Naples, FL – Loren Roberts and Jay Haas, the past two winners of the Champions Tour’s year-long
Charles Schwab Cup, have announced they will both return to Quail West Golf and Country Club for the
2008 ACE Group Classic. With the 21st annual Tournament only a month away, February 11 – 17, the
field is shaping up to be an elite stop on the Tour.
“Loren Roberts and Jay Haas have battled neck-and-neck throughout 2006 and 2007 in one of the most
exciting rivalries in the existence of the Charles Schwab Cup,” noted Tournament Director Jason Camp.
“I know both are eager to get off to a hot start in 2008, and we hope our Tournament will be the
beneficiary of some brilliant golf on their behalf. Having both of them join our field is just fantastic.”
Jay Haas may have won four times in 2007, but it was Loren Roberts who prevailed in the season-long
Charles Schwab Cup points race thanks to his consistency. Roberts captured a major at the Constellation
Energy Senior Players Championship, earned a win at the Boeing Championship at Sandestin and led the
Tour in scoring average, putting average and scrambling. He was also amongst the top-5 finishers 13
times in 23 tournament appearances, meaning 56 percent of the time he was one of the five best players
for the week. For winning the Charles Schwab Cup, Roberts earned a $1-million annuity and will likely
make a donation to various charities in his current hometown of Memphis, Tenn. In the past two years, he
has donated $600,000 from his Schwab Cup earnings.
In 2006, Haas was the beneficiary of an uncharacteristic missed short putt by Roberts on the 72nd hole of
the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship and went on to win the 2006 Charles Schwab Cup.
It was the closest race in the history of the competition. Winning the Cup earned Haas a $1 million
annuity, and he announced at the Tournament’s closing ceremony he would donate the $1 million to
charities in his hometown of Greenville, S.C., a gesture similar to those made in recent years by Allen
Doyle, Tom Watson and Dana Quigley.
Haas concluded the 2007 season as the leading money winner on the Champions Tour with $2,581,001,
while Roberts was second with $2,170,601. Despite Roberts outlasting him for the Schwab Cup, Haas
did manage to capture his second consecutive Player of the Year Award, as voted on by his peers.
The ACE Group Classic has become an area tradition and a celebration of community involvement for the
past 21 years. The ACE Group Classic has supported various educational organizations since 1988 and
continues to do so in 2008 with partnerships with the Education Foundation of Collier County and The
First Tee of Naples/Collier. The ACE Group of Companies has been the title sponsor since 1999.
Two-time winner Trevino in final field; Haas, O'Meara out
Tournament officials for The ACE Group Classic got a pleasant surprise when one notable name rolled in that wasn’t expected. 1990 and 1991 champion Lee Trevino will take part in the 21st edition Feb.15–17 at Quail West Golf and Country Club.
“What a fantastic surprise to add a two-time champion and Hall of Famer like Trevino to our field at the last minute,” said tournament director Jason Camp. “This is one of the most competitive fields we have ever seen, and the living legends that will be on the course are a testament to the great community and corporate support that we receive.”
Golfers had until 5 p.m. on Friday to commit to the tournament. Jay Haas, Mark O’Meara, Jose Maria Canizares and Jim Dent were all late withdrawals from the field, and will not be competing.
Bobby Wadkins is still competitive on the Champions Tour. How much he is next spring won’t determine how much he plays though.
It will be how much his son, Casey, is playing college baseball. Casey Wadkins is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound shortstop at Collegiate School in Richmond, Va. And he’s a pretty good football player too.
“Whatever he does is going to kind of dictate how much golf I play the next couple of years,’’ says Wadkins, 56, who is the defending champion for this week’s ACE Group Classic at Quail West Golf & Country Club.
2005 champ James, Simpson, Rhoden in Monday Pro-Am
2005 champion Mark James, 1987 U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson and former major-league pitcher Rick Rhoden will compete in The ACE Group Classic Monday Pro-Am at Quail West Golf & Country Club. Admission is free Monday and Tuesday.
“The Monday Pro-Am is free for everyone and offers a great opportunity to get autographs and have an early look at the Tournament course on Quail West,” said tournament director Jason Camp. “We hope everyone will take advantage of this and enjoy the start to a great week.”
Other pros participating are Adam Adams, R.W. Eaks, Dave Eichelberger, Vance Heafner, Gary Koch, Mike McCullough, Dave Nevatt, Dennis O'Sullivan and Larry Rinker.
Naples, FL (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts, the 2006 winner, opened with a seven-under 65 Friday to share the lead after the first round of the ACE Group Classic.
Roberts was joined atop the leaderboard by Tom Kite, Bruce Fleisher and Fuzzy Zoeller.
Peter Jacobsen, Bruce Lietzke and Joe Ozaki are one stroke further back at Quail West Golf & Country Club.
Roberts stuck his approach within two feet at the first and kicked that in for birdie to get off to a quick start. He parred six straight before catching fire.
The seven-time winner on the Champions Tour nearly holed his second shot at the eighth as his shot stopped a foot from the cup.
Roberts' third to the par-five ninth came to rest four feet away and he rolled that in for his third birdie.
After a par on 10, Roberts ran home a 27-foot birdie putt at 11. He made it two in a row with a birdie on the 12th.
Roberts wasn't done as he birdied the par-five 13th and capped a run of four straight birdies with a 22-footer on 14. He parred out for a share of the lead.
Roberts, Zoeller, Kite, Fleisher tied for Champions Tour lead
NAPLES, Florida (AP) -Loren Roberts, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Kite and Bruce Fleisher shot 7-under 65s to share the first-round lead in The ACE Group Classic on Friday.
After a week of rain, wind or both, conditions were calm and the greens were soft, leading to low scores - and for Zoeller, some happy spectators at Quail West Club.
"I had about 45 people down here from southern Indiana, so it does feel like home,'' said Zoeller, who also is a member of Naples National Golf Club and attended Edison College for two years in nearby Fort Myers. "It doesn't change anything, though. Still have to go out and play well. You got to love the support, though.'
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Tom Jenkins moved into position to become the 18th player 60 or older to win a Champions Tour event, shooting an 8-under 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over five players in The ACE Group Classic.
The 60-year-old Jenkins had a 12-under 132 total on the Quail West Golf Club course. He won the last of his seven career titles in the 2006 SAS Championship.
"I've been in this position before," Jenkins said. "It's about executing the shots. I know at my age it gets tougher and tougher out here."
Scott Hoch, a Quail West resident coming off a victory last week in Boca Raton, had a 66 to join Nick Price (66), Ron Streck (66), Gary Koch (67) and Peter Jacobsen (68) at 10 under. Chip Beck (66) and Loren Roberts (70) followed at 9 under.
Jenkins, three strokes behind first-round leaders Bruce Fleisher, Roberts, Fuzzy Zoeller and Tom Kite at the start of play, birdied the first two holes. Jenkins added birdies on Nos. 8, 10 and 11, then eagled the 527-yard, par-5 13th.
Jenkins hit a 2-iron from 236 yards to 28 feet and made the putt to overtake Fleisher for the lead. Jenkins followed with a 6-foot birdie putt on the next hole.
Hoch notches back-to-back Champions Tour victories
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Scott Hoch made it back-to-back wins on the Champions Tour on Sunday.
Hoch made an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation to get in a four-way playoff, then made another 8-footer on the first playoff hole to win The ACE Group Classic.
Champions:The ACE Group Classic Feb. 15 - Feb. 17
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