancho Mirage, California. The Galleri Classic, named after GRAIL’s multi-cancer early detection test, will debut March 22 – 26, 2023 at the renowned Mission Hills Country Club. This marks the first time PGA TOUR Champions has hosted a tournament in Coachella Valley since 1993.
The Galleri Classic will feature 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals, including World Golf Hall of Fame members, who will play 54 holes of stroke play for a purse of $2.2 million. The Galleri Classic will be the latest addition to the PGA TOUR Champions schedule and will benefit cancer-related causes.
All rounds of The Galleri Classic will be broadcast nationally on GOLF Channel, the TOUR’s exclusive cable-television partner that reaches close to 70 million U.S. households and in excess of 170 countries and territories, reaching more than 340 million potential households, and distributed in 15+ markets via GOLFTV.
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From securing a strong field to selling pro-am spots to signing up volunteers for the event, almost everything a professional golf tournament needs had to be built from the ground up for the Galleri Classic since it was announced last April the event was coming to Mission Hills. The Dinah Shore Tournament Course had been the home of the LPGA in the desert for 51 years, but comparing the Chevron Challenge and the Galleri Classic on the same golf course is something DeLancy didn’t want to happen.
“I am not trying to make us look different or compare us to other events that have been on this course," said DeLancy, whose background includes running a PGA Tour Champions event in Seattle. “Overall, it is just a completely different event and a different experience, but all in the same fun of professional golf, coming out and being able to follow professionals in a fun way and good food to eat while you have different spots you can watch along the golf course.”
More: For John Cook, Galleri Classic represents a homecoming and a going-away party
DeLancy and her Coachella Valley-based team have worked to spread the word of the new event, presenting the case for the tournament through community events with organizations like the City of Rancho Mirage, Visit Greater Palm Springs and the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce.
“And we have partnered with Coachella Valley cancer beneficiaries to get involved in the community,” DeLancy said. “That was one of my big goals in moving here, was to get involved with the community and to get involved in partnerships that aren’t just a first-year event.”
Selling the unknown
A new event with no history is tough enough to sell, but selling it in the desert in March, one of the busiest months for social and sports activities, makes things more challenging. DeLancy admits the schedule has produced a wait-and-see attitude for some potential sponsors, partners and pro-am players.
“They are coming in and are interested, but a lot of them want to see how it is going to go and then be able to see what they can do for year two,” DeLancy said. “I get that. They don’t know what they don’t know. They are used to a tournament that has been here for 51 years, and there are new people here, and just exactly what does that mean for the golf fan who doesn’t know who a Champions Tour player is or what that looks like or how great that they are or have the interaction with the amateurs and the fans and with others.”
Selling pro-am berths, an important part of the PGA Tour Champions business model, also has been different for DeLancy in her first year in the desert. The desert’s lack of a corporate base means that big companies aren’t footing the bill for as many of the $18,000-per-foursome pro-am groups on Wednesday or Thursday. The pro-am is a focus of the week at most PGA Tour Champion events, showcasing the golfer’s personality and interaction with playing partners or fans.
“The Champions tour, it’s not really fan driven, although it is a little bit,” said John Cook, a 10-time PGA Tour Champions winner who played golf for three decades at Mission Hills starting in the early 1970s. “There are some weeks when, man, it looks like a PGA Tour event. And there are other weeks where to be quite honest it’s a corporate-hospitality-entertainment week and it’s not reliant on the gate. It’s reliant on the pro-ams and the parties and entertainment and the hospitably, and that’s fine, too.”
DeLancy said individuals have stepped up to buy pro-am foursomes, but that the desert’s hectic sports schedule has hampered things. Indian Wells just wrapped up hosting the two-week BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament that drew 441,983 fans.
“Someone said that there are seven of the top 11 courses, the bigger courses in the area, that have their member-guest tournaments the same week as the Galleri Classic,” she said. “Those guys having the opportunity to play in the pro-am is not there. Those that do play will have a great opportunity. So a little bit different than what we expected in the pro-am sales.”
