Dick's Sporting Goods Open: 10 players to keep an eye on this week at En-Joie
The roll call of Dick’s Sporting Goods Open champions varies greatly, from pedigreed professionals at peak performance fully expected to contend, to, “Huh?”
No telling what this week is to bring at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, but if someone is to come from no-telling-where to top the field he’ll likely have to deal with heat applied by some of the names below.
Here, 10 to watch in the $2.1 million PGA Tour Champions event:
Steven Alker
51-year-old New Zealander has put together a stupendous 2022 season − three wins, nine top-threes, Senior PGA champion on rally from four back entering final round … No. 1 on tour in eagles, birdie average, scoring average, ball striking, all-around and earnings … Breakthrough came with T7 in last year’s Boeing Classic − after passing through qualifier − and followed with four wins and $3.5 million in earnings across his next 23 starts … Coming off a T5 outside Seattle, his 11th top-five in 14 starts this year.
2022 concert:Zac Brown Band's Matt Mangano, Clay Cook talk Dick's Open concert surprises, 2014 show
2022 at En-Joie:Dick's Sporting Goods Open back to normal
Historic summer:Maine-Endwell’s Little League champs hold lifetime of memories. What’s the next chapter?
Doug Barron
Age 53 … In 2019, amazingly passed through Dick’s Sporting Goods Open pre-qualifying and open qualifying at The Links at Hiawatha Landing to gain his second PGA Tour Champions start − and proceeded to win by two over Fred Couples. That made Barron the first open qualifier to win on tour since Willie Wood topped the 2012 Dick’s Open field, and halted a string of 376 tour-sanctioned starts without a win … Backed the Dick’s Open victory by winning the Shaw Charity Classic in August 2021 on three rounds of 64 … Closing 65 left him a share of third in this year’s Senior British Open at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Cameron Beckman
Age 52 … Minnesota native and three-time winner on the regular tour, he came from three back to best Ernie Els by a shot to win last year’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open … Lone top-10 this year came in early-March Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club, a T10 on rounds of 64-71-74. He was first-round leader by a stroke … Withdrew during Sunday’s final round of the Boeing Classic.
Alex Cejka
Age 51 … Two-time PGA Tour Champions winner in 2020-21 season … Four top-10s in 2022 include T3 Aug. 7 in Shaw Charity Classic (68-68-66) … That followed a win in the JCB Championship in Uttoxeter, England … Held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds before finishing T5 at the Bridgestone Senior Players … T5 and T3 in his most recent four starts.
Darren Clarke
Age 53 … Late last month, made birdie on the final hole to win Senior British Open by a shot … That made him the fourth player to win the British Open and Senior British ... Before that, hadn’t posted a top-12 in 2022 … Three-time winner in 2020-21 season … 9-under 207 left him a share of eighth last summer at En-Joie … Ninth on the senior tour in driving distance (294.8).
Ernie Els
Age 52 and a 19-time winner on the regular tour − a couple U.S. Opens among them − 47 international wins and two PGA Tour Champions victories … Shared third in the Senior British, his second consecutive T3 and second top-five in his most recent seven starts … Last summer, rounds of 68-65-72 left him solo second at En-Joie … He was leader by three through 36 holes on the strength of a bogey-free 65 in Saturday’s second round.
Jim Furyk
Age 52 … 17-time regular-tour winner … Seeking first finish of better than T25 since taking share of eighth in season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai … Was a three-time winner and three-time runner-up in 2020-21 … Captained Team USA in 2018 Ryder Cup matches … Finished T13 last year in Endicott on rounds of 72-70-67 … Most recent senior tour start brought a T25 at U.S. Senior Open in late-June.
Padraig Harrington
Age 50 … Winner of the 2007 and 2008 British Open titles … Senior tour leader in driving distance (306.7), third in scoring average, fourth on the money list … Tops the tour in birdie average … In 2022, winner of the U.S. Senior Open, second in Regions Tradition and Senior British … Five of six starts leading to Boeing Classic (T14) brought top-three finishes … Turns 51 on Aug. 31.
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Age 58 … 13-time winner since joining PGA Tour Champions in 2014 … In fact, at least one win in every season … Last weekend outside Seattle, claimed his third win of 2022 by closing with a 67 to best third alternate David McKenzie by two strokes. He shared the lead with Billy Andrade through 36 holes and closed at 15-under 201 … Winner of multiple tournaments for a fourth consecutive season … Four-time Ryder Cup competitor and 10-timer in the Dunhill Cup … This season, notably grabbed a share of seventh in the U.S. Senior Open following opening-round 79 − a 15-shot overnight improvement … Last year at En-Joie, played his first 32 holes bogey-free on his way to a T3 (68-69-69) …
Bernhard Langer
The man who’ll celebrate a 65th birthday next week continues to defy the reality of aging … In 2022, he’s got a win, a second and two thirds among seven top-10 finishes … 43-time PGA Tour Champions winner has at least one victory in every year from 2007 to the present … Those include the 2014 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open … Ranks fifth among seniors this year in driving accuracy, fourth in putting average ... As a senior at En-Joie, his six top-10 finishes in nine starts include a T8 last summer, his fourth consecutive appearance in Endicott.
Dick's Sporting Goods Open schedule, tickets, TV
When: Aug. 19-21.
Where: En-Joie Golf Course, Endicott.
Purse: $2.1 million ($315,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Cameron Beckman.
Tickets: Go to dsgopen.com.
TV (Golf Channel): Friday − 8-10 p.m.; Saturday − 7-9 p.m.; Sunday − 5-7 p.m.
Tuesday's schedule:
Event Qualifier (Links at Hiawatha Landing, Apalachin).
Practice rounds.
Wednesday's schedule:
Pro-Am, double shotgun starts at 8 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
UHS Golf Expo featuring Bernhard Langer (he’ll speak at about 6:15 p.m.).
Thursday's schedule:
Pro-Am, double shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Friday's schedule::
First round
Zac Brown Band concert
Saturday's schedule:
Second round, free admission courtesy of HH&K (no ticket necessary).
Guthrie Health & Sole 5K
Family Fun Night (movie “Sing 2” on Jumbotron, 8 p.m., followed by fireworks.
Sunday's schedule:
Sunrise Yoga.
Final round.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Dick's Sporting Goods Open: 10 players to watch in 2022
