2010 Season in Review: Langer, Couples shine

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Langer won major titles in consecutive weeks at the Senior British Open and U.S. Senior Open.

BERNHARD LANGER'S victory at August's Boeing Classic was his fifth of the year, the most by any Champions Tour player in 2010 and the most since 2004 when Craig Stadler posted five wins in a season. Langer's five wins were also the most by an international player since Bob Charles won five times on the Champions Tour in 1989. Langer's five titles year were the most wins he's had in a season since 1984 when he claimed five titles around the world. He won major titles in consecutive weeks at the Senior British Open and U.S. Senior Open this year, a first on the Champions Tour since Tom Watson in 2003 (Senior British Open/JELD-WEN Tradition).

FRED COUPLES started the 2010 season winning three times in his first four starts, a first in Champions Tour history. Couples added a fourth title late in the year at the Administaff Small Business Classic. In addition to Langer and Couples, Nick Price, Russ Cochran and Mark O'Meara were the only other multiple champions with all three players claiming two titles apiece in 2010.

BERNHARD LANGER grabbed the Charles Schwab Cup lead after the Senior British Open at Carnoustie and never looked back. Fred Couples had held the lead since Feb. 14 after claiming the first of his three early victories at The ACE Group Classic. Tom Watson was the initial leader after winning the first official event of the season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, before giving way to Couples at the second official tournament.

BERNHARD LANGER'S win in Seattle allowed him to become the first player to go over the $2 million mark in official earnings in 2010, the third straight season he's eclipsed that mark. Fred Couples, the fastest player ever over the $1 million mark earlier in the season, went over the $2 million plateau for the first time in his career when he finished second at the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn. Langer won an unprecedented third consecutive Arnold Palmer Award, given each year to the Champions Tour's leading money-winner. Don January (1980, 1983, 1984) and Hale Irwin (1997, 1998, 2002) are the only two players to claim three overall Palmer Awards as members of the Champions Tour. Langer's final earnings of $2,648,939 were the fourth largest total in Champions Tour history.

THE OLDEST WINNER this season was Tom Watson, who captured the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai at age 60 years, 4 months, 20 days. In the process, he became just the 18th player over the age of 60 to win a Champions Tour event and the first since Gil Morgan won the 2007 Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach at age 60 years, 11 months, 7 days. The youngest winner this year was Fred Couples at The ACE Group Classic at 50 years, 4 months, 11 days. After not having a winner over age 55 in 2009, there were four this year. In addition to Watson, David Eger claimed the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at age 58 years, 1 month, 15 days. Loren Roberts won the Dick's Sporting Goods Open at age 55 years, three days and Rod Spittle claimed the AT&T Championship at 55 years, 3 months, 13 days.

FRED COUPLES set a new standard when he became the fastest player to earn $1 million in a season. By virtue of his tie for fourth with teammate Jay Haas at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, Couples won $83,750 which increased his season earnings to $1,049,317 making him the fastest ever to hit that plateau in a season. Couples did it in just his sixth event, breaking the record set in eight events by Hale Irwin in 1998 and later matched by Loren Roberts in 2006. Couples fell short in his bid to break Bruce Fleisher's rookie record for earnings in a season ($2,515,705). He finished the year with $2,344,894.

DURING HIS EARLY-SEASON run on the Champions Tour, Fred Couples strung together 12 straight rounds in the 60s, one short of Hale Irwin's all-time record of 13 consecutive sub-70 scores in 1999.

THERE WERE EIGHT first-time winners in 2010 Fred Couples (The ACE Group Classic), Mark O'Meara (Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf with Nick Price), Larry Mize (Montreal Championship), David Frost (3M Championship), Ted Schulz (Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open At Pebble Beach), Russ Cochran (Posco E&C Songdo Championship), Gary Hallberg (Ensure Classic at Rock Barn) and Rod Spittle (AT&T Championship). There were just six first-time winners in 2009, including Mike Goodes, Dan Forsman, Nick Price, Tom Lehman, Michael Allen and Tom Pernice, Jr.

DURING THE ENTIRE 2009 season, only four three-round events were won with a sub-200 score. However, in 2010 there were 12 54-hole events won with scores under 200, including David Frost's record-tying 25-under 191 at the 3M Championship in Minnesota. The all-time Champions Tour record for most sub-200 scores in a season is 15 in 2000 (54-hole events). In 2010, 20 winners posted double-digit scores under par on their way to victory, including four players with scores of 20 or more strokes under par.