Other things have gone smoothly for the tournament. Hoping for 500 volunteers, more than 520 have signed up, DeLancy said, including some who live in areas where other PGA Tour Champions events are played. The tournament also has partnered with six desert organizations involved with cancer, a nod to tournament sponsor Grail and its Galleri blood test which can provide early detection for dozens of different types of cancers.
“We have a new title sponsor that is learning a lot. They are doing a great job of getting this in front of new people, and that was their goal in being part of a PGA Tour Champions event and the demographic that we have in the tournament and the demographic we have in the area,” DeLancy said. “We have a good chance to get eyes on their Galleri test but also being able to host their clients and that sort of thing.”
With everything in place, DeLancy and her team will now wait to see how many people come to Mission Hills this week to experience the pro-ams or the 54-hole $2.2 million tournament starting Friday. Like the LPGA that played on the Dinah Shore course for the last five decades, DeLancy believes the PGA Tour Champions is an experience that will immediately grab fans’ interest once it is seen in person.
“Once they get to the event, then they are pumped to come back,” she said. “But if they haven’t been there, then they don’t exactly get the magnitude of it to get to know what they could be missing or the experience they could have.
"But once we get them in the door, it is something they want to come back to,” she added.
Galleri Classic facts
What: First Galleri Classic, a PGA Tour Champions event
Purse: $2.2 million
Where: Dinah Shore Course, Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage
When: Pro-ams Wednesday and Thursday, 54-hole pro event Friday through Sunday
Times: Pro-am tee times are at 7 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Professional tee times between run from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets: Single-day tickets good for any one day grounds-only admission between Wednesday and Sunday are $30. Weekly grounds tickets, good for grounds-only admission for competition rounds March 24-26, are $65. Single-day clubhouse tickets, good any one day during competition rounds Friday through Sunday and providing access to Mission Hills Country Club’s clubhouse as well as upgraded dining and beverage options for purchase at the Champions Café inside the clubhouse, are $75. Weekly clubhouse tickets for all competition rounds March 24-26 are $150.
Parking: All general parking for event will be at the Agua Caliente Resort at the corner of Ramon Road and Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage. Shuttles will take fans to and from the course. Parking is $10. Fans may purchase tickets online in advance or purchase day-of parking onsite. Day of parking will be cash only, exact change is encouraged.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Galleri Classic: PGA Tour Champions golf tourney set to debut
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Majority of Galleri Classic Field Finalized For Next Week’s Tournament
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RANCHO MIRAGE (CNS) – The Galleri Classic had a majority of its field finalized Friday with 74 of 78 players set to play in its inaugural PGA Tour Champions tournament next week.
The Galleri Classic will take place in the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at the Mission Hills Country Club, 34600 Mission Hills Drive, from March 22-26, according to a statement from the tournament. Pro-Am tournaments will be held the first two days and the professional competition was set for the last three days
“We are looking to tee off next week’s first edition of The Galleri Classic with a smash, and we have a major-like PGA TOUR Champions field to prove it on a major championship-caliber golf course,” said tournament director of The Galleri Classic Michelle DeLancy in a statement. “Our field is stacked with worldwide golfing icons and the Tour’s leading golfers, personalities and storylines.”
Tournament officials said that among the players expected on the field next week are World Golf Hall of Fame members Fred Couples and Ernie Els, the winner of 17 PGA Tour events and the 2021 U.S. Senior Open Championship Jim Furyk, and 12-time winner on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions Steve Stricker.
History is also expected to be made by the end of the competition if 45-time PGA Tour Champions winner, 1985 and 1993 Masters champion and very first number one ranked golfer Berhard Langer of Germany surpasses Hale Irwin in becoming the circuit’s all-time winning golfer, according to tournament officials.
A list of all participating golfers can be found at https://thegallericlassic.com/tournament/player-field/ .
Tickets for the tournament are available at TheGalleriClassic.com, with single-day ground tickets at $30 and weekly tickets at $65. Attendees interested in having access to the country club’s air-conditioned clubhouse with upgraded dining and beverage options can purchase a single-day clubhouse ticket for $75 or a weekly clubhouse ticket for $150.
The tournament is named after title sponsor GRAIL’s multi-cancer early detection test.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
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Last week of March belongs to PGA Tour Champions in the desert now
If we are honest, the inaugural Galleri Classic last year felt, well, a little strange.
