DULUTH, Ga. – Miguel Angel Jimenez quickly shifted his focus back to the Ryder Cup after winning his first Champions Tour event.

Jimenez held off Bernhard Langer to win the Greater Gwinnett Championship on Sunday, becoming only the third player to lead from start to finish in his debut on the 50-and-over tour.

Jimenez, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Masters, closed with a 67 to finish two strokes ahead of Langer. Jimenez finished the tournament with 32 consecutive holes without a bogey at TPC Sugarloaf.

The Spaniard said he can’t make a commitment to the Champions Tour this year because his goal is making the European Ryder Cup team.

“To me it’s not about money,” Jimenez said. “It’s about some different goals to make me feel proud of myself. To me I would feel nice to play on the Ryder Cup once more.”

Langer, the defending champion, shot his third-straight 68. Jimenez and Langer were tied at 10 under before a two-shot swing on No. 8. Jimenez needed only a short putt for a birdie, and Langer fell two strokes behind with his bogey.

After that, Jimenez avoided mistakes down the stretch, leaving no opening for Langer or Jay Haas, who shot 67 and was third, four shots off the lead.

Jimenez insisted the win wasn’t easy.

“When you hit the ball straight and you put the ball close to the hole it looks easy, but nothing is easy,” he said. “You need to keep calm yourself. … I like to feel the pressure and … the people that are coming behind bite me.”

Langer said his inability to make birdie putts kept him from putting pressure on Jimenez.

“I had a number of opportunities, just couldn’t make any putts today,” Langer said. “And he played very, very solid all day.”

Jimenez stretched his lead to three strokes before he showed that on this day even his mistakes brought no harm. He hit his tee shot on No. 15 into a tree – but it bounced back into the fairway. From there, he hit his next shot into a bunker but still salvaged par.

The win assured, Jimenez tipped his visor to the fans as he walked up the 18th fairway. He then winked and blew a kiss to a TV camera.

He brought his victory cigar to his postgame press conference.

“I showed my game is in very good shape now,” said Jimenez, who added he isn’t complaining about life at 50.

“I’m very happy with my age and the way I’m doing,” he said. “The last 15 years is when my best golf is coming. It’s nice. No complaint with 50.”

Langer said he doesn’t expect to see Jimenez on the Champions Tour again this year.

“He said he wasn’t going to play anymore this year because he wants … to be the oldest European player to ever play on the Ryder Cup,” Langer said. “That’s his goal. But, you know, goals can sometimes change. Who knows, maybe he makes the Ryder Cup team by July and he’ll decide to come out for a couple of weeks.”

Fred Couples, in the final group with Jimenez and Langer, shot 70 and was fourth. Langer tied for eighth and Couples tied for 20th in the Masters. Jimenez said coming out on top of the high-profile group made the win even nicer.

“Of course it’s satisfaction,” Jimenez said. “The better quality the field, the more satisfied you are with the victory. All three were playing very well in the Masters. We all were in contention. That’s nice.”

Steve Pate, Duffy Waldorf and David Frost tied for fifth. Willie Wood shot 66 and was in a group tied for eighth.

Jimenez became the second straight player to win in his debut on the Champions Tour, following Jeff Maggert in last month’s Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.

Rod Funseth (1983 Hall of Fame Tournament) and Bruce Fleisher (1999 Royal Caribbean Classic) are the only other players to lead from start to finish in their first Champions Tour events.

Canada’s Rod Spittle and Jim Rutledge finished as part of a group that tied for 29th at 1-under 215.

DULUTH, Ga. – Miguel Angel Jimenez, extending his impressive Champions Tour debut, shot 2-under 70 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Bernhard Langer into the final round of the Greater Gwinnett Championship.

Jimenez and Langer were tied at 8 under entering the final hole. Jimenez reclaimed sole possession of the lead with a birdie. Langer missed putts for eagle and birdie before settling for par and his second straight 68.

Fred Couples, who shot 68, is in third place, two shots behind Jimenez.

Jimenez began the day with a three-stroke lead after his tournament-record 65 on Friday. He began his second round with a birdie, but he gave back three strokes on the next three holes.

Canada’s Rob Spittle dropped four spots into a tied for 11th heading into Sunday’s final round.

