Allen jumps into thick of Charles Schwab Cup race

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael Allen's victory at the Senior PGA Championship was worth 720 points and immediately made the Tour rookie a factor in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. With the double points he earned at the Senior PGA Championship, Allen is in second place, 202 points behind leader Bernhard Langer.

Larry Mize also made a big jump after his performance at Canterbury Golf Club last week. Mize improved from 24th place to third in the standings. Loren Roberts dropped from second to fourth overall, while Keith Fergus went from third to fifth.

The Charles Schwab Cup is a season-long points program designed to recognize the Tour's leading player. The program rewards both top finishes and week-in/week-out consistency at all 25 official Charles Schwab Cup events. Points are awarded to the top-10 finishers and ties and are based on the money distribution for each tournament, with every $1,000 earned being the equivalent of one Charles Schwab Cup point. Points are doubled at the Champions Tour's five major championships and the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The winner of the 2009 Charles Schwab Cup will earn a $1 million annuity.

The second through fifth-place finishers earn annuities of $500,000, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000.

The previous winners in the competition are Allen Doyle (2001), Hale Irwin (2002 and 2004), Tom Watson (2003 and 2005), Jay Haas (2006 and 2008) and Loren Roberts (2007).