• COURSE: The Tour returns to Westchester (Par-64) which last hosted the Tour Championship in 2014.
• CHECK IN TIME: Saturday June 17, 7:15
• FIELD WATCH: Defending champion Armen Grigorian, 4-time winner Chris Moawad, and current Tour #1 Gerry Vaughan highlight a 6-man field. Handicaps: Defending champion Armen Grigorian (18), Chris Moawad (18), Martin Witt (32), Gerry Vaughan (34), Ed Quiroz (18), Patrick Bird (34), Tim Joe (34).
• COURSE RECORD: 81, John Mann (2014); Best rounds: Front-9: 38, Chris Moawad (2014), Back-9: 39, Walter Vargas (2014)
• LAST YEAR: Playing in his first Tour Championship in 4 years, Armen Grigorian completed the career slam in majors after winning at Valencia. He set both a new course and front-9 record in the process. Chris Moawad and Patrick Bird tied for runner-up, 2 strokes back.
• STORYLINES: Playing just 2 tournaments this year, defending champion Armen Grigorian will be making a rare start Saturday. “I can’t miss the opportunity to defend my title,” said the 8-time major winner. With Masters champion Doug Vargas out, the attempt for the “double” in majors this season is left to Match Play champion Chris Moawad. Patrick Bird has posted 2 runner-up finishes in the last 3 majors, and has finished 2nd in 2 of the last 3 Tour Championships.
• APPROACH SHOTS: The Tour’s last visit to Westchester (2014) saw Martin Witt win the first major of his career… defending champion Armen Grigorian will be making his Westchester debut… Chris Moawad, who has never missed a start at the Tour Championship, will be looking to extend his record number of Tour championship wins to 5… Of the 6 golfers in the field Saturday, Gerry Vaughan, Tim Joe, and Patrick Bird are without a career win in a major… Gerry Vaughan’s withdrawal at Westchester in 2014, after a front-9 53, was made famous by playing partner John Mann’s recounting of Vaughan walking off the course: “He had that Vietnam vet 200-yard stare.”… the Tour Championship has produced a different winner each year since its expansion in 2011 to a long course format… The winner of the Tour’s “club championship” receives an automatic birth in next year’s Masters, and green fees for the Tour Championship.
PAST CHAMPIONS:
Grigorian won last year’s Tour Championship to complete the career slam in majors.
2016, Armen Grigorian
2015, Ed Quiroz
2014, Martin Witt
2013, Chris Moawad
2012, P-Jay Fidler
2011, Doug Vargas
2010, Clint Crump
2009, Chris Moawad
2008, Walter Vargas
2007, Chris Moawad
2006, Chris Moawad
2005, Armen Grigorian
2004, Patrick Bird
2003, John Frost