Stephen Ames ran away from the field Sunday at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic to earn his second win of 2023.
Ames, tied for the lead with David Toms after 18 holes, enter the final round with a three-shot lead over Ken Tanigawa.
On Sunday, he posted a 4-under 68 at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia, to finish at 19 under and cruise to a four-shot victory over Miguel Angel Jimenez. Ames, 59, joins David Toms as the only two-time winners on PGA Tour Champions this season. Ames won the Trophy Hassan II event in Morocco in February. He has now won four times on the senior circuit.
Toms, after opening with a 65, shot a second-round 70 and stumbled on Sunday with a closing 76 to finish tied for 24th.
There were two aces at the Mitsubishi this week and they both came on the par-3 16th hole. Jimenez made his hole-in-one Friday and then Steve Stricker did it on Saturday. For Jimenez, it was his 14th professional ace (11 on the DP World Tour, three on the Champions tour, one on the PGA Tour).
Bernhard Langer, who tied for the all-time lead on the Champions tour with 45 wins in February, finished tied for 8th.
Tim O’Neal, a rookie on the senior tour, posted his best finish, a tie for 10th. His previous best was a tie for 15th.
The first Champions major of 2023 starts Thursday at the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama.
