CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Fred Couples rallied to win the Champions Tour’s Shaw Charity Classic on Sunday, chipping in for eagle for a course-record 9-under 61 and beating Billy Andrade with a tap-in birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
The 54-year-old Couples also eagled the par-5 11th and had five birdies in his bogey-free round at Canyon Meadows. Andrade closed with a 62, making a short eagle putt on the par-5 18th to match Couples at 15-under 195.
In the playoff on No. 18, Andrade went for the green in two and pulled his approach right of the green and into the grandstand. Couples laid up and hit his third within a foot.
After taking a drop, Andrade left his chip 30 feet short and missed his birdie putt.
Couples broke the course record of 62 set by Bill Glasson last year in the inaugural tournament and matched by Tom Pernice Jr. and Bart Bryant in the first round Friday.
Couples also won the Toshiba Classic in March in California and has 11 victories on the 50-and-over tour. The Hall of Famer won 15 times on the PGA Tour.
Steve Lowery and Joe Daley tied for third at 13 under. Lowery finished with a 64, and Daley shot 67. Wes Short Jr. was another stroke back after a 64.
Couples opened with rounds of 68 and 66 to enter the round four strokes behind leaders Daley, Joe Durant and Bob Tway. Durant had a 73 to tie for 19th at 7 under, and Tway followed his second-round 63 with a 74 to drop into a tie for 27th at 6 under.
Bernhard Langer, the tour leader with five victories this season, also was 6 under after a 72. Rocco Mediate, the winner last year, had a 67 to join the group at 7 under.
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