Not because the stars of the PGA Tour Champions were back in the desert after nearly 30 years. That felt like it should have happened years earlier, and it was a welcome addition to the desert golf scene.
But that was David Toms and Steven Alker and Steve Stricker out there on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Shouldn’t it be Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson?
The phrase, “I miss the girls,” was uttered time and time again in the first year the Dinah Shore Tournament Course didn’t host an LPGA event since 1972. For everything that the PGA Tour Champions brought to Mission Hills Country Club, it was still a distinct change from the LPGA.
The LPGA’s history on the Shore Course crept into almost every aspect of the senior event, from trying to figure out differences in the golf course setup from the women to the seniors to constant questions about whether the senior winner would continue the LPGA tradition of the winner leaping into Poppie’s Pond next to the 18th green.
More: Bad back and all, Fred Couples hopes to keep playing Galleri Classic for a few more years
As the second year of the Galleri Classic is played this weekend, the seniors have started to take a firm grip on the dates and the golf course that for so long served the LPGA in the desert. In other words, the Galleri Classic is becoming its own golf event, not a replacement event for the LPGA.
Consider what has already happened this week in the second playing of the senior event at Mission Hills. Talk of a player jumping into the lake on Sunday has been limited to one or two hushed questions, far different from 2023 when there was from fans, but not the players, for a leap.
As defending champion David Toms said at the start of this week, “I had some guys, some of my fellow competitors, heckling me on the last hole wanting me to do it (last year), and I said we'll leave that to the girls because that was always a big thing for them at this tournament.”
Then there is the new Wall of Champions, separate from the Wall of Champions for the LPGA. The LPGA’s wall has plaques of 51 winners along the long wall bordering Poppie’s Pond. The new Galleri Classic Wall of Champions is on the bridge crossing the pond to the 18th green. It’s a nod to the past without being part of the past.
Players are loving the course
More importantly, the PGA Tour Champions players are seeing the course as their own, while acknowledging the LPGA’s storied history on the Shore Course.
“This is a great spot for us. It was a great spot for the ladies when they were here, and it's a good spot for us, too,” said Steve Stricker, the 2023 senior tour player of the year. “The whole setup is really nice. We're here at a good time of the year where weather is usually pretty good. The course is in great shape, the facilities here are really nice and yeah, the demographics, you know, it's a little bit older clientele just like we are so they can kind of relate to us.”
Everyone, from fans to officials to the players themselves, are now seeing the week as more of a senior tour week and less of an old LPGA week. That’s not to say that many fans don’t still miss the LPGA major and the golfers who played in it. Someday, if the desert is lucky, the LPGA might return to the desert, though very likely on another course.
But the desert is already lucky to have a PGA Tour Champions event in the desert and on a famed desert course that has proven already it can handle the differences between the top LPGA players and the top senior players quite nicely.
Yes, the LPGA and people in the desert need to work hard to bring the women pros back to the desert. And there will always be some fans who will say, “I miss the girls.”
At the same time, desert fans should continue embracing the PGA Tour Champions and the fact that the Shore Course is still being played by top pros on television. As Fred Couples said this week, “It's a great course, it really is.”
It’s great to have the PGA Tour Champions in town, too.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: PGA Tour Champions taking control of last week of March in Palm Springs area
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Here's the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2024 Chevron Championship
N elly Korda did it again. The 25-year-old American captured the Chevron Championship to collect a fifth-straight victory Sunday at Carlton Woods, trying Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez as the only other players in LPGA history to accomplish the feat. It's also Korda's second major win, following the 2021 Women's PGA Championship.
Korda opened with 68 then shot three consecutibe 69s to finish at 13-under-par total to earn the $1.2 million first-place check from the $7.9 million purse. Maja Start was second place, two shots back. She earned $666,834.
RELATED: Here are the clubs Nelly Korda used to win the Chevron Championship
There’s been a broken record being played at LPGA majors of late, but one that’s creating beautiful music to those competing in the events. As tour executives emphasize the goal of increasing the prize money payouts for each event, they’re making good on the promise. In 2023, all five of the tour’s biggest individual events paid out record amounts, including a $12 million payout from the USGA at the U.S. Women’s Open and a $10 million purse from the PGA of America at the KPMG Women’s PGA.
