CALGARY – Scott McCarron didn’t waste any time after missing a long putt for birdie on the final hole Sunday.

In front of a large gallery of fans at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, McCarron walked right up and tapped in a short, but nerve-wracking putt, to win the 2017 Shaw Charity Classic title.

“It felt like 20 feet,” said McCarron, who held on for a one-shot victory over Miguel Angel Jimenez after shooting a 3-under 67 in the final round. “It was probably about three feet or so. It was kind of a right-centre putt. I didn’t take much time over it, because I saw it go right by and I knew exactly what I was going to do.

“I just missed a couple short ones before, so I didn’t want to even think about it too long. I set it up and made a good putt finally. It really felt good to get that done.”

McCarron had three birdies and two bogies on the front nine before draining a long putt from off the green at the par-5, 11th hole for eagle. It was the third eagle of the weekend for McCarron and the 17th of his season to lead the PGA Tour Champions circuit in that category.

McCarron then birdied the 15th hole before giving a shot back with a bogey on 16. He finished with two straight pars to end the three-day event at 16-under 194 to take home the winner’s share of $352,500 U.S.

It was the fourth PGA Tour Champions tournament victory of the season for the 52-year-old golfer from La Quinta, Calif., who earlier won titles at the Allanz Championship, the Constellation Senior Players Championship and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

“Winning does not get easier,” stressed McCarron. “These guys are the best players in the world at their time and they’re still playing some great golf. I truly believe we’ve got 25 guys that can still play on the PGA Tour and compete.”

Jimenez had a chance to eagle the final hole, but he just missed his long putt and had to settle for a birdie and a round of 66 to finish in second spot by himself.

“I knew I had to hole the putt if I have any chance,” said Jimenez, while adding he wasn’t able to sink enough putts in the final round. “Scott is playing very well and holed very important putts for him and that’s the key.”

Scott Dunlap and Todd Hamilton both had rounds of 67 on Sunday to finish in a tie with first-round leader Kevin Sutherland at 13 under.

Sutherland followed up a birdie on the third hole with an eagle on the fourth to move into a tie with McCarron at 14 under before falling out of contention.

“Momentum is only as good as the next shot,” Hamilton said. “I just didn’t string together the shots today. I wasn’t able to have a lot of good birdie opportunities and I had a lot of trying to save pars most of the day.”

Although he had respectable rounds of 67 and 68 in the first two rounds, 2014 Shaw Charity Classic winner Fred Couples withdrew from the tournament on Sunday before his tee time due to ongoing back issues.

Vancouver’s Stephen Ames finished as the top Canadian in a tie for 19th spot with Kirk Triplett at 7 under after shooting a final round 68.

“I wasn’t hitting the ball great for the first two days, so I kind of did well with what I had,” Ames said. “Considering the fact I was 7 under, I think I’ll take it. I’m quite happy with the result.”

Rod Spittle, of Niagara Falls, Ont., shot his second straight round of 69 to finish the tournament in a seven-way tie for 25th at 5 under.

Victoria resident Jim Rutledge made four birdies and an eagle to get to 6 under before recording two bogies in his final four holes to shoot 66. He finished the tournament in a tie for 40th place with nine other golfers at 3 under.

CALGARY – Scott McCarron has had his way with the par-5, 18th hole at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.

McCarron eagled the final hole of the par-70, 7,086-yard course for the second straight day to move atop the Shaw Charity Classic leaderboard on Saturday.

“I’m kind of expected to make some eagles out there and that’s a hole that sets up pretty well for me,” said McCarron, who leads the PGA Tour Champions circuit with 16 eagles so far this season. “Coming up 18, it’s just a lot of fun for us to have that grandstand with all the fans up there. I’ve been lucky enough to make two long putts. Hopefully I can do it again (on Sunday).”

McCarron also had five birdies to go with one bogey for a round of 6-under 64. Through two days of action at the three-day event, McCarron’s at 13-under par and has a two-stroke lead over first-round leader Kevin Sutherland and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

“There’s some really good players and I’m going to have to put the pedal down and make a bunch of birdies,” said McCarron when asked what it will take to win his fourth event this season.