The St. Catharines, Ont. native carded a 1-under 71 Saturday. He’s 3-under for the tourney, six back of the lead.

Victoria, B.C.’s Jim Rutledge is 4-over and tied for 51st.

DULUTH, Ga. – Miguel Angel Jimenez’s first round on the Champions Tour went quite well.

After one eagle, five birdies and a tournament record, Jimenez proclaimed “I love it!” and then departed in search of a couple of his usual staples.

So far, life is good for the Spaniard on the 50-and-over tour.

Avoiding a post-Masters letdown, Jimenez shot a 65 on Friday to lead the cold, soggy Greater Gwinnett Championship by three strokes.

“Very good start,” Jimenez said.

“Now it’s time for a nice, warm shower, a nice fat cigar and a glass of Rioja. … I’m desperate to find one of my cigars and have a glass of wine.”

Jimenez, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Masters, was 6 under on his first nine holes, including an eagle on No. 18. He added another birdie on No. 2 and closed with seven straight pars at TPC Sugarloaf.

Bernhard Langer set the previous tournament record with a 66 while winning the 2013 inaugural championship.

Langer, Steve Pate and Kenny Perry are three strokes behind Jimenez.

Perry said he thought Jimenez might have a letdown after his strong finish in Augusta.

“It’s funny, you go from the PGA to the Champions, it’s so much more laid back and relaxed over here,” Perry said. “The atmosphere is different. I actually didn’t know what he’d do today. Honestly, I didn’t think he would shoot 65. I thought he’d be more the other way, after a fourth-place finish, it’d be a letdown this week.

“He’s amazing. He’s fun to watch. He’s a great player.”

The 65 came six days after Jimenez shot the low round of the Masters, a third-round 66.

Jimenez is focused on making the European Ryder Cup team and may have limited time on the Champions Tour this year. Perry, the 2013 player of the year, said Jimenez will be good for the tour.

“Yeah, we need guys like that out here,” Perry said. “I mean, he’s a huge fan favorite. He brings a lot of flair and class to golf and he just has a good time.”

Jimenez tried to sneak through the interview room as Perry was talking with reporters. Perry stopped to call out to Jimenez “Hope to see you tomorrow. Don’t beat us too bad, OK?”

After Jimenez mentioned wine and cigars in his reply, Perry laughed and said “That guy has too much fun.”

Asked if Jimenez might spark a Champions Tour trend with his well-known passions, Perry said: “If it works. If it’s not broke, don’t change it.”

Fred Couples shot a 69, including a double bogey on No. 9, his finishing hole. Jeff Sluman also shot a 69.

Though light rain began soon after the round began and became more intense in the afternoon, there was no delay.

“It was as cold and ugly as you can get,” Langer said. “It never stopped raining on us for two minutes.”

Jimenez said the weather was just a nuisance.

“It’s not easy because all day is wet,” Jimenez said. “Not hard rain but these little things coming and coming, sometimes quicker.”

Pate called his 68 “kind of unexpected” and a product of “smoke and mirrors.” He said he struggled more with the temperatures, which dropped to about 50 by the end of his round, than with the rain.

“At a certain point I just got cold and it was hard to move,” Pate said. “We’re old. We don’t like cold weather.

“This is really not my wheelhouse. I like it when it’s about 95 degrees and I’m sweating.”

Colin Montgomerie was part of a group of four at 70, which included Canada’s Rod Spittle.

CALGARY—Rocco Mediate has confirmed he will be back in Calgary this summer to try and successfully defend his Shaw Charity Classic title, but he will have to knock off two of the biggest names on the the Champions Tour if he wants to hold the trophy for the second straight year.

Mediate, who ran away with the inaugural tournament last August, will return to Calgary with 2013 Charles Schwab Cup winner, Kenny Perry, along with 1989 British Open winner, Mark Calcavecchia. The trio lead what promises to be a star-studded field for the second annual event, August 27-31, 2014 at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club. Both Perry and Calcavecchia originally committed to play in the inaugural event, but were forced to withdraw due to injury.

“I always said I would bet all of the guys will be here next year,” said Mediate. “A sales pitch is really not necessary because that first year event created a huge buzz in the locker room. Everybody loved the golf course. And the turnout was probably the best of the year outside the U.S. (Senior) Open. All of the players loved it. How could you not?”

