Senior wins US Seniors Tour Q-School
Saturday, 21 November 2009
PGA of Australia member Peter Senior, winner of 18 tournaments in Australia, three events in Japan and four more titles on the European Tour, shot 5-under-par 66 to win medalist honours at the 25th Champions Tour’s National Qualifying Tournament at TPC Scottsdale.
Senior shook off a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 hole, making five birdies over his final nine holes to triumph by three strokes over Joe Ozaki (Japan), Steve Haskins (USA), the event’s 54-hole leader, and Ronnie Black (USA), a fourth-place finisher at last year’s national qualifier in Florida. For Haskins, the son of the legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins, it marked his first successful trip through a national qualifier after missing out 14 times in 17 years at the PGA TOUR’s final stage.
Senior becomes the first Australian to earn medallist honours at the Champions Tour’s National Qualifying Tournament and the eighth international player to seize top honours at this event. After turning 50 midway through 2009, Senior played three events on the European Senior Tour and finished 14thon the final Order of Merit. In 49 career starts on the PGA TOUR, Senior’s best effort was a T2 at THE INTERNATIONAL in 1990. He earned $30,000 from the purse of $200,000 for his win today.
In addition to Ozaki, Haskins and Black, Jim Roy (Syracuse, NY), a re-instated amateur, secured the final fully-exempt spot on the 2010 Champions Tour, making a 6-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole with Kirk Hanefeld (Acton, MA) and Bruce Vaughan (Hutchinson, KS).
Four regional qualifying events were held to help determine the field for the final qualifying tournament. A total of 52 players advanced from regional qualifying to join 26 current Champions Tour and past PGA TOUR members trying to improve or retain their playing status for 2010 in the final stage.
The top-five finishers earned fully-exempt status for the 2010 season, while finishers 6-12 will be conditionally exempt. In addition, the top-30 finishers and ties will be eligible to compete for spots in open qualifiers at all cosponsored events on the Champions Tour next year.