Jimenez shot 65 to move into a tie for second at 11 under with Sutherland, who followed up the 62 he shot in the first round with a 67.

“I played very, very solid giving myself a chance for birdies,” said Jimenez, who needed just 28 putts on Saturday. “From the tee I didn’t play as good as (Friday), but the rest of the game was pretty good. If you are not in the fairways, it’s very difficult to hit the greens, but any time I hit the fairway, I gave myself a chance for birdie.”

Scott Dunlop and Todd Hamilton both had rounds of 66 on Saturday and are tied for fourth place overall at 10 under, just one shot ahead of Nick Faldo, Bob Estes and Jerry Kelly.

Faldo shot 64 to tie McCarron for the Saturday’s low round to move into contention, despite playing in only his fifth tournament of the year.

“I haven’t shot 64 in whatever ? a long time,” said the 60-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member. “It was nice to feel that I could go for it. That was the goal for coming here and playing. I’ve been working on enough things that it’s just putting it to the test, so that was really great.”

McCarron counted Faldo among the group of golfers that he’ll have to fend off on Sunday.

“Then you’ve got Nick Faldo,” McCarron said. “I mean, what’s he doing? He’s supposed to be announcing somewhere, isn’t he?

“Here you’ve got a guy, one of the best players in the world during his time, hasn’t played hardly at all for years and comes out here and joins us. It’s a big boost for us to have Nick Faldo to come out and to come out and play well, I think that’s really impressive.”

Vancouver’s Stephen Ames is the top Canadian after carding a round of 66 to move him up the leaderboard and into a tie for 18th spot at 5 under with a group of six others, including 2014 Shaw Charity Classic champion Fred Couples.

“I played well, better than (Friday),” said Ames, who noted that he struggled with his ball striking during the first round. “I didn’t make as many putts as (Friday). That kind of goes with the game. It’s going very well.”

Rod Spittle of Niagara Falls, Ont., is just one shot back of Ames at 4 under after a 69. Although Victoria’s Jim Rutledge also carded a 1-under round of 69 on Saturday, he’s well back of the front runners heading into Sunday’s final round in a tie for 69th spot at 1 over.

INDEX: SPORTS

CALGARY – Kevin Sutherland made the most of an early start at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club on Friday.

Sutherland was in the second group out on the back nine of the par-70, 7,086-yard course and had birdies on his second and fifth holes before adding six more on the front nine for an 8-under 62.

His round held up as the best of the day, leaving him atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the Shaw Charity Classic.

“It was nice to get out early in the day,” said Sutherland, who birdied five of his final seven holes. “The weather was nice and cool, which was something that we haven’t had a lot lately, so it was nice to get a nice cool day out here.”

On his final hole, Sutherland had a chance to make another birdie to tie the course record of 61, but he just missed the putt to the low side of the hole.

“I had no idea,” said Sutherland. “If I would have known, I might have tried to hit it a little higher.”

Sutherland has finished second three times this season on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and also has 12 top-10 showings in 16 starts.

“I’ve been playing well all year,” he said. “I feel like my game’s in a really good place right now. I’m hitting a lot of really good, quality iron shots, which is giving me a lot of good opportunities.”

Rod Spittle of Niagara Falls, Ont., wasn’t surprised to hear that Sutherland continued his fine form on Friday.

“I’ve played a bunch with Kevin the last month or so,” said Spittle, who finished as the low Canadian after shooting a 3-under 67. “He’s playing really, really well. He’s a terrific player.”

Spittle finished Friday’s round in a tie for 23rd spot with nine other golfers including 2014 Shaw Charity Classic winner Fred Couples.

“The course is in such terrific condition,” Spittle said. “The greens are so smooth. That’s the reason for the low scores.

“It’ll be, I’m sure, a birdie-fest for the fans to watch for the next couple days, without a doubt.”

Scott McCarron received a nice round of applause after he eagled the par-5, 18th hole to shoot 63 and finish alone in second spot after the first of three days of competition.

