Duffy Waldorf making 100th consecutive Tour start at Dominion Energy

When Duffy Waldorf teed it up in the first round of the Boca Raton Championship on February 6, 2015, he couldn’t have imagined this.

It was the start of his third full season on PGA TOUR Champions, and while he always had planned to play frequently, he had missed a handful of events in his first two years for various reasons – eligibility, a family medical emergency.

But this week’s first event in the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, will be Waldorf’s 100th consecutive start, the longest active streak on Tour. Over the past 99 events, he has played every round possible, making the cut at every major and never withdrawing or being disqualified.

The numbers are pretty staggering. To date, they include:

• 5,454 holes

• 303 rounds

• 21,312 strokes

• 380 under par

• 1,158 birdies

• 24 eagles, including a hole-in-one at the 2017 U.S. Senior Open.

It’s a remarkable achievement at any age. But it’s a tribute to Waldorf, 56, that he continues to stay healthy, play well and keep grinding every time out.

“I wanted to play a lot of tournaments out here,” Waldorf said Wednesday. “And I got to point where it’s just as easy to play every one than tell a tournament, ‘No, I’m not coming.’

“My health has been very good, and it’s getting better. My workouts are going well. And there obviously is luck involved (in) staying healthy and being eligible for all of the tournaments.”

The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai is the one tournament with the most stringent eligibility requirements. Its field is comprised of major champions from the past five years and tournament winners from the past two years.

Waldorf didn’t get his breakthrough PGA TOUR Champions victory until the 2015 Toshiba Classic, which then qualified him for Hualalai in 2016. He promptly won there, which saw him through this year’s event in Hawaii.

Waldorf hasn’t won since, so he will need a win during this year’s Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs in order to qualify for Hualalai in 2019. It’s a fact of which he’s keenly aware.

“I’m hoping to win one of these next three so I can go to Hualalai and keep the streak going,” Waldorf said. “I have no plans to skip an event anytime soon.

“I think I can win a Playoff event. I played well in the last round last week (a 68 at the SAS Championship), and you take what you can from every event. I like this course (The Country Club of Virginia) in Richmond. I’ve had two good tournaments here, and it’s as good a chance as any.”

Waldorf has tied for sixth at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic each of the past two years, and he comes in playing well. He has only three top-10s this season in 24 events, but he has 13 top-25s. Since the Principal Charity Classic in June, Waldorf has only one finish outside the top 31.

He said he started the year poorly before a minor swing change led to a T5 at the year’s first major, the Regions Tradition. He had another top-10 at a major, a T6 at the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, and feels like he has played consistently well since.

“I just haven’t had the hot putting week. That has kept me out of (having a) chance to win,” Waldorf said. “I’ve been pretty good tee-to-green and scrambling, but haven’t made enough birdie putts. If I tighten up the putting and get one of those weeks where I make more than my share, I’ll be near the top.”

The PGA TOUR Champions schedule is much lighter than the PGA TOUR schedule, which is one reason Waldorf said it’s easier to play so many consecutive events. There was a stretch last year where the Tour played six consecutive weeks, which Waldorf said was the longest he had gone on any Tour without a break.

“The way the tournaments are laid out works out well,” Waldorf said, “There are fewer in the beginning of the year, so you want to play. Then the bigger tournaments are next and you want to play them because they’re the majors and the bigger purses.

“It would be nice to have two weeks off, but I’ve learned to get by with just one week off.”

The all-time longest streak on PGA TOUR Champions is held by Dana Quigley, who played 264 consecutive tournaments from 1998 to 2005.

Waldorf was nearly speechless upon hearing that.

“Hats off to Dana,” Waldorf said. “I’m not really shooting for that number. I’d be happy to play another 164 in my career.”