Will the trend continue in 2024—particularly with the public awakening going regarding women’s sports overall ? If the Chevron Championship is any indication, it likely will. Earlier in the week, tournament organizers in conjunction with LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, announced that the overall prize money payout for the event would be $7.9 million , a jump from $5.2 million in 2023.
In the three years since Chevron became the sponsor, purses for the tournament, previously held in the Palm Springs area and best known as the Dinah Shore, have risen $4.8 million. And the tour and Chevron announced that the title sponsorship has been extended until 2029.
At the Chevron this week, even those who didn't make the cut received $10,000 for their participation, up from $5,000 last year.
Here are the prize money payouts for every golfer who made the cut in Texas.
Win: Nelly Korda, -13/275, $1,200,000
2: Maja Stark, -11/277, $663,834
T-3: Lauren Coughlin, -10/278, $428,976
T-3: Brooke Henderson, -10/278, $ 428,976
5: Hae Ran Ryu, -9/279, $301,199
6: Carlota Ciganda, -8/280, $246,434
7: Esther Henseleit, -7/281, $206,275
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8: Jin Kee Im, -6/282, $180,721
T-9: A Lim Kim, -5/283, $149,077
T-9: Yealimi Noh, -5/283, $149,077
T-9: Minami Katsu, -5/283, $ 149,077
12: Atthaya Thitikul, -4/284, $127,777
T-13: Jasmine Koo (a), -3/285, $0
T-13: Xiyu Lin, -3/285, $112,688
T-13: Weiwei Zhang, -3/285, $ 112,688
T-13: Nasa Hataoka, -3/285, $ 112,688
T-17: Miyu Yamashita, -2/286, $89,568
T-17 : Linn Grant, -2/286, $ 89,568
T-17 : Anna Nordquist, -2/286, $ 89,568
T-17 : Nanna Koerstz Madsen, -2/286, $ 89,568
T-17 : Andrea Lee, -2/286, $ 89,568
T-17 : Lydia Ko, -2/286, $ 89,568
T-23: Jennifer Kupcho, -1/287, $71,192
T-23 : Ruoning Yin, -1/287, $ 71,192
T-23 : Charley Hull, -1/287, $ 71,192
T-23 : Georgia Hall, -1/287, $ 71,192
T-23 : Isabella Fierro, -1/287, $ 71,192
T-23 : Lottie Woad (a), -1/287, $0
T-23 : Jiyai Shin, -1/287, $ 71,192
T-30: Akie Iwai, E/288, $52,098
T-30 : Ally Ewing, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Brittany Lincicome, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Stephanie Meadow, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Sei Young Kim, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Yuka Saso, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Madelene Sagstrom, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Narin An, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Auston Kim, E/288, $ 52,098
T-30 : Marina Alex, E/288, $ 52,098
T-40: Caroline Masson, +1/289, $37,299
T-40 : Olivia Cowan, +1/289, $ 37,299
T-40 : Peiyun Chien, +1/289, $ 37,299
T-40 : Shinsil Bang, +1/289, $ 37,299
T-40 : Stephanie Kyriacou, +1/289, $ 37,299
T-40 : Gabriela Ruffels, +1/289, $ 37,299
T-46: Mone Inami, +2/290, $30,484
T-46 : Hye-Jin Choi, +2/290, $ 30,484
T-46 : Chanettee Wannasaen, +2/290, $ 30,484
T-46 : Amy Yang, +2/290, $ 30,484
T-50: Ayaka Furue, +3/291, $26,194
T-50 : Hinako Shibuno, +3/291, $ 26,194
T-50 : Wei-Ling Hsu, +3/291, $ 26,194
T-50 : Jodi Ewart Shadoff, +3/291, $ 26,194
T-54: Paula Reto, +4/292, $23,365
T-54: Robyn Choi, +4/292, $ 23,365
T-54: Gemma Dryburgh, +4/292, $ 23,365
T-57: Jenny Shin, +5/293, $21,174
T-57 : Xiaowen Yin, +5/293, $ 21,174
T-57 : Allisen Corpuz, +5/293, $ 21,174
T-60: Alexa Pano, +6/294, $19,350
T-60: Lindy Duncan, +6/294, $ 19,350
T-62: Kristen Gillman, +7/295, $17,525
T-62: Aditi Ashok, +7/295, $ 17,525
T-62: Moriya Jutanugarn, +7/295, $ 17,525
T-62: Cheyenne Knight, +7/295, $ 17,525
T-62: Hee Young Park, +7/295, $17,525
T-67: Yuna Nishimura, +8/296, $16,245
T-67: Lindsey Weaver-Wright, +8/296, $ 16,245
69: Ryann O'Toole, +9/297, $15,701
T-70: Caroline Inglis, +10/298, $15,150
T-70: Sarah Kemp, +10/298, $15,150
T-72: Mi Hyang Lee, +11/299, $14,515
T-72: Karis Davison, +11/299, $14,515
PGA Tour Champions star Fred Funk said Galleri senior golf in the desert just makes sense
For Fred Funk, the new Galleri Classic tournament coming to Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage later this month is a win-win situation for the PGA Tour Champions.