“You make the eagle and it’s a nice reaction – almost feels like you’re winning a tournament or something like that and it’s only Friday,” McCarron said. “The 18th is just fantastic – great theatre.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez also eagled the 18th hole to finish in a four-way tie for third spot with Todd Hamilton, Billy Andrade and Scott Dunlop at 6-under 64.

Vancouver’s Stephen Ames had a 69 to finish in a tie for 45th with nine other golfers, including defending champion Carlos Franco.

Victoria’s Jim Rutledge finished well back of the pack with a 72.

Shaw communications is donating $500 for every birdie made on the 18th hole throughout the tournament to support the shaw charity classic’s 156 youth-based charities across the province. Today, 27 birdies were made on the par-5, 18th hole, bringing shaw’s birdies for charity total to $13,500.

Four honourary Calgarians – Carlos Franco, Jeff Maggert, Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate – have tipped their Smithbilt cowboy hats to Calgary in search of another Shaw Charity Classic title.

The former champions of the award-winning PGA TOUR Champions event – Franco (2016), Maggert (2015), Couples (2014) and Mediate (2013) – have all confirmed they will return for the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country, August 30 – September 3, 2017.

Paraguay’s Carlos Franco fired a pair of 63s on the weekend last year to secure his first PGA TOUR Champions title. The four-time winner on the PGA TOUR is one of only two players who have won Rookie-of-the-Year honours and claimed a title against golf’s 50 and over crowd. Franco was the PGA TOUR Rookie-of-the-Year in 1999.

@CarlosFrancoPGA ? @jeff_maggert ? Fred Couples ? @RoccoMediate ?All 4 #ShawClassic champs will return to #yyc for the '17 #ShawClassic! pic.twitter.com/IpXP9yWQ9y

— Shaw Charity Classic (@ShawClassic) July 5, 2017

“I was so happy to finally win my first tournament on this Tour and to do it in Canada was extra special,” said Franco, who teamed up with Vijay Singh to win the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf earlier this year. “I love the people in Canada and the memories of last year in Calgary will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to get back Canada to relive some of those memories and hopefully successfully defend my title.”

Three other big names also have good vibes around the Canyon Meadows track.

Jeff Maggert, who donned his white Stetson two years ago after blitzing the field and the greatest names in the game with a four-shot win, will be back in cowboy country in hopes of becoming the first second-time winner.

“I have lived in Texas for 40 years so I’ve seen a few cowboy hats in my time. It felt good to put one on in Calgary, and I definitely cherish it,” said the 53-year-old Maggert, “Everyone thinks just because you’re the defending champion you’re going to come in and it will be an easy week. If you look at the history of golf tournaments, that rarely happens. I wasn’t able to do it last year, but I sure hope to add my name onto that trophy for a second time.”

Maggert’s five wins on the senior circuit, including two majors, topped his total of three wins during his 25 years on the PGA TOUR. The 53-year-old is one of eight players to win on all PGA TOUR sponsored tours – PGA TOUR, Web.com, and PGA TOUR Champions.

Calgary golf fans will also welcome back one of their most famous adopted sons, Fred Couples. A crowd favourite since the tournament’s inception in 2013, Couples won the 2014 event in thrilling fashion after a career-best final round 61 that included a chip-in eagle on the 54th hole. He got sized up for a white cowboy hat of his own after winning the first playoff hole over Billy Andrade.

“Calgary has been a very enjoyable place for me. Last year I wasn’t physically able to compete, but I have always said, as long as I’m healthy I plan on coming here every year,” said Couples. “The people at Shaw are incredible. The crowds are huge. The course is always in great shape and I feel like I can play it well. There is nothing more a player could ask for. I look forward to getting back there.”

Couples’ 13th victory on the PGA TOUR Champions came two weeks ago at the Chubb Classic, American Family Insurance Championship. A winner of 15 PGA TOUR events, the smooth swinging Couples is remembered most for his 1992 triumph at the Masters Tournament. Once graduating to the senior Tour, he made an immediate statement. Finishing second in his first start, he went on to win his next three events, becoming the first player ever to win three of his first four tournaments. Couples has two major championship victories on the PGA TOUR Champions: 2011 Senior Players Championship, and The Senior Open Championship in 2012.