Mediate’s two wins including his seven-shot runaway victory at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club earned him the 2013 Rookie-of-the-Year honours on the Champions Tour. His impressive display of golf in Calgary tied the lowest 54-hole total at 22-under-par 191 on the senior circuit.

A 14-time winner on the PGA Tour, Kenny Perry took home the Player-of-the-Year award on the Champions Tour thanks to his three victories in 2013, including the U.S. Senior Open and Constellation Senior Players Championship. Perry’s stellar play throughout the season helped him claim the prestigious season-long Charles Schwab Cup. Perry has five wins while teeing it up against some of the greatest names in the game 50 and over.

One of the most colourful characters on the Champions Tour, Mark Calcavecchia, rounds out the first trio of players committed to make the trip to the Stampede City this summer. A 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, Calcavecchia has a special place in his heart for Canada. In addition to winning the 2005 Canadian Open and the 1997 Greater Vancouver Open, one of his two Champions Tour victories came in 2012 at the Montreal Championship. Calcavecchia is a four-time member of the U.S.A. Ryder Cup Team.

Tournament officials made the player announcement with the Shaw Charity Classic Patron Group, including PGA Tour professional Stephen Ames, while hosting corporate Calgary and media for an event coined “Augusta with Ames” – an exclusive Masters celebration, presented by the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority.

“The Masters Tournament unofficially signifies the start of the golf season in Calgary, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this great week on the golf calendar than by kicking off our marketing and sales efforts with three of the greatest names in the game,” said Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director, Shaw Charity Classic.

Van Kesteren and his team leveraged an interactive Masters session with Ames to highlight the breadth of hosting and participation opportunities available to golf enthusiasts at this year’s Shaw Charity Classic, including Pro-Am spots, corporate tents, and sponsorship opportunities at all levels.

“The goal of the Shaw Charity Classic is to provide Calgarians with the opportunity to witness elite golf while raising money to support children’s charities in southern Alberta. Having these three impressive names express their intent to play this early reinforces the commitment of the patron group, our title sponsor Shaw, and the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club to build on our foundation year and ensure this evolves into the most successful event on Tour.”

The inaugural Shaw Charity Classic, which was recognized with an Outstanding Achievement Award for a first year event by the PGA Tour, made a record-setting charitable donation of $2,276, 251 for a Champions Tour event.  The legends of the game will play for a purse of $2.25 million, an increase of $250,000 from last year, when they return to Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club for the 2014, August 27-31.

Tickets for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. Youth 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

SAUCIER, Miss. – Jeff Maggert became the 17th player in Champions Tour history to win in his debut, shooting a 4-under 68 on Sunday at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak.

Maggert fell into a tie for the lead with Billy Andrade after making bogey on No. 16, but responded with an astonishing, 50-foot putt for birdie on No. 17 that pushed him back ahead.

Maggert’s decisive putt had a large break from left to right and was over a ridge, and the 50-year-old struck it perfectly, shaking his head in disbelief after it fell in the hole.

Andrade, who started the day tied with Fred Funk for the lead, shot a 71 to finish in second two strokes back.

Maggert finished the tournament with an 11-under 205.

Both Canadians broke par and cracked the top-30.

Victoria, B.C. native, Jim Rutledge, tied for 26th at 2-under 214 (74-69-71).

Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont. finished a stoke back at 1-under 215 (72-71-72). He tied for 29th.

SAUCIER, Miss. – Billy Andrade hasn’t played much competitive golf over the past four years. It was hard to tell on Saturday.

The 50-year-old Andrade had the low round of the day, firing a 7-under 65 to jump into a tie for the lead with Fred Funk after the second round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak.

Andrade made nine birdies on Saturday, including a stretch of six over seven holes midway through the round. The exclamation point came on the final hole, when he drained a 20-foot putt for birdie.

It’s the second time in less than a year that Andrade has been in contention to win a tournament in the Magnolia State. He finished fifth at the Sanderson Farms Classic in Madison, Miss., last summer, which was easily his best finish in three starts on the PGA Tour last year.

“I have no idea what it is about Mississippi,” Andrade said laughing. “But right now, I absolutely love it.”

Andrade is playing in just his fourth Champions Tour event. His best finish was eighth place at the ACE Group Classic in February.

