Langer Wins In Record Fashion

Three-time PGA TOUR winner Bernhard Langer (1985 Masters, 1985 Sea Pines Heritage Classic, 1993 Masters) claimed his first Champions Tour event in just his fourth start since turning 50 and joins Mark Wiebe as the second member of the Class of 2007 to win this year.

Bernhard Langer’s 54-hole total of 25–under-par 191 matched the Champions Tour’s all-time scoring record (25-under/63-67-61, Loren Roberts, 2006 MasterCard Championship at Hualalai) and also was just the third 191 ever recorded on the circuit (19-under/60-64-67, Bruce Fleisher, 2002 RJR Championship).

Bernhard Langer becomes the 19th different winner on the Champions Tour in 2007 and the seventh first-time winner. He’s also the fourth wire-to-wire winner this year, joining Fred Funk (Turtle Bay Championship), Jay Haas (Principal Charity Classic) and R.W. Eaks (Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn).

Bernhard Langer becomes the first player from Germany to win on the Champions Tour and is the fourth international to claim a title on the circuit this year, joining Mark James (England), Denis Watson (Zimbabwe) and Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe). He also joins McNulty (2005) as the second international to win the Administaff Small Business Classic.

Bernhard Langer joins Hale Irwin (MasterCard Championship at Hualalai) as the second World Golf Hall of Famer to win on the Champions Tour in 2007.

Bernhard Langer’s victory today earns a trip to the season-opening MasterCard Championship
at Hualalai in Hawaii next year.

Bernhard Langer’s win today is his first on TOUR since the 1993 Masters Tournament, ending
a victory drought of 14 years, six months and three days. Earlier this year on the PGA TOUR, Langer lost in a playoff at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Ft. Worth.

Bernhard Langer earned a check for $255,000 and also picked up 255 Charles Schwab Cup points. In four starts on the Champions Tour, he has now earned $391,660 (46th on the official money list).

Bernhard Langer’s Round-Three Statistics: Bernhard Langer’s Tournament Statistics:
Driving Accuracy – 12 of 14 (86%) -- 31 of 42 (T24)
Driving Distance -- 296.6 -- 301.2 (10th)
Greens In Regulation – 14 of 18 (78%) -- 43 of 54 (T7)
Putts -- 26 -- 25.3 (1st)

Despite making a quadruple-bogey seven at the par-3 3rd hole today, defending champion Jay Haas still managed to shoot a 67, his eighth consecutive sub-par round at Augusta Pines, and finished T4 in the event. Haas was T5 here in 2005, meaning he has now finished among the top-five in all three of his appearances in the Administaff Small Business Classic. Haas has now registered 43 top-10 finishes in 59 career appearances on the Champions Tour.


Haas’ T4 this week earned him aas carded a 66 today, his seventh consecutive sub-par round at Augusta Pines. He moved up 17 spots into a T10 and is in position to cut into Loren Roberts’ 161-point lead in the Charles Schwab Cup race. Haas is in second-place and a top-10 finish tomorrow would reduce Roberts’ lead. Should Haas rally and win his second consecutive Administaff Small Business Classic, he would overtake Loren Roberts for the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup race. The winner of tomorrow’s event earns 255 Schwab Cup points

Tom Kite made a strong bid to end his victory drought in Texas but the streak now stands at 0-119. Today’s runner-up finish at the Administaff Small Business Classic was his best effort in 16 career starts on the Champions Tour in the Lone Star State. Kite’s best performances out of 103 starts on the PGA TOUR both came in Houston (T2 -- 1991 Independent Insurance Agent Open, T2 – 1994 Shell Houston Open).

In their Champions Tour debuts this week, John Cook finished T35 and Phil Blackmar was T70.

The stroke average for the field this week at Augusta Pines was 70.152, the lowest this year for a full-field event on a par-72 course. This year, the par-71 Newport Beach Country Club played to a stroke average of 69.722 for the Toshiba Classic. This year’s scoring average was also a record for the Administaff Small Business Classic. The field averaged 71.195 over 54 holes in 2005 and 71.246 for three rounds in 2004. Last year’s 36-hole stroke average was 71.103.

Through 36 holes, just 10 birdies have been made at the par-3 15th and the hole has played as the second hardest this week (3.175). The par-3 3rd has played the hardest through two rounds (3.182). The par-5 2nd hole has played as the easiest (4,318) and has yielded 12 eagles and 87 birdies over two days.

A total of 24 eagles were made through the first two rounds, by 24 different professionals.