Stephen Ames marked his 60th birthday by winning the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, securing his eighth victory on the PGA Tour Champions. Closing with a 5-under 67 on Sunday, Ames defended his title in the event for the third time and set a new record of 14-under 202 at TPC Sugarloaf.
Ames began the final round just one stroke behind Paul Broadhurst but had two eagles in his last round to take home the title. Broadhurst, a 58-year-old Englishman, had to settle for a tie for second place with Doug Barron after shooting a 72 in the final round. K.J. Choi and Steven Alker finished at 9 under par, five strokes behind Ames.
Ames’ resurgence on the PGA Tour Champions has been nothing short of impressive, with six victories in his last 29 starts. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago and now a naturalized Canadian citizen, he has established himself as a strong competitor on the over-50 tour. His previous wins include two victories in his first 175 starts and another at TPC Sugarloaf in 2017.
During the final round, Ames started strong with an opening birdie on the par-4 first hole before eagling holes six and thirteen. He also birdied hole fourteen but had bogeys on holes fifteen and seventeen before closing out with a birdie on hole eighteen to secure his four-stroke victory over Broadhurst and Barron.
Overall, Ames’ performance was nothing short of outstanding, as he demonstrated why he is considered one of the strongest competitors on the PGA Tour Champions today.
