Round 3 Notebook: Regions Charity Classic PGA TOUR Staff Brad Bryant's win today was his third career title on the Champions Tour (2006 Toshiba Classic, 2006 Regions Charity Classic) and was his first victory in a playoff. Last year at Oak Tree CC in Edmond, OK, he lost in overtime to Jay Haas for the Senior PGA Championship title. ![]() Brad Bryant Brad Bryant became not only the first multiple winner of the Regions Charity Classic, but also the first player to defend his title in Hoover (Birmingham). Bryant's win today ended a run of 15 different winners at this event. The Champions Tour has now had two players successfully defend titles in the last three events. Jay Haas defeated Tom Kite in a playoff for his second consecutive Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf title last month in Savannah. The only other playoff this year came at the AT&T Champions Classic when Tom Purtzer bested Loren Roberts. The longest-running event without a repeat winner is now the Boeing Championship at Sandestin (12 years). Brad Bryant earned a check for $240,000 and increased his 2007 earnings to $793,976. More importantly, Bryant picked up 240 Charles Schwab Cup points. Bryant is now in third place in the season-long race with 687 total points on the year. After 11 official events in 2007, Jay Haas continues to lead with 1,038 points and Hale Irwin is second with 791 points. Next week's Senior PGA Championship features double Schwab Cup points for top-10 finishers. At the end of the official season, the player with the most points will earn a $1 million annuity.
Today's playoff was the fourth in tournament history (first since 2002) and matched the longest overtime session in Regions Charity Classic annals. John Bland went three extra holes in 1996, defeating both John Paul Cain and Kermit Zarley at Greystone. The Champions Tour has now had nine different winners in its first 11 events of 2007. Four of the last five tournaments have been decided by either one stroke or in a playoff. Brad Bryant's five-stroke comeback marked the largest come-from-behind win on the Champions Tour in 2007 and the second largest come-from-behind win in Regions Charity Classic history. John Jacobs came from six strokes back to win the 2000 event at Greystone. Last year, Bryant trailed Mark McNulty by one stroke and rallied for a two-stroke win. Brad Bryant's opening-round 70 matched the highest start by a Regions Charity Classic winner -- Hubert Green (1998), Larry Nelson (1999), Sammy Rachels (2002). Brad Bryant's second win in Birmingham came in his third appearance in the event. Two years ago, he finished T8 at Greystone with an 8-under 208 total. R.W. Eaks is now 0-2 in playoffs on the Champions Tour. Last fall at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, Eaks lost in overtime to Andy Bean. ![]() Seve Ballesteros World Golf Hall of Famer Seve Ballesteros of Spain finished 78th in his Champions Tour debut. After carding 78-81 in the first two rounds, his round of 1-over 73 today included four birdies. Hajime Meshiai's 6-under 30 on the front nine and Tom Kite's 6-under 30 on the back nine matched a 9-hole best on the Champions Tour in 2007. Kite became the 11th different player this year to shoot 30 for nine holes. Canadian Rod Spittle, a Monday qualifier into the event, carded a 6-under 66 on Sunday, his best career round on the Champions Tour and vaulted into a T6 finish. The top-10 was his best career performance since turning 50 and earned him a spot in the Boeing Championship at Sandestin in two weeks. Denis Watson's T3 at the Regions Charity Classic in Birmingham was his third top-five finish in seven events this year and his $105,000 check this week was his largest of the season. Watson now has pocketed $340,881 thus far in 2007 and is less than $68,000 away from his best year ever in professional golf (1984-$408,562/4th). Hale Irwin's T6 this week was his eighth top-10 finish in 12 appearances at the Regions Charity Classic. He's still the event's leading money-winner with $768,645. |