The Champions Tour heads to the Arizona desert for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at historic Phoenix Country Club.

Bernhard Langer, the season-long points leader, who’s been shutout of the first two legs of the playoffs, enters Phoenix as the No. 1 seed, and leads second-ranked Scott Parel by 253,048 points.

Langer, who is in position to win his fifth Charles Schwab Cup, can clinch the Cup with a tournament win – as can Parel. Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jerry Kelly, Scott McCarron and David Toms need a victory along with some help.

THE SKINNY

Tournament: Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Dates: Nov. 8-11, 2018
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
Course: Phoenix CC
Distance: Par 71, 6763 yards
Architect: Harry Collis (1921), Tom Lehman/John Fought (2002)
Format: 36 players, 72 holes, no cut, stroke play
Purse: $2,500,000
Winning Share: $440,000
OWGR Points: 880,000 points
Defending Champion: Kevin Sutherland
Marquee Players: Sutherland, Bernhard Langer, Scott Parel, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jerry Kelly, Scott McCarron and David Toms

TV & ONLINE COVERAGE

Round 1: Fri. 4-7:00 PM (GOLF)
Round 2: Sat. 4-7:00 PM (GOLF)
Round 3: Sun. 4-6:30 PM (GOLF)
Online: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

THE HISTORY

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship is the final event of the season on the PGA Tour’s Champions Tour. It was formerly known as the Senior Tour Championship.

Mike Hill was the inaugural champion, winning at Dorado Beach’s (P.R.) East Course in 1990, and repeating in 1991. Other multiple winners include Ray Floyd (1992, 1994), Tom Watson (2000, 2005), Jim Thorpe (2003, 2006, 2007), and John Cook (2009, 2010).

Up until 2015, the top 30 money winners during the season would make up the field.

In 2016, it became the final stage of a three-tournament playoff – the equivalent of the FedExCup Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, where preceding playoff tournaments reduce the field (72 to 54 to 36) each week until the championship finale.

RECENT TOURNAMENT WINNERS
2017: Kevin Sutherland
2016: Paul Goydos
2015: Billy Andrade
2014: Tom Pernice Jr.
2013: Fred Couples

RECENT CUP WINNERS
2017: Kevin Sutherland
2016: Bernhard Langer
2015: Bernhard Langer
2014: Bernhard Langer
2013: Kenny Perry

THE GOLF COURSE

The host course for the senior tour’s championship is Phoenix Country Club. The venerable course was the original host of the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open in 1932 and went on to serve as the tournament site through 1986 until TPC Scottsdale assumed the role.

Several players competing this week played at Phoenix CC when the venue hosted the Phoenix Open. Corey Pavin finished runner-up in 1984 and T4 in 1985. Bernhard Langer finished T7 in 1986.

Designed by Harry Collis in 1901, the course was redesigned in 2002 by the team of Tom Lehman and John Fought.

DEFENDING CHAMPION

Kevin Sutherland picked a good time to capture his first-ever Champions Tour title. The 53-year old Californian shot a final-round 6-under 66 at Phoenix Country Club to win the 2017 Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

With 36-hole leader Paul Goydos struggling in the final round, Sutherland was the man to beat early on, and after he turned in 33, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 7th hole, all eyes were on the Fresno State product.

A conservative inward nine of eight pars and one birdie got the one-time PGA Tour winner to 15 under for the tournament, and one clear of Vijay Singh (63) and Lee Janzen (68).

Langer, who finished his three rounds in Phoenix at 10 under and T12, claimed the second place prize in the points race, and secured a bonus check for $500,000.

TOP 5: TOURNAMENT
1 Kevin Sutherland -15
2 Vijay Singh -14
2 Lee Janzen -14
4 John Daly -13
4 David Frost -13
4 David Toms -13

TOP 5: SCHWAB CUP
1 Kevin Sutherland – $1m
2 Bernhard Langer – $500k
3 Scott McCarron – $300k
4 Kenny Perry – $200k
5 Vijay Singh – $100k

FULL FIELD

Charles Schwab Cup Championship | Phoenix CC | Phoenix, Arizona | Nov. 8-11, 2018

Credits: Getty Images, PGA Tour Media