“It always seemed to me the Champions Tour was perfect for Palm Springs, the demographics,” Funk said Tuesday.
Funk will be one of 78 golfers playing in the inaugural Galleri Classic, the first PGA Tour Champions event in the Coachella Valley since 1994.
The tournament announced the last of its big commitments for the tournament Tuesday, including Germany’s Bernhard Langer, who just won his record-tying 45 th victory on the senior tour. Other big names added to the field include 2022 player of the year Stephen Alker, former major championship winner Vijay Singh and popular winner on the PGA Tour Champions Miguel Angel Jimenez.
They join a list that already includes Fred Couples, John Daly, Steve Stricker, Jim Fuyrk, David Duval and Ernie Els as well as 11-time PGA Tour winner John Cook, who grew up at Mission Hills Country Club.
Funk singled out both Langer for his longevity and consistency and Couples for his popularity as big drawing cards on the PGA Tour Champions.
“When Freddie’s here, it’s a little more special,” Funk said. “He’s our rock star.”
The $2.2 million event will be played March 24-26, with two one-day pro-ams on March 22 and 23.
“Bernhard’s ongoing quest to be the winningest, and greatest, golfer in PGA Tour Champions history is the most intriguing storyline on the tour this year, and he can cement such status with a win at the Galleri Classic,” the tournament said in the announcement of the new players. “Vijay Singh is one of the most dominant players in recent PGA Tour history. Steven is coming off a career year and he and Miguel Angel are currently two of the PGA Tour Champions leading golfers.”
“It’s really nice when we get sponsors, new sponsors. They are excited about the opportunity to have the Champions Tour represent what they do,” Funk said. “To entertain, what we do for them, what we bring to the table for a big corporate sponsor who is willing to put up the money to host a tournament.”
Like many golfers on the PGA Tour Champions, Funk has a long history in the desert playing The American Express, then known as the Bob Hope Classic, as well as playing in the Skins Game in the Coachella Valley. Funk had 17 starts in the Hope, an event that was always played after the tour was in Hawaii, with strong trade winds.
“We just couldn’t wait to get back, this was our first start on the West Coast, it was like playing indoors when we are playing here most of the time,” Funk said. “I know this winter has been a little colder than normal, but you still have a beautiful day, it’s a little cool out. It’s perfect out right now.”
For Bob Ragusa, CEO off Grail, the healthcare company that produced the Galleri cancer test, the senior event is the perfect chance to bring attention to a test that can detect 50 different kinds of cancer. A testing facility will be onsite at Mission Hills the week of the Galleri tournament.
“This is just bringing it to where the people are,” Ragusa said. “We realize that a lot of people have difficulty getting to appointments and a lab, so bringing it to where people are is important.”
For Funk, another story of the new tournament is getting to see popular golfers and learn about new golfers in a more relaxed atmosphere than a regular PGA Tour event.
“We’ve got a good gig. When you think about it we have an opportunity to do what we have done our whole life, continue it from age 50 on,” Funk said. “If you can stay healthy, you can still play. Bernhard’s the epitome of that, the most consistent golfer on the planet.”
