Officials of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic announced today that World Golf Hall of Fame member and four-time Charles Schwab Cup Champion Bernhard Langer will compete in the fifth playing of the prestigious PGA TOUR Champions event scheduled for April 10 – 16 at TPC Sugarloaf.
The Mitsubishi Electric Classic has also accepted commitments from four top PGA TOUR Champions stars: Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Billy Andrade.
No player has dominated the PGA TOUR Champions circuit over the past nine years like Bernhard Langer. He capped another stellar year in 2016 by securing a record fourth Charles Schwab Cup title, a record eighth Arnold Palmer Award as the TOUR’s leading money winner, and a record sixth Jack Nicklaus Award as the Player of the Year. He also won the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average for a record-matching fifth time. The 59-year-old German native captured his 30th PGA TOUR Champions victory at the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in January and is currently ranked No. 2 in Charles Schwab Cup rankings.
Langer’s PGA TOUR Champions resume includes seven major titles and more than $21 million in career earnings. The two-time Masters winner will make his fifth start at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. He won the inaugural event in 2013, finished second in 2014 and 2015, and tied for 11th last year. That impressive record at TPC Sugarloaf has earned Langer winnings of $625,050 and a 68.45 scoring average at this tournament alone.
Colin Montgomerie, 53, has recorded four PGA TOUR Champions victories since joining the TOUR in June of 2013. Three of his four wins have come in major fashion, claiming titles at the 2014 and 2015 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and the 2014 U.S. Senior Open Championship. The Scottish native and World Golf Hall of Fame member has tallied 37 PGA TOUR Champions top-10 finishes in his career and more than $6.2 million in earnings. Montgomerie will be making his fourth Mitsubishi Electric Classic appearance this April. His record in Duluth includes $103,784 in earnings, a scoring average of 69.5 and finishes of T8 in 2014, T10 in 2015 and T4 in last year’s event.
PGA TOUR Champions rookie José María Olazábal will be making his first start at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic. The two-time Masters champion has totaled six PGA TOUR victories and 23 international titles in his more than 32 year professional career. Olazábal, 51, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. The Spaniard has a storied Ryder Cup career in which he has appeared seven times as a player and captained the victorious 2012 European team.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 53, claimed the 2014 Mitsubishi Electric Classic in his first PGA TOUR Champions start. His tournament earnings are $392,310 and his scoring average is 68.5. In his three appearances at TPC Sugarloaf he has yet to finish outside the top-10. In 2015 Jiménez tied for 10th and last year his 9-under-par 207 placed him in a tie for fourth with Montgomerie, Joey Sindelar and Tom Lehman. Jiménez has achieved three PGA TOUR Champions wins, recording one title each of the past three seasons. The Spanish native is coming off a career best year on the PGA TOUR Champions with nine top-10 finishes in only 13 starts and more than $1.6 million in earnings. This season Jiménez has one top-10 in three starts and sits at No. 6 in Charles Schwab Cup rankings.
Atlanta resident Billy Andrade holds three PGA TOUR Champions titles and four wins on the PGA TOUR during his 30 year professional career. He enjoyed a record PGA TOUR Champions year in 2015, recording three wins, seven top-10 finishes, more than $1.5 million in earnings and placing No. 4 in Charles Schwab Cup rankings. He posted nine top-10 finishes last season, including two runner-up efforts and two third place outings. He is currently ranked No. 9 in Charles Schwab Cup standings with four top-20 finishes in four starts this season. Andrade, 53, will be making his fourth appearance at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic. His scoring average at TPC Sugarloaf is 70.25 with career tournament earnings of $105,600. His best finish came last year when he finished in eighth place.
The 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic is April 10-16, 2017 at TPC Sugarloaf. The public may visit www.MitsubishiElectricClassic.com to purchase tickets. Kids 16 and under can attend for free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets start at just $20.
About the Mitsubishi Electric Classic: The Mitsubishi Electric Classic is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions scheduled for April 10-16, 2017. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse at the prestigious TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The event, which will benefit local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc., has raised more than $1 million since its first tournament in 2013. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel. For more information, visit MitsubishiElectricClassic.com.
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