Week 5 Approach Shots: AT&T Champions Classic

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Mar. 12, 2009

CALIFORNIA SWING: This week's AT&T Champions Classic is the second of a two-week, Champions Tour California swing. The AT&T Champions Classic will be played at Valencia Country Club for the ninth consecutive year. Started in 1990 as the Security Pacific Senior Classic, the tournament was held at Rancho Park Golf Course in Los Angeles from 1990-94 before it was held at Wilshire Country Club from 1995-2000. The tournament relocated to Valencia in 2001.

Quick facts

WHAT: Fifth of 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events

WHEN: March 13-15

WHERE: Valencia, Calif.

COURSE: Valencia CC

WHAT'S AT STAKE: $1.6 million ($240,000 to the winner)

TV: 6:30-8:30 p.m. ET Friday on GOLF CHANNEL; 9:30 p.m.-12 a.m. ET Saturday on GOLF CHANNEL; 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. ET Sunday on GOLF CHANNEL

KEY LINKS: Tee Times | Scores | Power Rankings | Tournament site

Joe Inman won this event three straight times, beginning in 1998, while Gil Morgan claimed back-to-back events in 1996-97. Both Tom Kite (2002 and 2006) and Tom Purtzer (2003 and 2007) are also multiple champions.

ON THE COURSE: Since its public opening in 1965, Valencia Country Club has been recognized as one of Southern California's premier golf layouts. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Golf Digest named the layout one of the top-25 courses in the state of California in 1995. The course hosted the PGA TOUR's Nissan Open in 1998 before serving as the site of this event, beginning in 2001.

CITY OF ANGELS: The Champions Tour stop in Los Angeles celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Only three other events can boast a longer tenure in one metropolitan area -- the AT&T Championship in San Antonio, Texas; The ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla., and the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am near Tampa, Fla.

REMEMBER LAST YEAR? The Denis Watson-Loren Roberts-Brad Bryant playoff last year marked the first time since 1991 that three men were involved in sudden-death overtime at this event.

The 2008 overtime session was the fifth playoff in tournament history. In 1991, former San Francisco quarterback John Brodie defeated George Archer and Chi Chi Rodriguez on the first extra hole. In 1993, Dale Douglass bested Jim Dent in a playoff. In 2002, Tom Kite's overtime win over Tom Watson gave him his fifth victory on the Champions Tour. Tom Purtzer's overtime win over Loren Roberts on the fourth extra hole in 2007 gave him his second Champions Tour title at Valencia.

SPEAKING OF PLAYOFFS: After playoff losses the last two years, is it Loren Roberts' time to finally break through at the AT&T Champions Classic? In 2007, Roberts lost out to Tom Purtzer on the fourth playoff hole when Purtzer made a 17-foot birdie putt. Last year, after holing a chip for eagle on the 54th hole to tie for the lead, Roberts fell to Denis Watson on the third playoff hole when Watson made a short birdie putt. If this is the year for Roberts to win at Valencia, it would also be his first victory in California.

A native of San Luis Obispo, Roberts won eight career titles on the PGA TOUR but went winless in his home state, going 0-75 with only seven top-10s (best finish- 3rd in 1985 Isuzu/Andy Williams San Diego Open). On the Champions Tour, Roberts is 0-12 in California.

Weather forecast for the AT&T Champions Classic

FRIDAY, Rd. 1	SATURDAY, Rd. 2	SUNDAY, Rd. 3
Sunny Temp: 68 high/44 low	Partly cloudy Temp: 65 high/43 low	Sunny Temp: 66 high/46 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

AT&T Champions Classic snippets

	Playoffs? We're talking about playoffs?: Outside of the majors, the AT&T Champions Classic has had more playoffs in its history than any other event currently on the Champions Tour schedule. This tournament has gone to overtime five times.
	Doral champs: This year's AT&T Champions Classic field will have five professionals who also won at Doral on the PGA TOUR. Among the former Doral champions teeing it up this year at Valencia are: Hubert Green (1976), Andy Bean (1977, 1982, 1986), Tom Kite (1984), Ben Crenshaw (1988) and Scott Hoch (2003).
	Famous firsts: Mike Hill (1990), John Brodie (1991), Raymond Floyd (1992) and John Bland (1995) each won as first-time participants. Gil Morgan (1996-97) won his first two and Joe Inman (1997-98-99) won his first three. Who took the longest to win this event? Jim Colbert (2001) didn't win until his 11th attempt.
	Coming up aces: There have been eight holes-in-one in tournament history, but only two since the event moved to Valencia in 2001. Tom Purtzer (1st round/No. 16, 6-iron, 194 yards), the eventual 2003 champion, had the last ace and Hugh Baiocchi made an ace in the second round of the 2001 event (No. 3, 5-iron).
	Local ties: This year's field will have several players with ties to the area, including Craig Stadler (USC/San Diego native), Mark O'Meara (Long Beach State), Dave Stockton (USC/San Bernardino native), John Jacobs (USC/Los Angeles native) and John Cook (Corona del Mar resident).