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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS FANTASY
Power Rankings: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
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January 18, 2021
By Bret Lasky, PGATOUR.COM
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January 18, 2021
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Ernie Els will be one to watch this week in Hawaii. (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
The 2020-2021 season resumes this week with the 25th playing of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. There are two men in the field that have accounted for 96 total wins on PGA TOUR Champions. Hale Irwin, who won the inaugural event in 1997 at Hualalai, also won his record 45th title at the resort course in 1997. Bernhard Langer, who enters the 2020-2021 wraparound season at No. 1 on the Charles Schwab Cup standings, is a three-time champion at Hualalai (2009, 2014, 2017). Langer is looking to add to his 41 career titles. Miguel Angel Jimenez is back to defend his title. He won in a three-way heavyweight playoff last year over Fred Couples and Ernie Els. Both Couples and Els also return. Els ranks second on the Schwab Cup standings into the new calendar year while Couples is in striking distance of the top at No. 13.
RANK PLAYER COMMENT 10 
Scott Parel Similar to Sutherland, Parel has been a top 10 machine (35 in 106 career starts) and he had a strong 2020 to stand fifth on the Schwab Cup standings. Parel won the Chubb Classic and also added a second and third place finish. Parel has finished T12 and T13 in his first two trips to Hualalai. He’s been under par in all six rounds, but hasn’t turned in a really low round yet.Similar to Sutherland, Parel has been a top 10 machine (35 in 106 career starts) and he had a strong 2020 to stand fifth on the Schwab Cup standings. Parel won the Chubb Classic and also added a second and third place finish. Parel has finished T12 and T13 in his first two trips to Hualalai. He’s been under par in all six rounds, but hasn’t turned in a really low round yet.9 
Kevin Sutherland He’s the last winner on PGA TOUR Champions so he’s got to be on this list. He outlasted Paul Broadhurst in that marathon nine-hole, two day playoff to win the Schwab Cup Championship in November. More than being the last winner, Sutherland continues to quietly rack up wins and top 10 finishes. He had nine top 10s in 15 starts in 2020 and has 66 career top 10 finishes in 135 starts (that’s 49 percent!). Sutherland has played well at Hualalai the last three years. His best finish is a T5 in 2019.He’s the last winner on PGA TOUR Champions so he’s got to be on this list. He outlasted Paul Broadhurst in that marathon nine-hole, two day playoff to win the Schwab Cup Championship in November. More than being the last winner, Sutherland continues to quietly rack up wins and top 10 finishes. He had nine top 10s in 15 starts in 2020 and has 66 career top 10 finishes in 135 starts (that’s 49 percent!). Sutherland has played well at Hualalai the last three years. His best finish is a T5 in 2019.8 
Jim Furyk Furyk set the bar really high in the summer of 2020 when he won his first two events. It of course wasn’t sustainable as he didn’t win in his final four starts of 2020, but he still collected two more top 10s including a runner-up finish at the TimberTech Championship. Furyk, a 17-time PGA TOUR, clearly has all the tools to challenge Langer for the Schwab Cup title at the end of 2021. He currently ranks seventh in just six total starts and everything he’s said publicly indicates he’ll play a full schedule. Furyk warmed up for the Mitsubishi Electric Championship by making the cut at the Sony Open. He finished T47 with rounds of 69-66-68-67.Furyk set the bar really high in the summer of 2020 when he won his first two events. It of course wasn’t sustainable as he didn’t win in his final four starts of 2020, but he still collected two more top 10s including a runner-up finish at the TimberTech Championship. Furyk, a 17-time PGA TOUR, clearly has all the tools to challenge Langer for the Schwab Cup title at the end of 2021. He currently ranks seventh in just six total starts and everything he’s said publicly indicates he’ll play a full schedule. Furyk warmed up for the Mitsubishi Electric Championship by making the cut at the Sony Open. He finished T47 with rounds of 69-66-68-67.7 
Darren Clarke When Clarke won the TimberTech Championship late in 2020 for his first PGA TOUR Champions victory, one of things he was excited about was getting a taste of Hualalai. Clarke’s recipe for success on PGA TOUR Champions has been hitting it long (8th in driving distance) and a smooth stroke on the greens (5th in putting average). He wasn’t a top 10 machine in 2020, but he showed he can pop low numbers. He turned in a second round 62 when he won in Florida. He also carded a 62 earlier in the year at the Sanford International.When Clarke won the TimberTech Championship late in 2020 for his first PGA TOUR Champions victory, one of things he was excited about was getting a taste of Hualalai. Clarke’s recipe for success on PGA TOUR Champions has been hitting it long (8th in driving distance) and a smooth stroke on the greens (5th in putting average). He wasn’t a top 10 machine in 2020, but he showed he can pop low numbers. He turned in a second round 62 when he won in Florida. He also carded a 62 earlier in the year at the Sanford International.6 