A TOTAL OF 14 of the 26 official events were won by the leader or co-leader after Saturday's round. In 2009, nine of 25 events were won by the Saturday leaders/co-leaders.

HALE IRWIN played in his 1,000th combined PGA TOUR/Champions Tour event when he teed it up at the 2010 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Irwin's April appearance near Tampa made him just the 11th player in history to accomplish the feat. Irwin made 659 starts on the PGA TOUR and won 20 official titles, including three U.S. Opens. He has also won 45 official Champions Tour events in 357 appearances.

JIM COLBERT'S next start on the Champions Tour will be his 500th. He'll join a select group of Champions Tour players to reach that number. Miller Barber leads, with 603; Dale Douglass is second, with 599, followed by Jim Dent (542), Walt Zembriski (527), Harold Henning (520), Orville Moody (513), Rocky Thompson (506) and Jim Albus (505).

RUSS COCHRAN'S playoff victory over Fred Funk at the Posco E&C Songdo Championship made him the first left-hander to win on the Champions Tour since Bob Charles claimed his 23rd and final event at the 1996 Hyatt Regency Maui Kaanapali Classic. His victory at the SAS Championship made him the first player since Charles in 1993 to win multiple events in a season. Charles claimed three titles that year.

THREE PLAYERS won consecutive events on the Champions Tour this year. Fred Couples claimed the Toshiba Classic and then won the Cap Cana Championship. Bernhard Langer won consecutive majors in back-to-back weeks when he triumphed at the Senior British Open at Carnoustie and then won the U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee near Seattle. Russ Cochran won the Posco E&C Songdo Championship in Korea and then won the SAS Championship the following week.

EXCLUDING SAHALEE Country Club (75. 410), Colorado Golf Club (75.079) and Carnoustie Golf Club (74.587), the most-difficult course for a non-major on the 2010 Champions Tour was The Quarry, the venue for The ACE Group Classic near Naples. The field averaged 73.054 or more than a stroke (1.054) over par. The Woodlands Country Club's 382-yard, par-4 17th hole was the hardest hole in a non-major on the Champions Tour (Administaff Small Business Classic) and 13th most difficult overall. The hole played to a stroke average of 4.407 for this year's event, yielding just 13 birdies during the tournament. The hardest overall hole was the par-4 8th at Sahalee with a stroke average of 4.564. The easiest hole to date was No. 10 at Hualalai --Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai with an average score of 4.315 (-.685).

WHEN 62 PLAYERS posted rounds under par in the second round of the Allianz Championship, it was just one shy of the all-time Champions Tour record for rounds under par in a single round. The record of 63 was set in the final round of the 2000 Gold Rush Classic near Sacramento. Sixty-two players also finished under par in the third round of the 2003 JELD-WEN Tradition.

JOHN COOK was the only player to defend a title on the Champions Tour in 2010, doing so at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He was the first to successfully defend a title on the Champions Tour since Jeff Sluman won a second straight Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in 2009.

SEVERAL CHAMPIONS TOUR players turned in impressive showings when competing on the PGA TOUR this year. Corey Pavin, who served as the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, lost in a playoff at the Travelers Championship a month after tying for seventh at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Pavin posted eight consecutive rounds in the 60s at those two events. Fred Couples finished sixth at the Masters Tournament and tied for 14th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, while Tom Watson tied for 18th at the Masters and 29th at the U.S. Open. Michael Allen was second at the Viking Classic and fifth at the Farmers Insurance Open, while Tom Pernice, Jr., tied for seventh at the HP Byron Nelson Classic and had six other top-25 finishes to his credit. Tom Lehman tied for 14th at the British Open, the third consecutive year a player over age 50 has been among the top 15 at that prestigious event. Early in the season, Lehman tied for 16th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and 14th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fred Funk made the cut at both THE PLAYERS Championship and the U.S. Open and two other PGA TOUR events. Mark Calcavecchia made eight cuts in PGA TOUR events. In addition, Tommy Armour III and Robin Freeman also made cuts at TOUR events in 2010.

TOM WATSON and Russ Cochran posted the only wire-to-wire victories in 2010 on the Champions Tour. Watson's victory came in the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, while Cochran's victory at the SAS Championship came after he opened with an 8-under 64 and was four strokes in front after 36 holes. There was just one wire-to-wire winner in 2009 (Bernhard Langer/Triton Financial Classic).