Fred Couples strolling across @canyonmeadows @ the '14 #ShawClassic. Congrats to #BoomBoom on his win yesterday!
?:Steve Dykes/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/JBYZD9LzXi

— Shaw Charity Classic (@ShawClassic) June 27, 2017

While more than 40,000 fans lined the fairways at Canyon Meadows to catch a glimpse of Couples’ debut at the inaugural event in 2013, they left talking about Rocco Mediate who was the first player to get white-hatted on the 18th green.

Mediate captured the hearts of Calgarians when he was crowned the inaugural champion with a seven-shot victory while tying the lowest 54-hole total at 22-under-par 191 on the PGA TOUR Champions. Since dusting the field in 2013, Mediate won his first major on the senior swing last year, when he finished on top at the 2016 Senior PGA Championship.

“What can I say – Calgary is one of my favourite places on earth so I can’t wait to get back up there again,” said Mediate. “It really is the people who make this event what it is. Everyone in the community comes out to support the event with the primary goal to raise money for youth-based charities. The money they have raised for children’s charities is just crazy. I don’t know how they do it. It just doesn’t happen anywhere else so I’m very proud to have my name attached to this tournament.”

One of the most colourful characters in golf, Mediate won six PGA TOUR events. His only other victory on the PGA TOUR Champions also came in 2013 when he won the Allianz Championship.

The four former champions add additional firepower to a star-studded class in 2017 that already includes World Golf Hall of Fame members, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal. Canada’s Stephen Ames and Rod Spittle will be scrapping to become the first Canadians to etch their name on the Shaw Charity Classic trophy.

It will be no easy task with nearly all of the top-30 players on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, booking their team times on Labour Day weekend.

For more information on the Shaw Charity Classic click here.

PEABODY, Mass. – Kenny Perry claimed his second U.S. Senior Open on Sunday, pulling away from Kirk Triplett at Salem Country Club to finish at 16 under and win by two strokes.

The 56-year-old Perry closed with a 2-under 68 for a record score of 264. Perry also won the event in 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska. It is his fourth major victory on the senior tour.

Perry started the day a stroke behind Triplett but five ahead of the next-closest contender, Brandt Jobe. Triplett, who tied the tournament record with a 62 in the opening round, had five bogeys Sunday and shot 71.

Jobe had a 70 to finish seven strokes back. Tom Lehman and Fred Couples each shot 69 to tie for fourth at 8 under.

Perry’s 264 total was three strokes better than the U.S. Senior Open record set by Hale Irwin at Saucon Valley in 2000 and matched by Perry in 2013. Perry was the only player to shoot under par in each of the four rounds at the 6,815-yard Donald Ross-designed course, which also hosted the tournament in 2001.

That year, Bruce Fleischer won at even par.

But overnight rain before the first three rounds softened the greens, and Triplett and Jobe each took advantage with rounds of 62 – matching the lowest score in a PGA Tour Champions major.

“Today was probably how they wanted the golf course to play all week,” said Jobe, who played his other three rounds at a combined 1 under. “It was hard out there.”

Triplett started the final day with a one-stroke lead but it didn’t last long. Perry birdied the first hole and then took the lead for good when Triplett dropped a stroke on No. 5. By the ninth hole, Perry’s lead was four strokes, and Jobe had closed within two shots of second place.

Triplett, who only had two total bogeys in the first three rounds, had five on Sunday. Perry played bogey-free, with a pair of birdies.

Perry has nine overall victories on the 50-and-over tour after winning 14 times on PGA Tour. He lost a playoff to Mark Brooks in the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky.

Fred Funk shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Regions Tradition.

The 60-year-old Funk, seeking his first PGA Tour Champions individual title since 2012, had a one-stroke lead over Scott Parel in the first of the 50-and-over circuit’s five majors.

Funk birdied three of the five par 3s at Greystone, the last on No. 17, and finished at 12-under 132. That followed a string of three birdies that ended at No. 14, and set up a third-round pairing for the two friends.

