Scott Parel wins Invesco QQQ Championship

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Scott Parel won the Invesco QQQ Championship on Sunday, taking the PGA TOUR Champions playoff event for his second victory in two months.

Parel shot a 4-under 68, parring the final five holes at Sherwood Country Club to hold off Paul Goydos by a stroke. Parel finished at 11-under 205, birdieing the two back-nine par 5s in a bogey-free round.

The 53-year-old Parel jumped from sixth to second in the season standings, with the top 36 qualifying for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in two weeks at Phoenix Country Club. He won the Boeing Classic in late August for his first tour victory.

Goydos parred the final four holes in a 67. He went from 22nd to 14th in the standings.

Kenny Perry shot 67 to tie for third with David McKenzie (70) and Stephen Ames (71) at 8 under. Season points leader Bernhard Langer had a 70 to get to 7 under.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, the second-round leader, shot a 73 to also finish at 7 under with Jay Haas (69) and David Toms (70). Jimenez dropped from second to third in the standings.

Scott Parel, 67-70-68—205 (-11)
Charles Schwab Cup Standings – Start: 6th/ Current: 2nd

• Parel started the day T2 and held that spot until he birdied No. 11 and Kenny Perry bogeyed No. 16 to fall back on the leaderboard. Parel carded a bogey-free 4-under 68 in the final round to finish at 11-under 205.
• He led the field in greens in regulation (79.6%).
• In his last 30 rounds, Parel has only recorded two rounds over par.
• The win is just his second on PGA TOUR Champions. His first came earlier this year when he won the Boeing Classic. Prior to his victories this season, Parel’s last win was at the Web.com Tour’s Air Capital Classic in 2013.
• Parel’s path on PGA TOUR Champions began in 2016 when he Monday qualified eight times before finishing 46th in the Charles Schwab Cup. He earned co-medalist honors at Q-School to become fully-exempt for 2017 and retained his full playing privileges this year by finishing 21st in last year’s Charles Schwab Cup.
• Parel is one of five Q-School graduates to win on Tour since 2014: Brandt Jobe, Jerry Smith, Scott Dunlap, and Wes Short Jr. He is the first Q-School graduate to win a Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs event.
• Parel will make his second appearance at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He finished No. 21 in last year’s Charles Schwab Cup rankings.

Paul Goydos, 70-69-67—206 (-10)
Charles Schwab Cup Standings – Start: 22nd/ Current: 14th

• Goydos began the day T7 but opened with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 followed by back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to finish with a bogey-free 5-under 67. His 10-under 206 total left him one stroke behind Parel for a runner-up finish.
• The finish matches his best of the year as he was the Insperity Invitational runner-up to Langer. He holds six top-10 finishes and 12 finishes in the top 25.
• Goydos earns 360,000 points and moves into the top-20 of the Charles Schwab Cup race. He will make his third appearance at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Last year he finished the Charles Schwab Cup ranked No. 19.

Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs
After this week, the top-36 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings qualify for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

• Mark Calcavecchia was the only player to start inside the top-36 and move outside of the top-36.
• Stephen Ames was the only player to start outside the top-36 and move inside the top-36 and onto the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Other Notes

• Kenny Perry (Start: 19th/ Current:16th) began the final round T15 but with an eagle on No. 2 and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 moved his way into contention. When Perry birdied No. 11 he took a solo lead, but a bogey on No. 16 moved Parel ahead by two. Perry finished with a 5-under 67 in the final round for an 8-under 208 total (T3). Perry earned 239,200 points and qualified for his second Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He ranked No. 4 at the end of last year’s Charles Schwab Cup.
• David McKenzie (Start: 54th/ Current:42nd) started the final round T5 but carded a bogey-free round with two birdies to move up the leaderboard into a three-way tie for third. The finish matches his best of the year with his T3 finish at the Rapiscan Systems Classic. McKenzie did not qualify for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and will finish 42nd in this year’s standings.
• Stephen Ames (Start: 42nd/ Current:27th) carded a final-round 1-under 71 to add to his 7-under 65 second round for an 8-under 208 total (T3). The finish matches his best this year when he finished T3 at The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex. Ames earned 239,200 points and qualifies for his second Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He ranked No. 18 at the end of last year’s Charles Schwab Cup.
• Defending Champion Bernhard Langer (Start:1st/ Current: 1st) carded a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish at 7-under 209 (T6). The four-time Charles Schwab Cup champion will enter his third Charles Schwab Cup Championship ranked No. 1 for the third time. Langer holds the No. 1 ranking over Parel by 253,048 points.
• Miguel Angel Jimenez (Start: 2nd/ Current: 3rd), led into the final round but with a bogey on No. 2 and back-to-back bogey’s on Nos. 4 and 5 fell back behind Perry. Miguel carded five birdies during his round, but six bogeys kept him from holding his lead. He finished with a 1-over 732 and 7-under 209 total (T10). Jimenez moved back one place in the Charles Schwab Cup as winner Parel now claims the No. 2 spot.
• Kevin Sutherland (Start:15th// Current:17th), the reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion, finished T37 after carding a 1-over 73 in the final round for a 1-over 217 finish.
• Woody Austin (Start: 8th/ Current: 8th), who won the first Playoffs event at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, finished T10 after carding a 5-under 67 in the final round for a 6-under 210 finish.
• Olin Browne withdraw prior to the final round due to injury.