FRED COUPLES established several new Champions Tour statistical marks. His 68.96 scoring average broke the all-time record of 68.59 (Hale Irwin/1998), while Couples averaged 5.00 birdies per round, just ahead of Irwin's record of 4.80 in 1998 and Couples also averaged an eagle every 50.8 holes, ahead of Tom Watson's all-time record of one eagle every 54.0 holes in 2003.

ELEVEN PLAYERS who posted victories in 2009 did not win an event in 2010. That group included Jay Haas, Michael Allen, Jeff Sluman, Tom Pernice, Jr., Mike Reid, Keith Fergus, Phil Blackmar, Mike Goodes, Eduardo Romero, Lonnie Nielsen and Mark McNulty. However, the latter two were sidelined for much of the year due to knee surgeries.

THERE WERE 17 different winners in 2010, one fewer than in the previous two years. There were five multiple winners in 2010, the same number as 2009. The year also produced eight first-time winners, one more than in 2009.

ONCE AGAIN, Bernhard Langer posted 15 top-10 finishes to lead that category for the second consecutive year. Langer also posted 49 Rounds in the 60s to lead the way. John Cook was the 2009 leader with 39. Langer's 54 Sub-Par Rounds were the most in 2010. Jeff Sluman was the 2009 leader with 48.

BOB GILDER remains the Champions Tour "ironman." Although he was not eligible for the year's first event in Hawaii, Gilder continues to play every event he's been eligible for and that string is now at 169 consecutive through the AT&T Championship. Should he play the first nine events he is eligible for in 2011, he would move into second place ahead of Mike McCullough (177) on the all-time Champions Tour list behind Dana Quigley (278 straight) for most consecutive eligible events played. Gilder has also played in 48 consecutive major championships, the longest current streak on the Champions Tour. Mark Wiebe is the current leader in consecutive starts on the Champions Tour with 52 straight but the streak will end as he is not eligible for the 2011 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

SIX OF THE 26 official events this year were decided by playoffs, one more than in 2009. At the Allianz Championship, Bernhard Langer holed out from a greenside bunker on the first extra hole to defeat John Cook. At the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, Mark O'Meara and teammate Nick Price made a par on the second playoff hole to defeat Cook and Joey Sindelar. Tom Lehman became the third playoff winner in 2010 when he made a par on the first playoff hole at the Senior PGA Championship against David Frost and Fred Couples to claim his first senior major title, despite a triple bogey in the third round. Russ Cochran won the first official Champions Tour event in Asia, defeating Fred Funk on the first extra hole of a playoff at the Posco E&C Songdo Championship in South Korea. At the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, Mark O'Meara made par on the first extra hole to defeat Michael Allen. Rod Spittle became the 11th open qualifier to win when he prevailed in a one-hole playoff with Jeff Sluman at the AT&T Championship.

NINE PLAYERS set course records this year, four more than were set in the 2009 season. Tommy Armour III fired a closing-round 11-under-par 61 at The Quarry at The ACE Group Classic to finish second to Fred Couples in Naples. Just over a month later, Couples fashioned a 10-under-par 62 in the final round to win The Cap Cana Championship by two strokes over Corey Pavin. Dan Forsman's 10-under-par 62 in the second round set a new standard at the Robert Trent Jones Trail at Ross Bridge and was instrumental in his victory at the Regions Charity Classic. David Frost fired an impressive 7-under-par 65 in the third round of the Senior PGA Championship at the Colorado Golf Club to set a new course mark. D.A. Weibring's 9-under-par 63 in the second round at the Club de Golf Fontainebleau at the Montreal Championship was the fifth. Frost became the sixth with his closing-round 11-under-par 61 at the 3M Championship. Russ Cochran set the mark when he shot a 6-under-par 64 in the second round of the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. Fred Couples' final-round 63 at the Administaff Small Business Classic included a 7-under 29 on the back nine of the Tournament Course at The Woodlands. Both the 63 and 29 were records since the tournament switched courses in 2008. Michael Allen was the ninth with a 10-under-par 61 at TPC Harding Park in the third round of the 2010 Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

FRED COUPLES had the most birdies in a 54-hole event on the Champions Tour last year. Couples had 23 at the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn, one more birdie than Bernhard Langer had at the Allianz Championship and Tom Watson had at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. In 2009, Lonnie Nielsen (Dick's Sporting Goods Open) made 24 birdies in a 54-hole event.

