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CHAMPIONS - National Qualifying Tournament Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Tuesday, November 15th through Friday, November 18th |
| SITE: TPC Scottsdale (Champions Course), Scottsdale, Arizona |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Randy Heckenkemper (2007) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 371 Yds | 10 - Par 5 542 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 4 461 Yds | 11 - Par 4 474 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 3 174 Yds | 12 - Par 4 446 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 5 556 Yds | 13 - Par 3 164 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 4 477 Yds | 14 - Par 4 429 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 3 202 Yds | 15 - Par 4 359 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 4 393 Yds | 16 - Par 3 215 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 3 212 Yds | 17 - Par 5 605 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 5 575 Yds | 18 - Par 4 460 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 35 3,421 Yds | 36 3,694 Yds | |
| Annual: | 27th |
| Television: | None |
| Defending Champion: | Keith Clearwater |
| Runner-Up: | Lee Rinker, Phil Blackmar, Frankie Minoza |
| Tournament Record (72 Holes): | 267 (Peter Senior, 2009) |
| Tournament Record (108 Holes): | 407 (Mark Johnson, 2004) |
| 90-Hole Record: | 341 (Don Reese, Hajime Meshiai, 2004) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 196 (Steve Haskins, 2009) |
| 18-Hole Record: | 62 (DeWitt Weaver, 1990 - Westin Mission Hills; |
| | Bill Holstead, 2000 - Bonnet Creek Golf Club) |
| Total Purse: | $200,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $30,000; 2nd Place - $21,000; 3rd Place - $15,000 |
| 2010 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Keith Clearwater | 272 | John Morse | 276 |
| Lee Rinker | 275 | Robert Thompson | 276 |
| Phil Blackmar | 275 | Mark Mouland | 278 |
| Frankie Minoza | 275 | Jim Rutledge | 278 |
| Roger Chapman | 276 | J.L. Lewis | 279 |
| | Steve Haskins | 279 |
| Past National Qualifying Tournament Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2010 | Keith Clearwater (272) -- Lee Rinker, Phil Blackmar, Frankie Minoza |
| 2009 | Peter Senior (267) -- Ronnie Black, Steve Haskins, Joe Ozaki |
| 2008 | Robert Thompson (281) -- John Morse |
| 2007 | Rick Rhoden/Gene Jones (279) -- Mitch Adcock, Rick Karbowski |
| 2006 | Boonchu Ruangkit (277) -- Ray Stewart |
| 2005 | Massy Kuramoto (429) -- Kirk Hanefeld |
| 2004 | Mark Johnson (407) -- Tom McKnight |
| 2003 | Mark McNulty (275) -- Mark James |
| 2002 | Des Smyth (275) -- Seiji Ebihara |
| 2001 | Howard Twitty (276) -- Larry Ziegler |
| 2000 | Bob Gilder (269) -- Bill Holstead, Terry Mauney |
| 1999 | Mark Hayes (277) -- Howard Twitty, Stewart Ginn |
| 1998 | Allen Doyle (275) -- Bruce Fleisher |
| 1997 | David Lundstrom (276) -- Jose Maria Canizares |
| 1996 | Bob Dickson (278) -- Will Sowles |
| 1995 | Masaru Amano (279) -- John Jacobs, Bobby Stroble |
| 1994 | Tommy Aycock (278) -- Walter Morgan |
| 1993 | Bill Hall (284) |
| 1992 | Larry Gilbert (276) -- Harry Toscano, Doug Dalziel, Bob Wynn |
| 1991 | Dick Goetz/Tommy Aycock (292) -- J.C. Goosie, John Paul Cain |
| 1990 | Simon Hobday (271) -- Jack Kiefer |
| 1989 | Rocky Thompson (281) |
| 1988 | Al Chandler (280) |
| 1987 | Doug Dalziel (285) |
| 1986 | Jim King (284) |
| 1985 | Buck Adams (427) |
| Top Players in the Field |
| Ronnie Black | 2 PGA Tour victories |
| Phil Blackmar | Won 2009 AT&T Championship, 3 PGA Tour victories |
| Tom Byrum | Won 1989 Kemper Open on PGA Tour |
| Bobby Clampett | Won 1982 Southern Open on PGA Tour |
| Keith Clearwater | 2 PGA Tour wins, Won 2010 Champions Tour Q-School |