Ticket and volunteer information for the tournament are available at thegallericlassic.com .
Scottie Scheffler's run conjures memories of Tiger Woods and the Desert Fox, Johnny Miller
Who will Scottie Scheffler follow?
Tiger Woods or Johnny Miller?
One of the two or three best golfers of all time (yes, Tiger). Or merely a great golfer, Hall of Famer in fact, who still seemed to have underachieved, given how great he was at his best (Johnny).
Or maybe somewhere between?
Scheffler recently won his second major championship, which was his ninth career PGA Tour victory, and followed it up with this past week’s win in Hilton Head to continue his current streak of head-turning greatness: Four wins and a runner-up in his last five starts.
We can go back 25 years (Tiger) and 50 years (Johnny) to find similar post-WWII streaks, as well as two eventual career paths that suggest you just never know what happens next.
1999: Tiger Woods begins his run of steady dominance
Tiger Woods was an established star within the golf world before he even turned pro. A few early wins confirmed that his golf would transfer well to the play-for-pay game, but then came the 1997 Masters, where he lapped the field and became much more than just a “golf world” star.
He would play 10 more majors without a victory (and win just once in 1998) until the 1999 PGA Championship, which was his second major and 10th overall PGA Tour win. Similar mileposts to Scheffler's, though at 23, Tiger was four years younger than Scottie today.
In ’99, after winning the PGA and finishing 37th the following week, Tiger would win his last four starts of the Tour season, as well as the season-ending World Cup of Golf. He’d also open the next season with wins in his first two official PGA Tour starts.
Scheffler’s streak of four wins in five starts is now on hold as he goes home to Texas to await the birth of his first child. His next start will be the third week of May at the PGA Championship in Louisville.
His tee-to-cup brilliance in this extended stretch hasn’t been seen since any number of great stretches Tiger put together during his unmatched run from 1999-2009. It’s one thing to get wins in bunches, but quite another to have a bunch of bunches, as Tiger did.
Fifty years ago, another future Hall of Famer won in bunches — a couple of times, in fact. But Johnny Miller’s career arc never stretched too far without a detour, and serves as a cautionary tale that no matter the brilliance of the maestro, you never know when the music might stop playing.
1974: The Desert Fox threatens the Golden Bear’s reign … for a while
Johnny Miller’s third professional win came in his fifth season and was the first of his two majors — the 1973 U.S. Open, where he shot an unthinkable 63 at beastly Oakmont on Sunday.
Three years later he won his 18th Tour event and his second major, the British Open. It would be his last win of the decade. Shaky putting strokes have ruined many a golf game at all levels, but this time they derailed one of the great runs of golf in PGA Tour history.
Unlike Tiger on many occasions and Scheffler of late, where lengthy streaks of great play and victories encompassed various types of golf courses, Miller’s domain was the western United States, particularly the Desert West.
Along with the old Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, near Miller's Northern California hometown, Johnny ruled in Tucson, Phoenix and Palm Springs. He won his first three starts of ’74 and three of his first four the next year, shooting a cumulative 49 under par at Phoenix and Tucson and winning those two tournaments by a total of 25 strokes.
Through his golfing exploits and that Sears line of Johnny Miller Menswear, he was becoming the new face of golf, and at times making it look easier than anyone should. He was the first "Next Jack Nicklaus."
“For his next trick,” Dan Jenkins wrote during the early-’74 blitz, “Miller will win a tournament by mail.”
Johnny won two of his first four starts in ’76 — Tucson and Palm Springs, naturally — but showed signs of considerable cooling that was interrupted in July by his second major, the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. And that was it for three years.
The ugly word is “yips,” the age-old malady that can affect folks in various walks of life, particularly athletics. Whether it’s shooting a free throw, throwing the ball to first base or, in this case, making a 3-foot putt, the seemingly mundane becomes daunting because the brain-to-hands wiring has short-circuited.
Johnny battled them, made some headway, and in the 1980s he won sporadically, including a 1987 win at Pebble Beach after a four-year winless drought. That was surely it, everyone assumed, but in one of the most unlikely wins ever, he won Pebble again seven years later with a putting stroke that belonged on a pipefitter.