ACES ON THE CHAMPIONS TOUR were scarce in 2010. There were only five made by four different players, the fewest number of holes-in-one since 2003 when there were only two made. Bob Tway, Fred Funk, Tom Pernice, Jr. and Bernhard Langer were the only players to make aces in 2010. Tway did it twice. His first ace came at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (second round, No. 15, 8-iron, 157 yards) and the second was at the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn (third round, No. 9, 6-iron, 186 yards). Funk had his on No. 4 in the final round of the 3M Championship, using a 5-iron from 186 yards. Pernice's ace came at No. 11 with a 6-iron from 188 yards in the first round of the SAS Championship. Langer made the final one of the season, sinking a 5-iron from 191 yards in the opening round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

AMONG THE FORMER PGA TOUR winners who made their Champions Tour debuts in 2010 were: Fred Couples (2nd/Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai), Corey Pavin (T13/Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai), Tommy Armour III (2nd/The ACE Group Classic), Paul Azinger (T21 The ACE Group Classic), David Peoples (T9 Toshiba Classic), Trevor Dodds (T13/The Cap Cana Championship), Ted Schulz (T33 Toshiba Classic), Bobby Clampett (T47 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic), Jodie Mudd (T55 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic), Bill Glasson (T31 Regions Charity Classic), Mark Carnevale (MC/Senior PGA Championship), Mark Calcavecchia (T6 Dick's Sporting Goods Open), J.L Lewis (MC/Senior British Open), Robert Wrenn (MC/Senior British Open), Tom Byrum (T29 Ensure Classic at Rock Barn), Kenny Perry (T35 Administaff Small Business Classic), Steve Lowery (T21 Administaff Small Business Classic.). Willie Wood (T13 AT&T Championship) and Jay Delsing (T40 AT&T Championship).

BOTH DAVID FROST (3M Championship) and Fred Couples (Administaff Small Business Classic) won events by seven strokes, the largest victory margins since Andy Bean won the 2008 Charles Schwab Cup Championship by nine strokes. The largest come-from-behind effort in 2010 was by Gary Hallberg at the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn. Hallberg rallied from five strokes back with a 61 on Sunday to win in Hickory, N.C.

THE BEST BIRDIE streak in 2010 was five straight by seven players, including Dan Forsman, who did it twice (Montreal Championship & The ACE Group Classic). Bob Tway had the best eagle/birdie streak in 2010. He went B-B-B-E-B (6-under) in the final round of the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn.

NO TOURNAMENT WINNER was lower than 19th place (Dan Forsman/Regions Charity Classic/T19) after the first round of a Champions Tour event in 2010. In fact, the only three winners ranked outside the top 10 after the opening round. In addition to Forsman, Russ Cochran (T11/Posco E&C Songdo Championship) and Fred Couples (T14/Administaff Small Business Classic) had that distinction.

PLAYING IN THE LAST group for the final round was a pretty good place to be in 2010 on the Champions Tour. Of the 26 official events, 18 were won by players in the last group. Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples led the way with each playing seven times in the last group. Each won four of seven times from that position.

MARK WIEBE was the only player to have played in all 26 events in 2010.

TOM PERNICE JR.'S tie for fifth at The Charles Schwab Cup Championship gave him nine straight top-10 finishes on the Champions Tour in 2010, the best streak on Tour. Pernice played in just 10 Champions events and his run started with a T9 at the Toshiba Classic. He opened his season with a T27 at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T win the tournament, Peter Senior went all 54 holes at the Regions Charity Classic without making a bogey. Senior tied for second along with Joe Ozaki, three strokes behind winner Dan Forsman. He was the first player to have a bogey-free tournament since Fred Funk at the 2007 Turtle Bay Championship. David Frost played all 54 holes blemish free in winning the 3M Championship and Jeff Sluman also finished without a bogey in the same event. He tied for sixth.

SOME MULTIPLE WINNERS on the PGA TOUR are expected to join and compete in some Champions Tour in 2011. Among that group are Ian Baker-Finch (turned 50 last October), Jim Gallagher, Jr., (March 24th), Mark Brooks (March 25th), Steve Pate (May 26th), John Huston (June 1st) and Brad Faxon (August 1st). In addition, Kenny Perry and Steve Lowery, who played in two events late in the year, are expected to play regularly in 2011.