Fred Couples started the day with a two-stroke lead, but fell into a tie for second place after shooting a 71. Jay Haas and Jeff Maggert both had 69 to join Couples one stroke behind the leaders.

Andrade has been mostly on the sidelines the past four years, working part time as an analyst for the Golf Channel. He’s started just eight tournaments on the PGA Tour since 2010 and said it’s been nice to play several events in a row on the Champions Tour since he turned 50 to regain some consistency.

“It was kind of a swirly, windy day,” Andrade said. “We didn’t know if the wind was helping us or hurting us on some holes. But I got off to a nice start with a birdie on the first hole and then got into a nice rhythm.”

Andrade and Funk are at 8-under 136 for the tournament. Funk shot a 67 on Saturday.

“I like coming here because it’s a pretty difficult golf course and I like hard golf courses,” Funk said. “When you’re playing well, you try to get a little separation, although we’re not too separated on the board right now.”

There are 11 players within three shots of the lead.

Couples had a good start on Saturday, going 2-under through his first six holes. But he had 11 pars and a bogey the rest of the way to finish at 71, which snapped his streak of 12 straight rounds on the Champions Tour in the 60s.

The streak was one shy of Hale Irwin’s record set in 1999.

“It was just a little sloppy,” Couples said. “I didn’t make a birdie on the back nine, so that’s a lot of holes without making a birdie.”

David Frost was disqualified Saturday after removing a stone in a bunker on Friday, which should have resulted in a two-stroke penalty. A Champions Tour official said Frost self-reported the violation after Saturday’s round.

Frost was tied for sixth place at 6-under before his disqualification.

Canada’s Rod Spittle (St. Catharines, Ont.) and Jim Rutledge (Victoria, B.C.) are tied for 26th at 1-under par.

Because of expected rain, the tee times have been moved earlier for Sunday’s final round. The leaders are scheduled to tee off at 10 a.m. CT.

SAUCIER, Miss. – Fred Couples has already been playing some terrific golf. Now he is at one of his favorite courses on the Champions Tour.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise that Couples bolted to the front of the pack on Friday at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak. The 54-year-old Couples shot a 6-under 66 to take a two-shot lead in nearly ideal conditions.

Couples has been on a recent roll, winning the Toshiba Classic last weekend in Newport Beach, Calif., but said his steady first round was more about his comfort at Fallen Oak.

“I think it’s a continuation of liking this course,” Couples said. “That’s why I’m here. I like Fallen Oak and hope to play it for a long time.”

Couples started the day on No. 10 and made five birdies over his first eight holes. It was his 12th straight round in the 60s on the Champions Tour, dating to last season, which is one shy of the record set by Hale Irwin in 1999.

“I played really well,” Couples said. “I feel like I putt well on these greens, and I made some today, obviously, to shoot that score.”

Couples has won 10 times on the Champions Tour since his debut in 2010.

The conditions were good for low scoring on Friday, with a light breeze but plenty of sunshine and forgiving greens.

Last year’s tournament champion Michael Allen was paired with Couples and shot a 68 to join a group of five in second place. Jeff Maggert, who was making his Champions Tour debut, is also in second place, along with Kenny Perry, David Frost and Jay Haas.

Maggert hasn’t won since 2006 on the PGA Tour at the St. Jude’s Classic, but is right in the hunt after one round at Fallen Oak. He said it was important to play well on Friday, since there is a rain forecast for the weekend.

“Obviously a good start,” Maggert said. “Really just played steady all day. I think I hit all the fairways except for one – hit most of the greens. A couple 3-putts out there I was not too happy about but I just played steady golf, took advantage of the par 5s and put together a good round.”

But it’s Couples who is undeniably the man to beat. He made four straight birdies on 12 through 15 and stayed out of trouble for most of the day, navigating the 7,054-yard course with seven birdies and one bogey.

“The first year I played here, I won, so that’s a pretty good start of why I like (the course),” Couples said with a grin. “Today was no exception.”

Allen, who won the Allianz Championship last month, is among those trying to keep pace. The 55-year-old Allen edged Bernhard Langer by one stroke last year at Fallen Oak for one of his two wins on the Champions Tour last season.

“Fred is playing awfully well,” Allen said. “He’s not making any mistakes. I have to eliminate some of my mistakes for sure, and hopefully I can keep making a few putts and get a little closer.”

