Keegan Bradley wasn’t the only golfer to break a slump this weekend.
Fred Couples, who had gone five years, three months and 21 days since his last victory on the PGA Tour Champions, is on top once again after claiming a four-shot victory at the 2022 SAS Championship.
Bradley won in Japan at the Zozo Championship earlier in the day Sunday for his first win in 1,498 days. Couples did him one better, or perhaps 441 better, earning his first win in 1,939 days dating back to the 2017 American Family Insurance Championship.
He has finished runner-up five times in that span but after starting the final round tied at 8 under with Y.E. Yang, Couples made sure he wouldn’t have another second-place this time around.
“Everyone thinks we can win out here and today was my day,” he said, perhaps the understatement of the week.
Couples closed his front nine with five straight birdies on Nos. 5-9. On the back, he made five in a row again on Nos. 12-16 to put himself on 59 watch, as he was at 10 under with two to go at the par 72 Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. The 17th is a par 5 and the closing hole is a par 4.
Couples birdied the 17th for a sixth consecutive birdie to get to 11 under and needed a hole-out eagle on 18 to break 60. He didn’t get the eagle but he did close with a seventh straight birdie to shoot a 60, good enough to beat his age by three shots, and, more importantly, earn him his long-awaited 14th PGA Tour Champions victory.
Golf at its finest.@FredCouplesGolf is set up for his seventh straight birdie
pic.twitter.com/G1bmC292aR
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 16, 2022
Couples had Steve Flesch’s son, Griff, working as his caddie this week.
“My caddie, Mark Chaney, has been with me a while and he’s with his mom in London, and then I had Joe LaCava’s son caddie,” Couples said. “I just texted Griff, he thought I was joking, I said just get to Raleigh on Tuesday and we’ll have a good time, and we did.”
Steven Alker who had five birdies and an eagle on the 17th closed with a 64 to claim solo second. He’ll start the Schwab playoffs in the No. 1 spot but count him among those impressed by Couples.
“Yeah, that’s insane. Obviously Freddie’s just got it in the groove and has it rolling. You don’t shoot 12 under, 11 under without putting well. Good on him, that’s fantastic, good to see.”
Jerry Kelly finished at 12 under to take solo third. Rocco Mediate finished at 11 under, which was good for solo fourth. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka tied for fifth at 10 under.
Dick Mast, who Tuesday qualified into the SAS with a 66, five shots better than his age, shot 78-74-72 to finish 73rd.
The SAS Championship was the regular-season finale for the 2022 PGA Tour Champions season. The top 72 on the points list advance to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs with the field reduced to 54 for the second playoff event. From there, only the top 36 advance to the final.
Schwab Cup playoffs lineup
- Dominion Energy Charity Classic, The Country Club of Virginia Richmond, Virginia, Oct. 21-23
Defending champion: Bernhard Langer - TimberTech Championship, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club Boca Raton, Florida, Nov. 4-6
Defending champion: Steven Alker - Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Phoenix Country Club Phoenix, Nov. 10-13
Defending champion: Phil Mickelson