How improbable was it? Well into his NBC broadcasting career, Miller had made just five Tour starts between 1990-94 before that last win.
Which way for Scottie Scheffler?
Scheffler’s roll call of wins is somewhat similar to Miller’s: Over the past 26 months, he’s won four tournaments twice each — The Masters, Phoenix, Bay Hill and The Players Championship.
He also dealt with a balky putter last year, though those issues have subsided enough for him to flourish. He’s currently 93rd on Tour in “shots gained: putting,” which doesn’t sound great, until you recall he was No. 162 last season.
Injuries and perhaps personal issues can hamstring a career, as they did with Tiger, but an ill-wired putting stroke can send it flailing. Keeping peace with those gremlins will likely be key to Scheffler’s future path.
— Reach Ken Willis at [email protected]
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Australia’s Grace Kim opens 4-stroke lead in LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship
LOS ANGLES (AP) — Grace Kim opened a four-stroke lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship, shooting a 5-under 66 in tricky afternoon conditions at Wilshire Country Club.
A stroke ahead after an opening 64, Kim had an eagle, four birdies and a bogey to get to 12-under 130. The 23-year-old Australian patiently worked her way around the tree-lined layup, trying not to get frustrated with the bumpy greens.
“I think the less thoughts, the better,” Kim said. “Obviously, during the afternoon round today, we’ve got poa annua greens so just have to stay patient with them. You can kind of see how it can get bumpy, so working with the course and not getting too wrapped up around putts not going in.”
Maja Stark was second after a 69, also in the afternoon.
“I feel like maybe not taking everything so personal because they are a little bit wobbly.” Stark said. “Especially late. Like the whole day pretty much the ball has been wobbling because there has been so many people walking on it.”
The Swede finished second last week in Texas in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year. Korda withdrew Monday, a day after her fifth straight victory.
Defending champion Hannah Green of Australia shot a 69 to join Germany’s Esther Henseleit (68) at 6 under. Denmark’s Kristine Pedersen (67) and American Auston Kim (71) were 5 under, and Rose Zhang (69) topped the group at 4 under.
Grace Kim won the LOTTE Championship last year in a playoff in Hawaii for her first LPGA Tour title. She missed the cut in The Chevron , shooting 76-72.
She started play Friday on the back nine, rebounding from a bogey on the par-3 12th with the eagle on the par-5 13th and a birdie on the par-4 14th. On 13, she hit a 5-wood to 10 feet. She added birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and 7 on the second nine.
“I think I’ve got to breathe a little bit,” she said. “I did get a little bit nervous on my back nine, so making sure I don’t rush too much and just staying in the present.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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Leaderboard. Highlights. Tee Times. Field. Schwab Cup. Course Stats. Past Results. Overview. PGA TOUR Champions Tournament Schwab Cup 2024 The Galleri Classic, Rancho Mirage - Golf Scores and Results.
Unlike any other professional sport, the PGA TOUR Champions relies on over 100,000 volunteers to run events each year. Volunteers are integral to the success of every event, including the Galleri Classic, March 25-31, 2024 at Mission Hills Country Club, in Rancho Mirage, California.
Larry Bohannan, Palm Springs Desert Sun. March 31, 2024 8:20 pm ET ... Sunday was his third PGA Champions Tour title and his first in two years. But the day had a frustrating feel to it as he grinded for pars in the middle of the round as the heaviest rain of the weekend hit the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Goosen said the rain made the holes ...
Palm Springs Desert Sun. ... One of the most consistent winners on the PGA Tour Champions through the years, 2023 was the first year Jimenez did not win a senior event since joining the tour in ...
Prepare to tee off as the golfing icons descend once again upon the picturesque landscapes of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. The stage is set from March 29th to 31st, 2024, as the PGA Tour's Champions' Galleri Classic unfolds in all its glory. Tee up to witness legendary shots, intense rivalries, and triumphant moments where champions are crowned amidst the palm-lined fairways ...