Rod Spittle opened with an even-par 72. The St. Catharines, Ont. native, who has one Champions Tour victory (2010), is tied for 29th.

Jim Rutledge of Victoria, B.C. shot a 2-over 74 and is tied for 51st.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Fred Couples won the Toshiba Classic on Sunday for his 10th Champions Tour title, birdieing the final two holes for a one-stroke victory.

The 54-year-old Couples closed with a 5-under 66 to finish at 15-under 198 at Newport Beach Country Club. Also the 2010 winner, he made a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and holed another 4-footer on the par-5 18th.

Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Steve Pate tied for second. Langer had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a long birdie try on 18 and settled for a 70.

Montgomerie had a 62, the best round of the week, and Pate shot a 66.

St. Catharines, Ont. native Rod Spittle finished 5-under and tied for 45th. Jim Rutledge of Victoria, B.C. was 8-over and tied for 76th.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Bernhard Langer maintained a two-stroke lead Saturday in the Champions Tour’s Toshiba Classic, making four birdies in a late five-hole stretch for a 5-under 66.

Langer, the 2008 winner, had a 13-under 129 total at Newport Beach Country Club. The 56-year-old German won the season-opening event in Hawaii in January for his 19th victory on the 50-and-over tour.

Kenny Perry and Chien Soon Lu were tied for second. Perry made a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th for a 65, and Lu shot 66.

Fred Couples, Scott Dunlap, Esteban Toledo and Jeff Hart were 10 under.

Langer opened with a birdie, then made his first bogey of the tournament on his next hole. He added two more birdies on the front nine but also had another bogey.

On the back nine, Langer birdied Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 17. One of his birdies came after he hit son Jason in the gallery on his approach shot. Langer then chipped to 10 feet and made the birdie putt.

Perry also had a strange incident. On No. 9, he tried to cut the corner on the dogleg right and caught a palm tree about 37 yards from the tee box. Fortunately, the ball fell to the side of the tree. Perry hit a 4-iron layup, followed by a 9-iron to 4 feet and made the putt for par.

Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson made a 30-foot eagle putt on the final hole for 63, tied for the best round of the day. It was the first time on the Champions Tour the 64-year-old Watson has bettered his age on the tour. He was tied for 12th at 8 under.

Rod Spittle is tied for 37th at 4-under, while Jim Rutledge is 81st at 11-over.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Bernhard Langer birdied three of the last four holes for an 8-under 63 and a two-stroke lead Friday in the Champions Tour’s Toshiba Classic.

Langer, the 2008 winner, had eight birdies in his bogey-free round at Newport Beach Country Club. The 56-year-old German won the season-opening event in Hawaii in January for his 19th victory on the 50-and-over tour.

“I played really solid through the whole bag,” Langer said. “I hit most of the greens in regulation and I was happy with just about every club in my bag.”

Fred Couples, Jeff Hart and Taiwan’s Chien Soon Lu shot 65, and Kenny Perry, Michael Allen, Kirk Triplett, Duffy Waldorf and Scott Simpson were another stroke back.

Couples won the 2010 tournament, shooting 66-64-65. Last month in Florida, Allen beat Waldorf in a playoff in Boca Raton, and Triplett won in Naples.

Defending champion David Frost opened with a 72.

Langer tied for seventh in Boca Raton and tied for second in Naples. He has broken par in all 10 of his rounds this season and 19 of his last 20.

“What happened with that one round,” Langer joked.

Langer topped the first-round leaderboard for the 18th time in his career. In the first 17, he has gone on to win six times. He also tied for second in the 2012 tournament.

“I think it always helps when you play a course well,” Langer said. “It certainly doesn’t hurt. I think I know how to play well here.”

Langer is carrying four wedges this week and used them all to set up birdies. He took out his 3-wood and replaced it with a gap wedge, to accompany lob, sand and pitching wedges.

“It depends on the course, but I have done this before,” Langer said. “Sometimes I’ll take the 3-wood out or the 3-iron out and replace it with a gap wedge.”

Newport Beach County Club is 6,584 yards, one of the shorter courses on the tour. Of Langer’s eight birdies, six were set up with wedge shots.

Couples bogeyed the par-4 16th to drop out of a share of the lead, and matched Langer with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th.