Senior Open brings some golf cachet to Sacramento
Senior Open brings some golf cachet to Sacramento
No dynamic 21-year-old will snag the trophy to keep alive his Grand Slam chances.
The course, founded in 1916 and renovated by Kyle Phillips in 2006 — the same architect who did a terrific renovation of California Golf Club in South San Francisco — brings abundant history.
Two-time Masters winner Bernhard Langer will be there, as will 1998 Masters and British Open champ Mark O’Meara.
Fred Couples’ withdrawal, because of recurring back problems, removed some star power.
Langer lacks the wild popularity of Couples, but he brings other valuable assets: raging momentum and ensuing respect from his peers.
Allen, who grew up in Hillsborough and played the Olympic Club in his youth, highlights a strong Bay Area contingent in the field at Del Paso.
Amateur standouts Randy Haag (Orinda), Jim Knoll (Sunnyvale), Jeff Wilson (Fairfield), Terry Foreman (Brentwood) and Mark Sanchez (Kentfield) also qualified.
Former major-league pitcher Erik Hanson, who won 89 games in his 11-year career, including 18 for the Mariners in 1990.
“This is the best tournament we play all year on the Champions Tour,” Allen said.
Rory McIlroy already gave his formal commitment to play in the Frys.com Open in Napa in October.
Woods hasn’t yet offered a McIlroy-like pledge, but espn.com reported last week that Woods will play in the tournament, scheduled for Oct. 15-18 at Silverado Resort.
Woods and McIlroy headlined the eight players who skipped the Frys in 2012 to participate in a lucrative exhibition event in Turkey.
The PGA Tour granted those eight players a release, provided they play in the Frys no later than 2015.
Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Lee Westwood came last year.
Woods, incidentally, dropped to No. 205 in this week’s world ranking after missing the cut at the U.S. Open.
Cal’s KK Limbhasut, Shotaro Ban and Keelan Kilpatrick, and San Jose State’s Cody Blick, were among Wednesday’s winners in the opening round of match play at the 104th California Amateur Championship.