“The irony is Scott and I have become really good buddies and I’ve never played with him yet,” Funk said after his lowest round of the season. “I was just thinking, ‘Boy, it would be nice to play with him in the last round, last group.’ I’ve got him, so that works out really good.

“I think combined we’re not 6 foot, but that’s OK.”

The 5-foot-5 Parel, who turned pro at 31 and went through Q-school in 2016, shot a 66.

Parel gained entry after Fred Couples withdrew late last week. He made a long putt to save par on No. 18, extending his bogey-free streak to 32 holes.

Parel said his 7:30 a.m. start “was a perfect tee time.”

“I had a great pairing, twosomes, set your own pace,” he said. “Greens are fresh. That’s about right where you want to be.”

The third round Saturday will have a two-tee start because of expected bad weather.

Scott McCarron, part of a four-way tie for the first-round lead, was three shots back after a 70. He three-putted the final hole for par.

“I had 45 feet just coming down the hill and almost made it,” McCarron said. “I thought I made it, but the ball just rolled out about six feet past actually and then (I) missed the next come-backer. The breeze is coming back in your face so it’s a tough drive, and with that hole location being on the front of the green, it’s tough to get it close.”

He had his second eagle of the week on the par-5 13th.

Funk had an up-and-down week in preparation for the major. He said he had eight birdies and no bogeys Monday and two days later “played horrible” in a pro-am.

“I was really bad,” Funk said. “My whole body shut down. I couldn’t swing. No matter what I did, my body wouldn’t let me do what I wanted to do. And I got about 10 hours sleep that night and got worked on a little bit and I’ve been fighting. My back’s been getting really tight. I felt a lot better (Thursday) and I felt good today, so hopefully it will hold out.”

Kenny Perry (70), Jeff Sluman (71), Kevin Sutherland (68) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (71) were 8 under

Perry, the 2014 winner, had a bogey on the final hole that could have been worse. He had to take a drop after his second shot went into the hazard. Perry was grateful that he was warned against his initial spot “because somebody would have called in, ‘Hey, that guy just had an illegal drop.”’

Defending champion Bernhard Langer was five shots back after his second straight 69. Insperity Invitational winner John Daly was 2 under after a pair of 71s.

St. Catherine’s Ontario native, Rod Spittle, is T8 at 7-under par. The 61-year-old, former insurance salesman has two top-10s on the Champions Tour this season, and one career victory, at the 2010 AT&T

His best result this season was a T3 at the Chubb Classic in February at the TwinEagles Club, in Naples, FL.

Spittle went out in a 1-under par 35, on the front nine, before recording an eagle, two birdies, and a bogey, to card a 4-under par, 68.

Fellow Canadian, Stephen Ames, is T32, after an even par, 72.

The full leaderboard can be seen here

The Shaw Charity Classic kicked off its five-year anniversary celebrations by confirming golf’s greats will be returning to Calgary until 2020.

Shaw Communications Inc. has extended its commitment for three more years as title sponsor of the award-winning PGA TOUR Champions tournament, which has raised more than $13.8 million for youth-based charities in Alberta.

“Over the past four years, the Shaw Charity Classic has had a remarkable impact on children’s charities across Southern Alberta, and there is no better way to celebrate this success than to ensure its support for local charities can continue,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “We are honoured to continue working with the Patron Group and our partners at the PGA TOUR Champions to bring world-class golf to Calgarians for three more years.”

Shaw Communications also announced it would contribute a total of $1 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and the RESOLVE campaign, with $500,000 donated to each as charitable partners of the Shaw Charity Classic. The donations and three-year extension were announced during a special celebration on Monday to kick off the fifth year of the tournament.

“We are excited about the extension with Shaw Communications, which enables us to further cement PGA TOUR Champions roots in the great city of Calgary,” said PGA TOUR Champions Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Miller Brady. “This event has delivered an impressive list of champions in four short years while also creating a lasting charitable footprint in the region that extends well beyond the boundaries of tournament week.”