| Trevor Dodds | Won 1998 Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic on PGA Tour |
| Mike Donald | Won 1989 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic on PGA Tour |
| Bill Glasson | 7 PGA Tour victories including 1989 Doral-Ryder Open |
| Gary Hallberg | Won 2010 Ensure Classic at Rock Barn, 3 PGA Tour wins |
| Mark Johnson | Won 2005 Toshiba Senior Classic and 2004 Q-School |
| Steve Jones | Won 1996 U.S. Open, 8 PGA Tour victories |
| James Mason | Won 2002 NFL Golf Classic |
| Lonnie Nielsen | 2 Champions Tour victories |
| Chris Perry | Won 1998 B.C. Open on PGA Tour |
| Jim Rutledge | 6 Canadian Tour victories, 1 Nationwide Tour win |
| Tim Simpson | 4 PGA Tour victories |
| Robert Thompson | Won 2008 Champions Tour Q-School |
| Bruce Vaughan | Won 2008 Senior British Open |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Bill Glasson |
| Darkhorse - Jeff Hart |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (John Cook) - Finished 1st |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Corey Pavin) - Finished tied for 10th |
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| NOTES: |
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The Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament returns to Arizona for the
third time, as the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale plays host to 78 players
seeking entrance to the over-50 circuit. This is the second time that TPC
Scottsdale has hosted this event. Peter Senior won on the Champions Course in
2009.
Last year, Keith Clearwater fired a third-round 63 to jump in front and held
on to earn medalist honors. Clearwater finished at 16-under 272 and won the
pressure-packed event by three strokes over Lee Rinker, Phil Blackmar and
Frankie Minoza at TPC Eagle Trace. Clearwater will be on hand to defend his
title, as he only finished 97th on the 2011 Champions Tour money list.
In 2009, Senior rallied to win, making five birdies over his last nine holes
for a five-under 66 in the final round. Senior finished at 17-under 267 for
a three-shot win over Ronnie Black, Steve Haskins and Joe Ozaki at TPC
Scottsdale.
In 2008, Robert Thompson carded a pair of late birdies in the final round to
shoot two-under 70 and take medalist honors. Thompson finished at seven-under-
par 281. Thompson also was co-medalist at the 1981 PGA Tour Q-School. Thompson
joined Allen Doyle and Massy Kuramoto as the only players to earn medalist
honors at the PGA Tour and Champions Tour Q-Schools.
Former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden shared medalist honors in 2007 with
Gene Jones. Rhoden, who held at least a share of the lead after all four days,
closed with a three-under 69 in the final round. Jones had a four-under 68 to
tie him. Rhoden shot par or better in all four rounds. He pitched 16 seasons
in the major leagues with four different teams.
In 2006, Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit fired rounds of 65-72-66-74 to come away
with medalist honors. Ruangkit went wire-to-wire to finish at 11-under-par 277
for a two-shot win over Ray Stewart. Ruangkit was a five-time winner on the
Asian Tour.
The top-five finishers of this tournament will receive full exemptions in 2012
on the Champions Tour. The next seven finishers, Nos. 6-12, get conditional
status next year. The top-30 finishers and ties are eligible to compete for
spots in open qualifiers at all cosponsored events. The top-30 and ties will
also receive a portion of the $200,000 prize money.
Other states besides Arizona to host this event are: Florida (19) and
California (5).
11/14 14:33:31 ET
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As of November 14, 2011, at 02:33 PM ET
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