Champions Tour E-Notes: Week of Oct. 1, 2007 ![]() Bob Gilder Bob Gilder won the last two Constellation Energy Classics. While he won't be the defending champ of this week's Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship (that would be Bobby Wadkins), he'll still be looking for his third consecutive win in Baltimore, Md. There are only three events left to qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Only the Top 30 on the money list will qualify, and quite a battle is being waged for that final spot, with Morris Hatalsky currently in the coveted 30th position. Among those trailing Hatalsky and looking to move up are such notables as Craig Stadler (31st), Fred Funk (33rd), Allen Doyle (34th), Wayne Levi (37th), Nick Price (38th), Curtis Strange (39th), Fuzzy Zoeller (41st) and Jerry Pate (42nd). The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship moves to Baltimore for the first time this week after 17 years in Detroit, Mich. Maryland will be the fourth state to play host to the year's final Champions Tour major after Ohio, Florida and Michigan. ![]() Fred Funk Two players who should feel right at home this week are Fred Funk and Donnie Hammond, two Maryland natives. Funk, of Takoma Park, attended the University of Maryland and later served as the golf coach at his alma mater from 1982-88. He has split his time this year between the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour, and in 2007, he became just the second player in Tour history to win an event on each Tour after turning 50. Funk won the Turtle Bay Championship in January and then claimed the PGA TOUR's Mayakoba Golf Classic in February. Hammond grew up in Frederick and played high school golf in the city. Hammond honed his game as a child when he would attend Baltimore Colts' practices at nearby Westminster College and then join his father for nine holes of golf at the college course. ![]() Mark Wiebe One player who was probably not expecting to play this week is rookie Mark Wiebe. After getting a sponsor exemption into the SAS Championship two weeks ago, Wiebe parlayed his exemption into a victory in his first start on the Champions Tour. Wiebe's win earned him a check for $300,000, which moved him to 62nd on the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship points list, making him eligible for this event. The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship is the fifth-oldest-event on the Champions Tour, and this year's championship marks the 25th playing of this event. For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship will earn a playing spot in THE PLAYERS Championship on the PGA TOUR. By virtue of his 2006 win at this event when it was played at TPC Michigan, Bobby Wadkins competed in this year's PLAYERS Championship, shooting rounds of 77-75 to miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass' THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. This week, Baltimore Country Club will join five others to hold a major championship on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and LPGA. It shares the distinction with Cherry Hills Country Club (Colorado), Hazeltine National Golf Club (Minnesota), NCR Country Club (Ohio), Turnberry (Scotland) and Winged Foot Golf Club (New York). Turnberry, Winged Foot and Baltimore Country Club have also been the site of a Walker Cup. The Club's original course at Roland Park in Baltimore hosted the fifth U.S. Open won by Willie Smith in 1899. |