Bernhard Langer is just one win away.
Langer won Sunday’s 2023 Chubb Classic to tie Hale Irwin’s record of 45 victories on the PGA Tour Champions.
Langer, 65, won 45 in 318 events. Irwin was victorious in 273.
Dicky Pride gave Langer the most serious challenge for the title on a Sunday when Champions tour stars Steve Stricker and Steven Alker, Padraig Hrrington, Fred Couples, Padraig Harrington, Padraig Hayrrington, Padraig Couples, and rookie Justin Leonard remained in the top 10.
Pride won the par-3 10th hole, and made birdies on Nos. He tied Langer at the end of the stretch with 12, 15, and 16. Langer birdied Nos. To keep up, Langer birdied Nos. 12, 14, and 15. But Pride had trouble at the 17th hole. Pride hit his tee shot perfectly, but it bounced off the cart path and he sank into the woods. Pride saved bogey by putting a 10-foot putt that was just a shot back.
Langer, however, swept a 30-footer on 17 to win the tournament. This was only Langer’s second birdie of the day. Langer held a lead of two shots at 16 under.
LANGER FROM DEEP@BernhardLanger6 birdies No. 17 to lead by two shots heading into the final hole @ChubbClassic. pic.twitter.com/LGCFSIPfOG
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour February 19, 2023
The last round was won by Langer, who birdied it to finish 17 under. Langer had 19 birdies this week and only two bogeys in his three rounds. Both of these were Saturday’s second round. Langer successfully defended his title, and has won the Chubb five more times. He won the Turtle Bay Championship in Hawaii six more times, making him the most successful Champion at the same tournament.
Langer has won 12 times since turning 60. He will be aiming for his 46th win on this circuit in Tucson, Arizona, in two weeks.
Pride, who needed eagle on 18th par-5, struck his second shot over the green, chipped it back past hole, and then three-putted for Bogey for a 68. He was 13 under.
Stricker shot a 66 on the par-5 final hole and was 14 under. Padraig Harrington tied for second with a 65.
Fred Couples led Sunday’s play before posting back-toback 7s. He tripled the 11th hole and doubled it to make the 12 fall from 14 to 9. To get back in the top 10, he did manage to eagle his par-5 15th.
