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Naples, FL – The ACE Group Classic hosted by Peter Jacobsen is only a month away from its debut on TPC Treviso Bay and eight past champions have committed to play. Bobby Wadkins (2007), Loren Roberts (2006), Craig Stadler (2004), Gil Morgan (1998 & 2002) and Hale Irwin (1997 & 2001) join defending champion Scott Hoch for the 22nd annual Naples Champions Tour event. Inaugural champion Gary Player (1988) and Bob Murphy (1995) will also return. The ACE Group Classic will take place February 20 – 22.
“The ACE Group Classic has such a great tradition in Naples and on the Champions Tour, and it is exciting to relive a lot of great memories when these former champions return,” said Tournament Director Jason Camp. “Fans can take a stroll down memory lane when they enter TPC Treviso Bay and are met with our Wachovia Walk of Champions.”
Wadkins made a birdie on the final hole of the 2007 ACE Group Classic to secure an unlikely comeback from two strokes down with three holes to play.
In 2006, Roberts was tied with Hale Irwin coming down the stretch until Irwin hit his second shot in the water at the 18th, resulting in double bogey. Roberts finished his bogey-free round with a par and one-stroke victory over R.W. Eaks and Brad Bryant. Roberts played his final 35 holes without a bogey.
2004 champion Stadler, known affectionately around the world as “the Walrus,” is the owner of 13 PGA TOUR and eight Champions Tour titles. His win in Naples was not without drama, as he drained a 27-foot birdie putt to win on the first hole of a playoff with Tom Watson and Gary Koch.
Two-time champion Morgan is well-remembered around Naples for coming back from a five-stroke deficit to capture the 1998 title. In 2001, he held the top spot on the leader board after Saturday and cruised to a two-stroke victory over Dana Quigley.
Irwin captured the 1997 and 2002 ACE Group Classic titles. His first victory came when he used a seven-under-par 65 in the final round to overcome a one-stroke deficit and defeat Bob Murphy. In 2002, Irwin took the lead over Tom Watson with two holes left to win his second title.
Murphy went wire-to-wire to win the 1995 Tournament that was shortened to two rounds due to inclement weather. It is becoming a rare sight to see Murphy play competitively, but he continues to play the game with the rare enthusiasm that has made him a fan favorite for four decades.