Colin Montgomerie In six career starts around Hualalai Golf Club, Montgomerie has three top 10 finishes including a runner-up to Jerry Kelly in 2018. Monty showed flashes of strong play during the 2020 calendar year. He finished in a tie for third at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS and nearly won the SAS Championship. Els got him with a 40-foot putt on the last hole.In six career starts around Hualalai Golf Club, Montgomerie has three top 10 finishes including a runner-up to Jerry Kelly in 2018. Monty showed flashes of strong play during the 2020 calendar year. He finished in a tie for third at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS and nearly won the SAS Championship. Els got him with a 40-foot putt on the last hole.5 
Fred Couples The 61-year-old is coming off a solid 2020 where he finished in the top 10 in six of his nine starts including getting into a playoff at Hualalai. Couples always plays well at Hualalai. He has a 67.19 scoring average in 11 starts. While he has never won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, he has four runner-up finishes and a third place result in 2015. He also probably wants some revenge for missing a short putt on the first playoff hole last year.The 61-year-old is coming off a solid 2020 where he finished in the top 10 in six of his nine starts including getting into a playoff at Hualalai. Couples always plays well at Hualalai. He has a 67.19 scoring average in 11 starts. While he has never won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, he has four runner-up finishes and a third place result in 2015. He also probably wants some revenge for missing a short putt on the first playoff hole last year.4 
Jerry Kelly In 2002, Kelly won his first ever PGA TOUR event at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua. Hawaii has since always been a special place for Kelly. In 2018, he added to his Hawaii trophy collection by winning the Mitsubishi Electric Championship with rounds of 64-68-66. Kelly, already a seven-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, showed splashes of strong play in 2020 including a win at the lone major, the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS.In 2002, Kelly won his first ever PGA TOUR event at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua. Hawaii has since always been a special place for Kelly. In 2018, he added to his Hawaii trophy collection by winning the Mitsubishi Electric Championship with rounds of 64-68-66. Kelly, already a seven-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, showed splashes of strong play in 2020 including a win at the lone major, the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS.3 
Miguel Angel Jiménez Jimenez turned in rounds of 64-71-67 and then made about a 15-footer in a playoff last year to win for a second time at Hualalai. He also won his first year on PGA TOUR Champions in 2015. Jimenez picked up two more wins in 2020. He has now won at least once in each of his seven years on PGA TOUR Champions.Jimenez turned in rounds of 64-71-67 and then made about a 15-footer in a playoff last year to win for a second time at Hualalai. He also won his first year on PGA TOUR Champions in 2015. Jimenez picked up two more wins in 2020. He has now won at least once in each of his seven years on PGA TOUR Champions.2 
Bernhard Langer Langer has an insane 67.34 scoring average in 13 career starts at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. He has finished inside the top 10 seven of the last eight years including T6 last year. In 38 career rounds, he has been under par 36 times. He has two even par rounds. The 63-year-old continues to show no signs of slowing down. He won for a 14th consecutive calendar year in 2020 and collected 12 top 10 finishes.Langer has an insane 67.34 scoring average in 13 career starts at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. He has finished inside the top 10 seven of the last eight years including T6 last year. In 38 career rounds, he has been under par 36 times. He has two even par rounds. The 63-year-old continues to show no signs of slowing down. He won for a 14th consecutive calendar year in 2020 and collected 12 top 10 finishes.1 
Ernie Els It’s a toss-up between Els and Langer, but Els gets the nod. He chipped in from behind the green during his debut at Hualalai last year on the very first hole in Round 1 and nearly won. Even after an opening 72, he found his groove with back-to-back 65s to get into a playoff. Els immediately became a player to watch weekly on PGA TOUR Champions in 2020. He totaled 10 top-10s in 13 total starts and won the Hoag Classic and SAS Championship.It’s a toss-up between Els and Langer, but Els gets the nod. He chipped in from behind the green during his debut at Hualalai last year on the very first hole in Round 1 and nearly won. Even after an opening 72, he found his groove with back-to-back 65s to get into a playoff. Els immediately became a player to watch weekly on PGA TOUR Champions in 2020. He totaled 10 top-10s in 13 total starts and won the Hoag Classic and SAS Championship. -
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