Galleri Classic The PGA Tour Champions golf tournament. Palm Springs area sports event schedule dates March 25-31, 2024. Palm Springs Sports. Palm Springs Sports; Palm Springs Calendar; Acrisure Arena; Menu; Galleri Classic. Date/Time Date(s) - 03/25/2024 - 03/31/2024 All Day. Location Mission Hills Country Club. Categories. Events;
The Inaugural Galleri Classic, PGA TOUR Champions event debuts at the historic Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA, March 20-26,2023. Featuring players like Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, David Duvall, Jim Furyk, Fred Couples and more. The Galleri Classic will benefit six local cancer charities in the Coachella Valley. General Terms.
Langer, looking for a record-setting 46th career PGA Tour Champions win, birdied three of his first five holes Friday, but he then put together 13 consecutive pars, using 30 putts in the round ...
The PGA Tour Champions, a division of the PGA Tour for male golfers 50 and older, will announce on Tuesday they will hold a new event in the desert March 24-26, 2023. The event, to be called the ...
The Champions Club on 18 (Fri-Sun) In addition to tournament grounds access the Champion Club is a a private covered, open-air venue featuring a birds-eye view of the PGA TOUR Champions competition on the historic Par 5, 18th green featuring the large island green surrounded by the legendary Poppie's Pond, as well as an up-close view of the ...
The Galleri Classic. March 22, 2023 - March 26, 2023. Rancho Mirage Legends of Sports with Sugar Ray Leonard. ABT Studio Company. PGA TOUR Champions and GRAIL, LLC announced Tuesday a partnership to host a new professional golf tournament in Rancho Mirage, California. The Galleri Classic, named after GRAIL's multi-cancer early detection test ...
Purse: $2.2 million. Where: Dinah Shore Course, Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage. When: Pro-ams Wednesday and Thursday, 54-hole pro event Friday through Sunday. Times: Pro-am tee times ...
PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission
Palm Springs . 63° First Alert Forecast ... "New Era", Galleri Classic holds major outlook for Champions Tour at Mission Hills. By Bailey Arredondo. March 24, 2023 5:27 PM.
Greystone Golf & Country Club (Birmingham, Alabama) May 22-28. KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco (Frisco, Texas) June 25-July 2. U.S. Senior Open Championship ...
Each ticket is a revocable license allowing access to a PGA TOUR golf tournament. Lost, stolen or damaged tickets will not be replaced. All items are non-refundable. All sales are final. Learn More. Subscribe. Choose daily or weekly grounds passes or upgrade your experience by selecting one of our VIP hospitality options.
Palm Springs Desert Sun. 0:05. 0:49. Tickets for the Galleri Classic, the new PGA Tour Champions event to be played in Rancho Mirage on March 22-26, 2023, are now on sale. The Galleri Classic is ...
Retief Goosen is the Galleri Classic champion. Retief Goosen has won the @GalleriClassic! It's his first win since 2022 and the third PGA TOUR Champions victory of his career. pic.twitter.com ...
Copy. RANCHO MIRAGE (CNS) - The Galleri Classic had a majority of its field finalized Friday with 74 of 78 players set to play in its inaugural PGA Tour Champions tournament next week. The Galleri Classic will take place in the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at the Mission Hills Country Club, 34600 Mission Hills Drive, from March 22-26 ...
It's great to have the PGA Tour Champions in town, too. Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at [email protected]. Follow him ...
15. 18. 3. PGA TOUR Champions Live Leaderboard 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Duluth - Golf Scores and Results.
LPGA Tour Chevron Championship Power Rankings: The top 25 players in the LPGA's first major . ... previously held in the Palm Springs area and best known as the Dinah Shore, have risen $4.8 ...
Official home: PGA TOUR Champions, live scoring, news, stats, video, player profiles and tournament information. The best PGA TOUR golfers age 50 and above.
"It always seemed to me the Champions Tour was perfect for Palm Springs, the demographics," Funk said Tuesday. Funk will be one of 78 golfers playing in the inaugural Galleri Classic, the ...
1974: The Desert Fox threatens the Golden Bear's reign … for a while. Johnny Miller's third professional win came in his fifth season and was the first of his two majors — the 1973 U.S ...
LOS ANGLES (AP) — Grace Kim opened a four-stroke lead Friday in the LPGA Tour's JM Eagle LA Championship, shooting a 5-under 66 in tricky afternoon conditions at Wilshire Country Club. A ...