Notebook: Faxon no longer in the booth for NBC

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After joining the Tour last year, Kenny Perry found his game rejuvenated and is hoping to "rekindle the fire" in 2011.

The 2011 Champions Tour season begins January 17-23 with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hualalai. The tournament is the first official Charles Schwab Cup event of the year. Last year, Tom Watson birdied the final two holes to capture a one-stroke victory over rookie Fred Couples.

LAST WEEK

• Sonny Skinner was recently awarded the 2010 Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year. Skinner finished runner-up in the PGA Professional National Championship and became the first player in PGA of America history to win both PGA Professional Player of the Year (2008) and a Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year award. He will be honored Jan. 27 during the week of the 58th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla. Skinner made three starts on the Champions Tour in 2010 with a tie for 20th at the SAS Championship his best finish. He tied for 17th at the National Qualifying School at the end of last year.

• Brad Faxon, who will become eligible for the Champions Tour when he turns 50 on Aug. 1, will no longer be a part of the NBC commentary team in 2011. Peter Jacobsen, the winner of two Champions Tour majors (2004 U.S. Senior Open, 2005 Ford Senior Players Championship), will have an increased role and work eight tournaments for NBC.

• The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, was recently named No. 2 in the five best tournaments of 2010 by Michael Bamberger, Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated. He voted the Chevron World Challenge as No. 1. The Masters was No. 3, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational was No. 4 and The Ryder Cup was No. 5.

• Captain Joe Ozaki's Asian squad looked set to capture the Royal Trophy for a second time before the European Team staged an amazing comeback to win for the fourth time in five editions of the annual team competition. Colin Montgomerie's side trailed Asia 6-2 going into the final day's eight singles matches, but won six of them and halved the other two to complete a 9-7 triumph. Ozaki has captained the Asian team for four consecutive years, winning in 2009.

COMING UP

• Six-time Champions Tour winner Dave Eichelberger shot his age (67) Sept. 22 to win the Aloha Section PGA Professional Championship and a spot in next week's 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii. Eichelberger, who has more than $7.5 million in career earnings, last played the Sony Open when he was 60, after Monday qualifying. He has a total of 1,246 combined starts on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, second behind Miller Barber who has 1,292 combined starts. Charles Coody lies third on the list with 1,070 combined starts. Fred Funk, a Champions Tour fan-favorite, is also in the Sony field.

• The Australasian leg of international qualifying for the 2011 British Open is being played over 36 holes at Melbourne's Kingston Heath Golf Club this week. Just three spots in the Open, to be played at Royal St George's in mid July, are on offer for the field of 51. Champions Tour professional Peter Senior will be one of the many recognizable names vying for a spot. Senior, winner of last month's Australian PGA championship, would love another crack at Royal St George's - in 1993 he finished tied fourth behind Greg Norman in the Open. Senior also earned one of the three available spots for last year's Open, eventually finishing tied for 60th at St. Andrews.

• Senior will be among the players at the Surf Coast Knockout at The Sands in Torquay, Victoria, Australia, beginning Jan. 20. In a world-first, the first three rounds of the tournament will be stroke play, before the winner is ultimately decided on the final day using a reduced match play format. Thirty-two players will advance to the Sunday matches which will be played over six holes, with tied matches set to be decided by a 'knockout hole'.

• The following players celebrate birthdays this week -- Robert Thomson(54 on 1/10), Ben Crenshaw (59 on 1/11), Mark O'Meara (54 on 1/13) and Graham Marsh (67 on 1/14).

NUMBERS

6 -- The number of players scheduled to make their first appearance at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (Russ Cochran, David Frost, Gary Hallberg, Larry Mize, Ted Schulz and Rod Spittle).

548 -- The number of combined career wins on both the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour for the 42 players scheduled to appear in the 2011 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

ON THIS DATE

1/16/77 -- Bruce Lietzke wins the first of 13 PGA TOUR titles when he defeats Gene Littler with a birdie on the fourth playoff hole at the Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open at Tucson National.

QUOTES TO NOTE

"I kind of got burned out. I blew everything I had at the '08 Ryder Cup. I was just kind of plodding along. This (the Champions Tour) has just kind of rejuvenated me a little bit...just going to try and rekindle the fire a little bit and see where we're at next year." -- Kenny Perry shares his thoughts after 25 years on the PGA TOUR.