The Champions Tour or the Senior Tour is as exciting as the PGA Tour, specially with the likes of Greg Norman recently joining the ranks.
As extensive as the PGA Tour and aptly named the Champions Tour, it has 29 official tournaments ? as well as the US Senior Open Championship, Senior PGA Championship, Senior Open Championship which comprise the five major championships each season.
The best thrill of all is the fact that tournaments here can boast of a field consisting of players who are still a treat to watch and legends whom most of us have only heard of during our growing years. Here they come to life ? they offer competition that is as intensive as any other tour in the world.
The 69th Senior PGA Championship, which is being played this week at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York will see former world number one, Greg Norman back in action. He has made rare appearances on the golf course over the last five years due to surgeries on his knee and back and with a huge business empire to keep him busy.
However, he began coaching his son Gregory, and that rekindled his desire to play. And not to mention the 100% encouragement from his fianc? Chris Evert, easily recognisable as the tennis star of the eighties.
Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam, Tom Kite, Hale Irwin, Raymond Floyd, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Mark O?Meara, Nick Price, Jeff Sluman, Loren Roberts, Constantino Rocca, Eduardo Romero, Curtis Strange, Sam Torrance and of course Greg Norman are some of the greatest golfers the game has ever known and those who will tee it up at the 69th Senior PGA Championship this week. These players are prepared for the worst this week as rain has slashed the course over the last few days and low temperatures and strong winds are expected during the first two days.
And just like the PGA Tour has the FedEx Cup points, on the Champions Tour the race for the Charles Schwab Cup is currently led by Bernhard Langer, who is in such good form that he was in the hunt for the title at the PGA Tour?s Players Championship last month. The Charles Schwab Cup is ?a season-long points programme designed to recognise the leading player of the tour? at the end of the season. Points are rewarded for the top-ten finishes in all 29 tournaments and the winner earns one million dollars annuity. So take some time to look into this aspect of the game. Their passion is commendable and their dedication to the game is obvious. Or else as Norman one said, it is always the passion that drives sportspersons to excel. If it were just the money then they would loose interest after the first few millions they earned.