Walk of Champions

 

  YEAR

CHAMPION

SCORE

  2010 Fred Couples
199
 

Couples (68-67-64) won his first career Champions Tour event by outlasting a final round 61 by Tommy Armour III to win by one stroke. He had eight birdies during the final round including one on the 17th that set the final margin.

 

  2009 Loren Roberts
209
 

Roberts (70-71-68) won his second career ACE Group Classic with strong play down the stretch. Roberts made birdie on three of the final four holes, including a 3-footer on the 18th to win by one stroke over Gene Jones.

 

  2008 Scott Hoch 202
 

Hoch (68-66-68) earned his second consecutive victory on the Champions Tour by outlasting Tom Kite, Brad Bryant and Tom Jenkins in a four-way sudden-death playoff. He had to make birdie on the final hole of regulation to force his way into overtime, where he again made birdie on the first extra hole to capture the crown.

 

  2007 Bobby Wadkins
201
 

Wadkins (64-69-68) drained a 13-foot birdie putt on the final hole to edge Allen Doyle by a stroke after trailing by two with three holes left. The pair were tied on the par-5 18th and both reached the green in three shots. After Doyle missed a 25-foot birdie, Wadkins stepped up and made the winning putt.

 

  2006 Loren Roberts
202
 

Roberts (67-66-69) set a Champions Tour record when he became the first player to win the first three events to start a season. Roberts held off a late charge by Hale Irwin who started the round three strokes back. The pair were tied 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.

 

  2005 Mark James
203
 

James (69-68-66) made his move early Sunday with four birdies on the front nine and a birdie on the par-4 11th to take the lead by three strokes. However, a bogey at the 13th and late charges by Wayne Levi, Mike McCullough and Hale Irwin created a logjam at the top. James made birdie on the final two holes, including a 23-footer on No. 18, to seal the victory by two strokes.

 

(*) 
2004 Craig Stadler
202
 

Things didn't look promising for Stadler (67-67-72) 13 holes into his final round. After hitting his tee ball out of bounds, he double bogeyed the 13th to fall three strokes behind Gary Koch. However, Stadler caught Koch and forced a playoff, which also included Tom Watson. In the playoff, Koch missed a 31-foot birdie before Stadler made a 27-foot birdie. Watson's 10-foot birdie attempt missed, giving Stadler the title.

 

  2003 Vicente Fernandez
202
 

Fernandez (70-69-66) made bogey on his first of 54 holes but didn't make another. He assumed control of the Tournament on Sunday with birdies on the 10th and 17th holes. He capped his week with a 61-foot birdie on the 18th and earned a three-stroke victory over Des Smyth and Tom Watson.

 

  2002 Hale Irwin
200
 

Irwin (68-64-68) was locked in a battle with Tom Watson during the final round. However, a costly gamble by Watson on the par-5 17th put him in the water and led to a two-stroke swing heading to the final hole. Irwin made things interesting with a scrambling bogey, but Watson could not capitalize and Irwin won by one stroke.

 

  2001 Gil Morgan
204
 

Morgan (69-70-67) and Dana Quigley were engaged in a showdown for most of the back nine on Sunday. The pair matched birdies at the 14th and 16th holes and Morgan led by one at the par-3 17th. Hitting second, Morgan nearly aced the hole, hitting a 7-iron to three feet. The birdie gave him a two-shot cushion that he maintained for the title.

 

(*) 
2000 Lanny Wadkins
202
 

Trailing by three strokes heading into the final round, Wadkins' (65-73-64) strong closing round helped set up a four-man playoff with Tom Watson, Jose Maria Canizares and Walter Hall. After Watson and Hall dropped out of the playoff on the first extra hole, Wadkins and Canizares went two more before Wadkins prevailed with a par after Canizares went in the water.

 

  1999 Allen Doyle
203
 

Doyle (64-70-69) cruised to a wire-to-wire five-stroke victory over Vicente Fernandez. He got off to a fast start with a Bay Colony course-record 64 in the opening round. He entered the windy final round with a two-stroke advantage and was never seriously threatened.

 

  1998 Gil Morgan
210
 

Morgan (69-73-68) denied long-time friend Dale Douglass a chance for victory when he holed a sand wedge from 40 yards out for eagle on the final hole. The improbable shot enabled Morgan to break out of a tie with Douglass. Morgan's victory was unusual in more ways than the finish. He made three double bogeys, including two straight in the second round.

 

  1997 Hale Irwin
201
 

After trading birdies most of the day with eventual runner-up Bob Murphy, Irwin (70-66-65) took the lead for good when he holed a 35-foot bunker shot for birdie at the par-5 15th. It was his only sand save out of six tries during the Tournament. He secured the victory on the 17th hole by hitting a wedge to within five feet and making the birdie.

 

  1996 Al Geiberger
202
 

Geiberger (68-63-71) used a second round 9-under 63 to position himself three strokes ahead of second-place Ray Floyd. He suffered bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes during his final round to put him in a tight race with hard-charging Isao Aoki. However, a birdie at the par-5 17th hole was eventually the difference in a one-stroke victory over Aoki.

 

(~) 
1995 Bob Murphy
137
 

Murphy (67-70) made birdie on five of his final seven holes during the first round to card the low round of the Tournament. Heavy rains followed his second round 70 and forced the Tournament to be shortened to 36 holes. Murphy held on for a one-stroke win over Ray Floyd.

 

  1994 Mike Hill
201
 

Hill (69-69-63) successfully defended his 1993 title with the help of a final round 63. Hill made 10 birdies during the round to erase a four-shot deficit. He won by three strokes over Tom Wargo.

 

  1993 Mike Hill
202
 

Hill (67-65-70) played well enough through the first two rounds to have a six-shot lead heading into the final round. He started his final round with a birdie on No. 1 and an eagle on No. 2 to extend his lead. Despite two bogeys on the back nine, he managed to hold on for a two-stroke win over Dave Stockton.

 

  1992 Jimmy Powell
197
 

Powell (67-65-65) set a Tournament-record in relation to par with a 19-under score. His strong play denied Lee Trevino a successful three-peat, as he finished four strokes back in second place. Powell had six birdies en route to carding a back nine 30 to win the title.

 

  1991 Lee Trevino
205
 

Trevino (71-68-66) became the first player to successfully repeat as champion after outlasting Dale Douglass by one stroke. Trevino and Douglass battled throughout the final round but Trevino made five birdies on the back nine, including birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to take home the title.

 

  1990 Lee Trevino
200
 

Trevino (66-67-67) had a tight battle going with Bruce Crampton during the final round in which Crampton started two back. Crampton made a charge with a final round 66, but Trevino managed birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to hold him off and win by one stroke.

 

  1989 Gene Littler
209
 

Littler's (70-70-69) consistent play earned him a wire-to-wire victory at the second-year Champions Tour event. Littler had four birdies during the back nine of his final round to win by two strokes over Harold Henning, who had matched Littler's scores from the first two rounds.

 

  1988 Gary Player
207
 

Player (70-70-67) won the inaugural Champions Tour event in Naples with a remarkable finish to his final round. Player began the round one back of leader Bob Charles, but made five of his six birdies on the back nine, including four in a row, to win by one over Dave Hill.

 

(*) Playoff
(~) Weather-Shortened