champions tour
anniversary09

champions tour players
wore a “30” sticker at the
dick’s sporting goods open
to commemorate the first
senior pga tour event 30
years ago. don January won
that maiden tournament,
the atlantic city senior
international, by two strokes
over mike souchak on June
22, 1980. even though the
better-ball legends of golf
had been popular for a
couple of years, there was
no certainty that profes-
sional senior golf was going
to thrive. golfers weren’t
sure how much they wanted
to play or how much galler-
ies wanted to see them play.
but the 50-and-older set
put in the effort by catering
to sponsors and delivered
an entertaining product.
despite plenty of naysayers
after icons arnold palmer
and lee trevino ceased to
compete regularly, the cir-
cuit survived, invigorated by
a few new “rookies” every
season and golfers who con-
tinue to give sponsors good
value for their investment.
it was fitting that loren
roberts, who personifies
the kind of player who finds
new life as a senior (much
like January did), shot a
final-round 65 sunday to
win his 12th career title on
a tour that like its players, is
all grown up now.