Here, some strong competitors to keep an eye on in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open June 21-23 at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott:
Stephen Ames
60-year-old will play his 210th senior tour event this week … The eight-time winner has five second- and six third-place finishes … He joined the tour in 2014 and recently surpasses $10 million in earnings … Twice a winner in 12 events played this season, he ranks third on tour in total driving, third in greens in regulation percentage and third in putting average … T2 in 2023 season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship (65-68-69-65) … Debuted in Dick’s Open with a T12 in 2015 and hasn’t bettered that in four subsequent returns.
Doug Barron
54-year-old has three top-10s in eight starts this season - $747,468 to show for it - highlighted by a win in the mid-May Regions Tradition (65-72-66-68). That senior major triumph was good for $390,000 … That came one week after a T2 in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic … In 2019, he amazingly passed through Dick’s Open pre-qualifying and open qualifying at The Links at Hiawatha Landing to gain his second PGA Tour Champions start - and proceeded to win by two over Fred Couples. That made Barron the first open qualifier to win on tour since Willie Wood topped the 2012 Dick’s Open field, and halted a string of 376 tour-sanctioned starts without a win.
Darren Clarke
The 55-year-old native of Dungannon, Northern Ireland, has four victories in 114 PGA Tour Champions starts, most recently the 2022 Senior British Open. That followed a three-win 2020 season … Four top-10 finishes this year headed by a trio of seventh places … No better than T21 in his most recent four tournaments … Results in Dick’s Open have improved annually since a T8 in 2021 debut … Opened with 65 on the way to a T6 in 2022 and closed with 65 in last year’s T5 … Resides at The Abaco Club at Winding Bay, Bahamas …
David Duval
52-year-old Duval came up with his best senior tour finish in 47 starts with a 67-65-67 showing in the Principal Charity Classic that concluded June 2, and followed with a T14 in America Family Insurance Championship despite a closing 74 … Played the 2022 and 2023 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open with little to show for those stops. In face, his next sub-70 round as a senior at En-Joie will be his second (67 to close last year) … Winner of the 1999 Players Championship and 2001 British Open … Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Famer resides in Denver.
Ernie Els
Hottest player on the PGA Tour Champions has closed T6 or better in each of his most recent four starts. That streak features wins in the Principal Charity Classic that concluded June 2 and the American Family Insurance Championship (June 9) in a playoff with Steve Stricker … The 54-year-old has five senior tour wins among 31 top-five finishes … As for the Dick’s Open? Finished second in 2021 following a regrettable closing 72, was T15 in 2022 and third last year (67-65-68) … In fact, finished last season with five top-seven finishes.
Padraig Harrington
This 54-year-old Irishman gets it, from conditioning to preparation to interaction with spectators, sponsors and all on-site … One fine addition to the Dick’s Open winner’s circle – and twice over! … The 52-year-old is 2-for-2 at En-Joie as a senior, winning in 2022 on rounds of 66-67-67 and as an encore, he went 69-66-63 to author one of the all-time classics in professional golf in Endicott. On the second nine Sunday, he went for five birdies and an eagle for a 7-under 28 to complete a round of 9-under 63 and become the event’s first back-to-back champion. … Winner of the Hoag Classic Newport Beach in March.
Miguel Angel Jimenez
60-year-old from Spain is a 13-time PGA Tour Champions winner with 15 runner-up finishes … He joined the Tour in 2014 and has earned $14,367,935 … He was a multiple-event champion in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 … Top finish this year a third at the Hoag Classic Newport Beach – that March event marking a fourth top 10 in five events … Top finish at En-Joie was a T3 in 2021 (68-69-69) … His most recent four Dick’s Open starts have resulted in top-10 finishes … Eighth last year, brought down by a closing round of 72.
Bernhard Langer
Where to start with this 66-year-old marvel? A 46-time PGA Tour Champions winner, he has earned $36,271,148 as a senior … He has won multiple Tour events every year from 2012 through 2023, featuring seven victories in 2017 … Was 2023 U.S. Senior Open champion … Returned to competition in early-May following Achilles surgery, and placed T3 in the Principal Charity Classic (17-under), which concluded June 2 … 2014 Dick’s Open champion has seven top-10 finishes at En-Joie, most recent of those a T6 in 2022 … His first sub-70 Dick’s Open round? Sunday of 2008 (64).
More:Seemingly unreal rally sends Padraig Harrington to another Dick’s Sporting Goods Open title
Dick’s Open at a Glance
When: June 21-23.
Where: En-Joie Golf Course, Endicott.
Purse: $2.1 million ($315,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Padraig Harrington.
Tickets: See dsgopen.com.
Schedule
Thursday - Pro-Am, double shotgun starts at 8 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Friday - First round; Luke Bryan concert.
Saturday - Second round, free admission courtesy of HH&K; Family Fun Night, 8 p.m.
Sunday - Sunrise Yoga, 7:30 a.m.; Final round.
Television (Golf Channel): Friday noon-2; Saturday 3-6 p.m.; Sunday 3-6 p.m.
