Greg Chalmers, enjoying within the final group on the final day, was in competition till the closing holes on the current PGA Senior Championship.
By Peter Owen
GREG Chalmers, the neat left-hander who has twice gained the Australian Open, has by no means been identified for his size off the tee, relying as an alternative on crisp iron play and an immaculate quick recreation to get the job accomplished.
However when he joined the PGA Tour Champions final 12 months, competing towards golfers on the mistaken aspect of fifty, he found to his delight that he was one of many tour’s longest hitters, bombing drives 40 and 50 metres additional than most of his rivals.
This 12 months he was joined on the PGA Tour Champions by a bunch of rookies – a number of of them Australians – who, like Chalmers, convey with them a stage of energy, method and energy that the majority of their colleagues merely can’t match.
That benefit was clear to see within the PGA Senior Championship in Michigan in late Could when Chalmers went toe-to-toe till the previous couple of holes with England’s Richard Bland – one other newcomer to senior ranks who can attain nearly each par 5 in two pictures.
Additionally within the combine had been Richard Inexperienced and Scott Hend, two Aussie golfers new to senior competitors who additionally base their recreation round booming drives and quick approaches.
Chalmers shared the 54-hole lead with Ernie Els, and was stage with Bland till the Englishman eagled the par 5 fifteenth. However, after a 74-minute delay, Chalmers’ focus was damaged and he bogeyed his remaining three holes.
Richard Bland, now a member of the LIV Golf Tour, winner of the PGA Senior Championship.
Bland, in the meantime, shot a remaining spherical eight-under-par 63 to win by three strokes from Inexperienced (64, 71, 70, 65), with Chalmers (69, 68, 66, 68) falling to 3rd. Hend (68, 68, 70, 66) tied for fourth.
Regardless of his lacklustre end, Chalmers was happy along with his efficiency, which earned him prizemoney of $US238,000.
“It’s an incredible week in any first main, first actual style of being within the final group and seeing some issues about what it takes and what I must work on and enhance,” he stated. “I take loads of positives about it. I’m hopeful I can get one other alternative down the road.”
Chalmers has been working arduous to extend his swing velocity and acquire a couple of further metres from the tee. “I can attain or get very near reaching most par-5s in most circumstances, and if I can use that to a bonus, that’s all the time good,” he stated. “It provides me loads of choices off the tee.
“It takes some hassle out of play generally. It’s hardly ever an obstacle. The occasions I performed to date on the Champions Tour I’ve actually loved having somewhat further velocity within the tank.”
Richard Inexperienced, runner up on the Senior PGA.
Chalmers says he used to hold the ball about 270 yards along with his drives, however after velocity coaching, he now will get it out to 290 yards. “And if I get actually rolling I can get going somewhat quicker than that,” he stated.
Hitting it lengthy and straight has by no means been an issue for Inexperienced and Hend, who’s now rated the longest driver of a ball on the PGA Tour Champions.
A 3-time winner on the Legends Tour in Europe, Inexperienced believes he’s closing in on a maiden win inthe US.
Scott Hend, one among three Australians to complete within the high 4 on the PGA Senior Championship.
“I simply suppose it provides to your confidence and perception that you may hold in there underneath stress, you may take all of it the way in which to the tip,” stated Inexperienced, who earned $US378,000 for second.
He had led the sector after the primary spherical, going 4 underneath on the par 5’s at Harbor Shores on his solution to a seven-under 64.
In a event that started with 14 Aussies within the discipline, 5 completed inside the highest 20. Queenslander Michael Wright (69, 67, 75, 68) loved his greatest end on the PGA Tour Champions with a tie for seventeenth whereas Cameron Percy completed tied twenty first in his senior’s debut.
Different Australians had been Stuart Appleby (70, 69, 22, 67), David McKenzie (72, 72,71,70), Mark Hensby (68,71,77,76) and Mick Smith (72-70-74-78). Steve Allan, Rod Pampling, David Bransdon and Brad Burns missed the lower whereas John Senden was disqualified.
