The 13th annual Boeing Classic gets underway this week at the Jack Nicklaus-designed TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington. The 54-hole tournament is the 18th of 26 official 2017 Champions Tour events.
Defending champion Bernhard Langer headlines a 78-player field that includes Champion Tour stars such as Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, and Scott McCarron.
HISTORY
The Seattle area’s previous senior circuit event was the GTE Northwest Classic, which ran from 1986 through 1995 at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore. The region went without a tournament for the next decade until the Boeing Greater Seattle Classic was launched in 2005.
It has been hosted by TPC Snoqualmie Ridge since its inception. The private course, which opened in 1999, is about 25 miles east of Seattle at the foothills of the Cascade Range.
In 2007, the tournament changed its name to the Boeing Classic.
The first tournament winner was David Eger who shot a 17-under to beat Tom Kite by three strokes. The purse was $1.6M with Eger taking home a check worth $240,000. In 2011, the purse reached $2M for the first time, with the winner’s bumped up to $300K.
THE SKINNY
Tournament: Boeing Classic
Golf Course: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge
Where: Snoqualmie, Washington
Distance: Par 72 / 7,183 yards
Course Designer: Jack Nicklaus (1999)
Purse: $2,000,000
Winner: $300,000
GOLF CHANNEL COVERAGE
FRI: 3-5:00 PM
SAT: 3-5:00 PM
SUN: 3-5:00 PM
(all times Eastern)
THE FIELD: BY THE NUMBERS
Defending champion Bernhard Langer returns to the Seattle area to defend his 2016 title and will be joined by six other past champions of the Boeing Classic.
- 52 players with 302 career victories on the PGA Tour
- 46 players with 217 career wins on the Champions Tour
- 12 players have won major titles on the PGA Tour and 18 have won majors on PGA Tour
- 6 former winners of the Boeing Classic: Bernhard Langer (2016, 2010), Billy Andrade (2015), Scott Dunlap (2014), Jay Don Blake (2012), Mark Calcavecchia (2011), Loren Roberts (2009), Tom Kite (200, 2006)
DEFENDING CHAMPION: BERNHARD LANGER
Bernhard Langer posted a final-round 5-under 67, highlighted by a 6-under-par 30 back nine to capture his second Boeing Classic title.
Langer, down five shots at the turn, birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine and then made a clutch birdie at No. 18 to set up a playoff with Kevin Sutherland and Woody Austin.
Langer made a 3-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff to win the event for the first time since 2010 when he beat Nick Price by three strokes.
FORMER BOEING CLASSIC CHAMPIONS
2016 Bernhard Langer, 69-67-67=203 (−13) $300K
2015 Billy Andrade, 69-65-73=207 (−9) $300K
2014 Scott Dunlap, 65-70-65=200 (−16) $300K
2013 John Riegger, 69-64-68=201 (−15) $300K
2012 Jay Don Blake, 68-70-68=206 (−10) $300K
2011 Mark Calcavecchia, 70-67-65=202 (−14) $300K
2010 Bernhard Langer, 66-63-69=198 (−18) $270K
2009 Loren Roberts, 68-65-65=198 (−18) $270K
2008 Tom Kite, 69-67-66=202 (−14) $255K
2007 Denis Watson, 69-69-69=207 (−9) $240K
2006 Tom Kite, 71-64-66=201 (−15) $240K
2005 David Eger, 68-64-67=199 (−17) $240K
CHARLES SCHWAB CUP UPDATE
Heading into this week’s Boeing Classic, Bernhard Langer continues to lead the season-long race with $2,456,035 followed by Scott McCarron with $1,706,055, a margin of $749,980.
TOP 5
1. Bernhard Langer $2,456,035
2. Scott McCarron $1,706,055 (-$749,980)
3. Kenny Perry 1,353,120
4. Fred Couples $1,197,597
5. Brandt Jobe $1,182,785
ON THE BUBBLE
With six events remaining in the regular season, players are also eyeing a top-72 place in the standings and a spot in the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
Miguel Angel Martin is the man currently on the bubble at No. 72 with $102,435. Scott Hoch and Mark Calcavecchia are on the inside, while Jim Carter and Russ Cochran are on the outside edge.
ON THE EDGE
69 Mark O’Meara $105,912 (+$3,477)
70 Mark Calcavecchia $105,137 (+$2,702)
71 Scott Hoch $104,665 (+$2,230)
72 Miguel Angel Martin $102,435
73 Jim Carter $99,378 (-$3,057)
74 Russ Cochran $96,449 (-$5,986)
75 Gary Hallberg $95,251 (-$7,184)
THE COURSE: TPC SNOQUALMIE RIDGE
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge is a private golf course and part of the TPC Network, which is owned by the PGA Tour.
The course’s topography varies in elevation from 575 to 870 feet above sea level; the highest point is the 3rd tee and the lowest is the 16th tee, with the 18th green at 745 feet.
It is one of six venues designed by The Golden Bear that is part of the 2017 PGA TOUR Champions schedule. The others include: Hualalai Golf Club (Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai), Top of the Rock (Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf), The Club at Twin Eagles/Talon (Chubb Classic), Bear Mountain Resort (Pacific Links Championship), and Sherwood Country Club (Power Shares QQQ Championship).
SIGNATURE HOLE
Hole No. 14 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge ranks as one of the most exciting holes on the Champions Tour circuit.
Measuring just 431 yards, the driveable par-4 hole features a 70-foot drop from the tee over Bear Canyon.
Since the Champions Tour started playing here in 2005, the course’s signature hole has given up 26 eagles during that time, including three by R.W. Eaks and two each by Hajime Meshiai and Ben Crenshaw.
A total of 23 different players have made eagle at the hole. Tom Kite leads all players with 22 birdies on No. 14, while Tom Purtzer has 14. The highest score recorded on this hole was an eight by Bill Longmuir in the second round in 2006.
