GWINNETT – METRO ATLANTA – Officials of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic announced today that the tournament has accepted commitments from defending champion Woody Austin, major championship winner and fan favorite John Daly, and reigning U.S. Senior Open champion Gene Sauers. The 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic is scheduled for April 10-16 at TPC Sugarloaf.
Austin, 53, is coming off a career-best PGA TOUR Champions season, winning three of his first four starts last year. His triumphs began in March 2016, winning the Tucson Conquistadores Classic. He made it two straight wins with a playoff victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic over Wes Short, Jr. in April 2016. The following week, he got top honors at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge. He finished last season with four top-10 outings over his final 11 tournaments to earn more than $1.4 million on the year and ranking 7th in Charles Schwab Cup Points for the season. The Kansas resident will make his second start at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic where he’ll attempt to be the first player to defend his title. Austin’s scoring average at TPC Sugarloaf is 68.33, with career earnings of $270,000 in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
Two-time major championship winner, Daly, is one of the most recognizable figures in golf. He has recorded five-career PGA TOUR titles and his major victories include the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 The Open Championship. The 50-year-old resident of Dardanelle, Arkansas has totaled more than $10 million in earnings during his more than 26 years as a professional. Daly made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in May of 2016 at the Insperity Invitational, recording five top-25 finishes during his abbreviated rookie campaign over 15 starts. This season, Daly has posted one top-25 finish in three starts ranking him 42 in Charles Schwab Cup points with $31,307 in earnings. He will make his Mitsubishi Electric Classic debut this April.
Sauers, 54, will make his fifth start at this year’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic. His best finish came in his first appearance in 2013 with a T17 effort. His scoring average at TPC Sugarloaf is 72.18, with tournament earnings of $53,565. Sauers recorded his first PGA TOUR Champions victory and first major title last season with his win at the U.S. Senior Open Championship. He also passed the $1 million mark in season earnings and ended the year ranked No. 9 on the Charles Schwab Cup money list in 2016, both career bests. Sauers is currently ranked No. 26 in Charles Schwab Cup points on strength of one top-10 finish over three events and has totaled $64,425 in prize money. Since he debuted on the PGA TOUR Champions in August 2012 at the Boeing Classic, the Savannah, Georgia native has totaled $4,006,966 in career PGA TOUR Champions earnings. The total nearly matches his career PGA TOUR earnings of $4,660,569.
The 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic is scheduled for April 10-16, 2017 at TPC Sugarloaf. The public may visit MitsubishiElectricClassic.com to purchase tickets. Kids 16 and under can attend for free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets start at just $20.
About the Mitsubishi Electric Classic
The Mitsubishi Electric Classic is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions scheduled for April 10-16, 2017. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $1.8 million purse at the prestigious TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The event, which will benefit local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc., has raised more than $1 million since its first tournament in 2013. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel. For more information, visit MitsubishiElectricClassic.com.