“Our goal from day one was to bring a family-friendly professional sporting event to Calgary and to support the many incredible children’s charities in our community,” said Clay Riddell, Tournament Chairman. “Over the past four years, the Shaw Charity Classic has exceeded our expectations on every level, and we’re grateful to continue working with Shaw through 2020.”

The Shaw Charity Classic has made an incredible impact on the senior professional golf circuit since its debut in 2013. The tournament received an Outstanding Achievement Award for a first year event by the PGA TOUR Champions before winning back-to-back President’s Awards as the top event on Tour.

“We have white-hatted four incredible champions in Rocco Mediate, Fred Couples, Jeff Maggert and Carlos Franco, but the true champions this tournament creates extends far beyond the golf course,” said Sean Van Kesteren, Executive Director, Shaw Charity Classic. “While focusing on bringing the community together, we have provided networking and team building opportunities for the business community – highlighted by our annual Women’s Day, have created a stage to showcase the skills of Calgary’s junior golfers, and have incredible volunteer spirit. But there is no greater impact than the champions this tournament creates in our youth. The Shaw Charity Classic gives children battling a wide range of personal challenges the opportunity to dream, and enjoy life’s precious moments.”

Calgary’s marquee golf event has set a record for charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions each year. Since 2015, when the Shaw Charity Classic initiated its Birdies for Kids program, there has tremendous growth in the tournament’s fundraising efforts. Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink has since expanded its charitable beneficiaries in Alberta, generating donations from more than 1,600 people from all corners of the country. Birdies for Kids gives individuals and corporations the opportunity to make a donation directed to the children’s charity of their choice. Donations are then further leveraged through a tiered matching program that sees a percentage of the first $250,000 additionally donated to each charity.

Tournament officials are encouraging the corporate community to match Shaw Communications’ three-year commitment with a number of specially-designed corporate packages which are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. The Tournament is currently planning a number of events to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Shaw Charity Classic, August 30 – September 3, 2017.

DULUTH, Ga. – Stephen Ames hadn’t won a tournament in eight years, so he knew it was critical to keep his cool.

“My biggest goal this week was to control my anxiety and my emotions and my breathing, which is something I worked on pretty hard this week,” he said. “That calmed me down a lot.”

Ames won the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title, easily holding off Bernhard Langer at TPC Sugarloaf.

The 52-year-old Ames, a naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad, closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over Langer. Ames opened with rounds of 67 and 68 to take a one-stroke lead over five players into the final round.

And your 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic Winner… @StephenAmesPGA!! Congrats! pic.twitter.com/guRBVmHlYC

— MEClassic (@MEClassicGolf) April 16, 2017

Making his 49th senior start, Ames had six birdies in his bogey-free round to finish at 15-under 201. He won for the first time since taking the 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic for the last of his four PGA Tour titles.

“I felt very much in control of my tempo and everything else,” Ames said. “It was nice to be in that situation and play the way I did today.”

Here’s how @StephenAmesPGA claimed his first PGA TOUR Champions victory. @MEClassicGolf pic.twitter.com/oa3aaTIqOy

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 17, 2017

Ames is the third Canadian to win on the 50-and-over tour and the 11th player to win on the PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour and Web.com Tour.

Langer, a 30-time winner on the tour, had a 65 to jump from a tie for 21st. Fred Funk (66), David Frost (68) and Brandt Jobe (70) tied for third at 10 under, and 2016 winner Woody Austin (68) and Kevin Sutherland (71) followed at 9 under.

Langer’s tour-record streak of par or better rounds at 36 ended Saturday with a 73.

“It was a sad way to finish yesterday, especially bogeying 18 was bad,” Langer said. “But I didn’t think I hit a bad tee shot and ended up with a horrible lie. I couldn’t even extract it out of the rough and ended up making 6, so that was pretty poor. I just never made a putt yesterday.”

Ames did himself an early favour to create some breathing room, chipping in on the par-4 seventh. It was his second straight birdie and fourth on the front nine.

“I read the line like a putt,” he said. “I picked my spot where I wanted to land it. When I hit the ball and it came off the face, I was like, ‘Ooh, this felt good.’ It landed on my spot and the ball went to the hole like a putt. It was perfectly executed.”

