GWINNETT, METRO ATLANTA – Officials of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic announced today that four-time PGA Tour winner and 2018 champion Steve Flesch will compete in the seventh annual tournament, scheduled for April 15-21 at TPC Sugarloaf. The Mitsubishi Electric Classic reigning champion is returning to the field at the prestigious PGA TOUR Champions event to defend his title.
Several other champions will be competing at TPC Sugarloaf this year as well. In addition to Steve Flesch, the tournament has accepted commitments from all previous tournament winners of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic: Bernhard Langer (2013), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2014), Olin Browne (2015), Woody Austin, (2016), and Stephen Ames (2017).
Steve Flesch, 51, claimed the 2018 Mitsubishi Electric Classic, his first PGA TOUR Champions title. In his first appearance at TPC Sugarloaf, he managed to outlast Bernhard Langer and Scott Parel for the victory. Due to inclement weather, the second and third rounds of the tournament concluded on Saturday. After an exhausting, 36-hole day, Flesch won with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff.
After only being on the PGA TOUR Champions for two years, Flesch achieved five top-10 finishes, tournament earnings of $438,032 and a No. 49 Charles Schwab Cup ranking. The left-handed player’s PGA TOUR resume includes four titles, three runner-up finishes, five 3rd place finishes, and 63 top 10 finishes. So far this season, he has a scoring average of 72.33.
World Golf Hall of Famer and five-time Charles Schwab Cup Champion Bernhard Langer will be returning to the Mitsubishi Electric Classic this year. Langer claimed the title in 2013 and posted runner-up finishes in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. No player has dominated the PGA TOUR Champions circuit over the past 10 years like Bernhard Langer. The 61-year-old German native has captured 39 PGA TOUR Champions titles, in addition to $27,324,504 in earnings since making his PGA TOUR Champions debut in 2007. So far this season, he is No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings, has a scoring average of 66.56 and has only finished in the top three. The two-time Masters winner will make his seventh appearance at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 55, claimed the 2014 Mitsubishi Electric Classic in his first PGA TOUR Champions start. In his first four appearances at TPC Sugarloaf, he impressively finished in the top 10. In 2015, Jiménez tied for 10th, followed by a T4 effort in 2016, and his 8-under-par 208 in 2017 placed him in a tie for 8th. Jiménez has achieved seven PGA TOUR Champions wins since 2014, recording two titles last year and one already this year. The Spanish native is coming off back-to-back career best years on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit with 10 top-10 finishes in 2017 and 13 in 2018. This season, Jiménez sits at No. 4 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings, has made $300,167 in tournament earnings and a scoring average of 69.42.
Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Stephen Ames will be returning to the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for the fifth time in April. Prior to his victory in 2017, Ames placed 4th in the 2015 tournament. The win at TPC Sugarloaf marks his first and only PGA TOUR Champions title since joining the circuit in 2014. It also made him the third Canadian ever to earn a PGA TOUR Champions title. The 54-year-old has achieved 23 top-10 finishes, 14 of which were recorded in the past three seasons. Ames’ PGA TOUR resume includes four titles and 58 top-10 finishes. For the 2019 season, Stephen Ames is currently ranked No. 17 in the Charles Schwab Cup with one top-10 finish and a scoring average of 69.25.
Three-time PGA TOUR winner Olin Browne will make his sixth start at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic. The 59-year-old Florida resident is the owner of two PGA TOUR Champions victories, winning the 2011 U.S. Senior Open in addition to his Mitsubishi Electric Classic title in 2015. He has recorded an impressive 47 top-10 finishes on the senior circuit, 22 of which occurred over the past five seasons. Browne is currently ranked No. 15 in the Charles Schwab Cup with one runner-up finish and a scoring average of 70.08.
Four-time PGA TOUR winner Woody Austin, 55, enjoyed a breakout PGA TOUR Champions season in 2016. His Mitsubishi Electric Classic playoff victory over Wes Short, Jr. was one of three PGA TOUR Champions titles that year. His fourth PGA TOUR Champions victory came in 2018 at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. In the past five seasons, he has made 35 top-10 finishes and so far this season, he has finished inside the top 10 twice and is ranked No. 11 in the Charles Schwab Cup. The Kansas resident will make his fourth start at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic with a scoring average of 69.67.
The 2019 Mitsubishi Electric Classic is scheduled for April 15-21, 2019 at TPC Sugarloaf. The public may purchase tickets online. Kids 16 and under can attend for free with a ticketed adult, and daily tickets start at just $20.
For more information on the tournament, visit: www.mitsubishielectricclassic.com
About the Mitsubishi Electric Classic:
The Mitsubishi Electric Classic is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions scheduled for April 15-21, 2019. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse at the prestigious TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The event, which will benefit local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc., has raised over $2.1 million since its first tournament in 2013. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel.
About PGA TOUR Champions:
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 32 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. In 2019, the PGA TOUR Champions schedule includes 27 tournaments across the United States, Japan, England and Canada, with purses totaling nearly $58 million. The Charles Schwab Cup, which includes the Regular Season and the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, is used to determine the season-long champion. All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Internationally, telecasts air in excess of 170 countries and territories, reaching more than 340 million potential households, and distributed in 15+ markets via GOLFTV.
Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at www.PGATOUR.com/champions, on Facebook at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
Media Contact
Company Name: Mitsubishi Electric Classic
Contact Person: Hannah Karlson
Email: Send Email
Phone: 478-284-9365
Country: United States
Website: http://www.mitsubishielectricclassic.com