From October 5-11th, the SAS Championship occurred at Prestonwood Country Club in our hometown of Cary, NC. The SAS Championship is an annual golf tournament that has taken place since 2001, hosting the best senior golfers in the world. Some notable champions include 2X Masters Champion Bernhard Langer and 3X US Open Champion Hale Irwin. 

This year another notable winner took the SAS Championship. Ernie Els, the 4X major champion, and World Golf Hall of Famer. The Champions (Senior) Tour has become increasingly competitive as a surge of some of the world’s top golfers on the regular tour have reached the age of 50, making them eligible for the Champions Tour. This batch of players includes Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk. Both Mickelson and Furyk won in each of their first two starts. This time however, it was Ernie’s turn to shine. After missing a 3 foot putt to force a playoff at Pebble Beach just a few weeks earlier, he made a 40-foot putt on the final hole to win by a single stroke in the dramatic finish. After the round he credited putting help from his friend Mark O’Meara. The win is Ernie’s second win on the Champions Tour and puts him on top of the money list for the Charles Schwab Cup. ki

This year, the championship had to be modified due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Events such as the Folds of Honor Golfathon, the 5k, and Food Truck Friday were cancelled while the Pro-Am was modified to be played safely. The only fans allowed to watch were the members of the club and their respective guests. Nonetheless, the tournament turned out to be a success. Hopefully by this time next year, all of the local fans can come out to support these legends!