When Langer closed within two strokes, Ames locked back into his mantra of staying calm. Nobody has dominated the PGA Tour Champions in recent years like Langer, so Ames knew his lead wasn’t safe just yet.

“Oh, I was watching,” Ames said. “Don’t worry. I’m a leaderboard-watcher.”

Ames calculated how many holes Langer had left and how many birdies he needed to take the lead. When Langer made par on the last three holes, Ames felt some relief.

“I had to keep an eye on him,” Ames said. “When I saw that he finished at 11 (under), I realized that I could actually put this in cruise control coming in, which is what I did.”

DULUTH, Ga. – Stephen Ames shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over five players into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

Ames had five birdies and a bogey at TPC Sugarloaf to reach 9-under 135. The 52-year-old naturalized Canadian is winless on the senior tour after winning four times on the PGA Tour.

“I’m not anxious, not anxious at all,” Ames said. “I’m very comfortable right now in the situation. The main thing that I’m really comfortable about is how I feel about my golf swing and being a lot more in control of my anxiety and my feelings and all that when I’m playing.”

First-round leader Bob Tway followed his opening 65 with a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Kenny Perry (64), Billy Andrade (66), Brandt Jobe (68) and Kevin Sutherland (69). Perry rebounded from an opening 72.

“When you open up with 72, you’re teeing off the back nine first and I was just kind of in the rocking chair kind of deal, what I call it where I’m just kind of free-wheeling out there and just playing golf free and easy,” Perry said.

A streak ended.
A record was set.
Monster putts dropped.

Lots of fun during Round 2 at the @MEClassicGolf. pic.twitter.com/E1O8MBNV5K

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 16, 2017

Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Marco Dawson (68) were 7 under. Jimenez won in 2014 at TPC Sugarloaf and is coming off a victory in the Mississippi Golf Resort Classic.

John Daly topped the group at 6 under, bouncing back from a first-round 73 with a 65 – matching his best senior round.

Defending champion Woody Austin was 5 under after a 70.

Bernhard Langer bogeyed the par-4 18th for a 73, ending his tour-record streak of par or better rounds at 36. The 2013 tournament winner was tied for 21st at 4 under.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Fred Couples shot an 8-under 65 on Friday in the Tucson Conquistadores Classic, leaving playing partner Steve Stricker two strokes back is his PGA Tour Champions debut.

Coming off a victory last month in the Chubb Classic, the 57-year-old Couples birdied five of the first seven holes in hot conditions, and added four more on the back nine before bogeying the par-4 18th.

“I’m driving the ball well and putting well, so those are good things for me no matter when I’m playing,” Couples said. “And if I can hit a few good irons, I’m going to have a lot of birdie putts.”

He three-putted on 18.

“If I had lost the tournament by a shot, then it would be bittersweet, but there’s 36 more holes and I made a lot of putts today, too,” Couples said.

Stricker birdied his first three holes in his bogey-free round on Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course. The 12-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 on Feb. 23. He will captain the U.S. Presidents Cup team in September.

“I was a little more nervous than what I expected to be or thought I was going to be,” Stricker said. “I got off to a good start, birdied the first three and settled down a little bit, but I was excited to get it going finally. It’s been a lot of hype that I’m really not accustomed to, and I just kind of wanted to get it going and start playing. So, it was good to get the first round under my belt.”

Stricker missed the cut in last week in the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship and will make his next start in the big tour’s Shell Houston Open.

Tom Lehman and Jeff Maggert shot 66, and Stephen Ames, Billy Mayfair and John Cook matched Stricker at 67.

Bernhard Langer had a 71 for his 30th straight round under par. Gil Morgan set the PGA Tour Champions record of 31 in 2000. Colin Montgomerie also is at 30, but he is not playing this week.

Bob Estes also made his debut on the 50-and-over tour, shooting a 70. The 51-year-old Estes won four times on the PGA Tour and has made six starts on the top circuit this season.

Defending champion Woody Austin also shot 70.