Regions Charity Classic: Final-Round Notebook

text size

HOOVER, Ala. -- For the third consecutive year, the Regions Charity Classic trophy will reside in Lakeland, Fla. Andy Bean claimed his second career title on the Champions Tour today, winning for the first time in 40 starts (2006 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn). Fellow Polk County resident Brad Bryant won this event in 2006 and 2007.

Loren Roberts charged up into second place Sunday. (Martin/Getty Images)

Inside the Numbers

Final Leaderboard

Player Score 1. Andy Bean 133 -13 2. Loren Roberts 204 -12 3. Jeff Sluman 205 -11 4. Mike Goodes 206 -10 T5. Lonnie Nielsen 207 -9 T5. Bernhard Langer 207 -9 T5. Denis Watson 207 -9 T8. Walter Hall 208 -8 T8. R.W. Eaks 208 -8 T8. Tom Jenkins 208 -8

• Before Sunday, Bean's best individual finish on the Champions Tour this year was a tie for 25th at both the AT&T Champions Classic and ACE Group Classic. His previous-best finish in five appearances in Birmingham was a tie for 12th at Ross Bridge in 2007.

• Andy Bean became the tournament's 16th different winner in its 17-year history. He also is the ninth different winner on the Champions Tour in 2008.

• Andy Bean earned 255 Charles Schwab Cup points and moved up into 17th place in the season-long race with 336 points. After 12 official events, Bernhard Langer still leads with 981 points and Scott Hoch is in second with 820 points. Jay Haas is third with 692 points followed by Denis Watson with 669 points and Tom Watson rounds out the top five with 633 points. At the end of the official season, the player earning the most Schwab Cup points will receive a $1 million payout.

• Next week's Senior PGA Championship will be the first of five major championships on the Champions Tour. Expect plenty of movement in the Schwab Cup standings after next week's event as double points are awarded to the top-10 finishers.

• Andy Bean picked up a check for $255,000 and increased his 2008 earnings to $406,706 (18th). Bean also earned a return trip to the Champions Tour season-opening event, the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai.

• Jeff Sluman's 7-under-par 29 on the front side Sunday tied the Regions Charity Classic's nine-hole record. Dana Quigley originally established the nine-hole mark in Birmingham, shooting 29 on the back nine in the opening round of the 2005 event at Greystone. Sluman's round of 64, his career low on the Champions Tour, included six straight birdies (Nos. 5-11), matching the best birdie streak of the 2008 season (Scott Simpson, Rd. 2, Allianz Championship). Quigley's 29 in 2005 included eight consecutive birdies on the back nine, matching the Champions Tour's all-time mark for consecutive birdies.

• Jeff Sluman's third-place performance this week at the Birmingham was his best individual career effort on the Champions Tour thus far. His previous best was a tie for sixth this year at The ACE Group Classic.

• Mike Goodes' fourth-place finish was the best by an open qualifier in a Champions Tour event since Mitch Adams tied for third last year at the 3M Championship near Minneapolis. Goodes' top-10 finish here in Birmingham earned him a spot in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa in two weeks.

• Bernhard Langer's tie for fifth this week earned him a check for $70,267 and made him the first player to eclipse the seven-figure mark in single-season earnings. Langer went over the $1 million mark ($1,035,128) in his 10th start this year. Last year, Jay Haas was the first player over the $1 million mark at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, his ninth appearance of the season.

• For the second consecutive day, Jim Dent carded a 3-under 69 Sunday and matched his age.

• Lonnie Nielsen made the biggest comeback in the event. Nielsen found himself in a tie for 45th after an opening-round 73. However, he carded scores of 66-68 on the weekend to eventually finish tied for fifth, his best effort in five appearances in Birmingham.

• Brad Bryant finished tied for 11th in his bid for a third consecutive Regions Charity Classic title. In winning this event the last two years, Bryant had missed a total of 11 greens in regulation. This week, he missed a total of 14 greens.

• With Andy Bean's one-stroke victory Sunday, the last four Champions Tour events have been decided by one stroke. Overall this year, eight of the 12 official events have been decided either by a playoff or by one stroke.

• PGA TOUR veteran Dave Rummells finished tied for 20th in his Champions Tour debut this week.

• This and that: Ben Crenshaw had the fewest putts in the tournament (80/26.67). ... Both Michael Herzan and Bernhard Langer hit the most greens in regulation (46 of 54/85.19%). ... Isao Aoki, Bob Charles and Morris Hatalsky all hit 38 of 42 fairways (90.5%). ... Steve Thomas led the field in driving distance with an average of 301.8 yards per drive. Thomas had the longest measured drive in the tournament (386 yds, No. 13, Rd. 3) and ironically, he also made the longest measured putt, 85' 1" on No. 16 in the opening round. ... Andy Bean's 18 birdies were the most in the event. ... Tim Simpson birdied 10 of 12 par 5s at Ross Bridge for the week.