Tour Edge, the Batavia-based golf club manufacturer, has thrived in recent years by signing top players on PGA Tour Champions. On Monday Tour Edge president David Glod landed the biggest star on the 50-and-over circuit.
Bernhard Langer, still the Champions’ dominant player at 63 years old, has 41 wins on the circuit and that is second only to Hale Irwin’s 45 on the all-time lists. The German-born Langer is No. 1 on the current Charles Schwab Cup standings and leads the tour in scoring, putting, birdies and top-10 finishes in the revised 2020-21 campaign.
Tour Edge also has Tom Lehman, Scott McCarron, Duffy Waldorf and Tim Petrovic on its Champions roster. Langer will make his debut as a staff member on Feb. 26 in the Cologuard Classic in Arizona.
“I’m extremely happy to be joining the Tour Edge staff,’’ said Langer following his signing at the company’s headquarters. “I have had some of their clubs in my bag for a long time. They were the best option to get me exactly what I need to perform at the highest level.’’
Glod was ecstatic about the signing.
“To be able to sign this awe-inspiring icon to our staff is a crowning achievement in our 35 years as a golf brand,’’ Glod said.
STREELMAN ON THE SPOT: This promises to be a big week for Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman on the PGA Tour. The circuit’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tees off on Thursday and Streelman has had some strong showings in that event.
Last year Streelman finished second behind champion Nick Taylor and was one-stroke better than third-place Phil Mickelson. Streelman also teamed with NFL star Larry Fitzgerald to win the team event for the second time in three years. Only four teams have multiple wins in the event, which was first held in 1937.
Because of pandemic issues the team event won’t be held this year, however. Only the professionals will compete and Streelman needs a strong showing if he hopes to play in April’s Masters. Despite a tie for 37th at California’s Torrey Pines and a tie for 22nd at Phoenix the last two weeks Streelman’s status on the Official World Golf Rankings has dropped. He was No. 52 at the start of 2021 and is now No. 59. The top 50 the week before the Masters get spots in the field at Augusta National.
HARDY’S FAST START: Northbrook’s Nick Hardy has been a Monday qualifier for two of the last four PGA Tour events and took advantage of the opportunities. He earned $113,850 for a tie for 14th in the Sony Open and another $23,853 for his tie for 42nd in Phoenix. Those performances will help Hardy’s bank account, but not his status of the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour.
The Korn Ferry sends its top 25 at year’s end to the PGA Tour, and Hardy stands No. 15 after his showing in the 2020 events. His PGA Tour winnings don’t count on the Korn Ferry standings. That circuit opens the 2021 portion of its season in two weeks at the Suncoast Classic in Florida.
Hardy needed to birdie the final five holes in the Monday qualifier at Phoenix to get into the starting field, and that burst carried over to the first two rounds of the tournament proper (68-67) before weekend rounds of 71-70 dropped him down the leaderboard. aHHar
HERE AND THERE: Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim, a PGA Tour rookie, had his best showing so far with a tie for fifth (worth $247,900) at The America Express in California. He didn’t play in Phoenix but will be in the field this week at Pebble Beach….Matt Tullar has been named head professional at Cantigny, in Wheaton. Tullar had been Patrick Lynch’s assistant since 2010. Lynch resigned his post at the conclusion of last season….Sportsman’s Country Club, a Northbrook landmark since 1929, will have a new name once it re-opens following a year-long renovation. It’ll be called Heritage Oaks.,,,The Illinois PGA will conduct a new seven-tournament junior tour this year for players in the 13-18 age group. Announced sites include Merit Club, in Libertyville; Westmoreland, in Wilmette; Briarwood, in Deerfield; Flossmoor; and Onwentsia, in Lake Forest…..The next show on the Ziehm & Spears Podcast Series will spotlight Prospect Heights apparel company Golftini.