March 7, 2022
By: Paul Bartelt
IPANews Sports Editor
Newport Beach, Ca. On a breezy Sunday afternoon, Retief Goosen shot an eight under par 63 to win the PGA TOUR Champions Hoag Classic by four strokes over K.J. Choi. Goosen holed out from a greenside bunker on the first hole for eagle and birdied the next two holes while finishing the three-day, 54 hole tournament at 15 under par. Goosen took home the $300 Thousand winner’s purse and the all-important first place finish Charles Schwalb Cup points. It was Goosen’s first tournament win this season after his offseason shoulder surgery and Goosen’s second win on the PGA TOUR Champions as he had previously won the 2019 SENIOR PLAYERS.
Choi, who shot a five under par 66 in the final round, finished in sole second place at 11 under par followed by Stephen Ames (67) and Lee Janzen (69) tied for third at 9 under par. The tournaments 2008 winner Bernhard Langer closed with a 70 and tied for eighth at 5 under par. The 80 player field delt with heavy wind gusts during Saturdays second round held annually at the Newport Beach Country Club. The 2020 Hoag Classic champion Ernie Els finished the tournament at 6 under par and shot 73 in the final round. Due to Covid19 restrictions, the tournament was cancelled in 2021. Originally named the Toshiba Senior Classic, the tournament has been played annually since 1995. Hoag Hospital became the title sponsor in 2019. The tournament has donated over 20 million dollars to charity since its inception. This year’s tournament was broadcast live each day on the Golf Channel.