BOSTON, Mass – Well what do you know? Just when you thought that no New England born-and-bred golfers are making strides on the PGA Champions Tour, along comes 50-year old Brett Quigley, of Barrington, Rhode Island, and what does he do in his second start?
He wins!
Brett Quigley, who turned 50 August 18, won the Morocco Champions in his second PGA Champions start on Saturday February 1, saving par on the final two holes to hold off Stephen Ames by a stroke.
Quigley, a native of Barrington, R.I., got into the field for the senior tour’s first African event as one of the top 10 available players from the PGA Tour’s career money list. He had five runner-up finishes in 408 starts on the PGA Tour, earning more than $11 million.
Quigley’s last win came 19 years ago since he won a PGA Tour-sanctioned event before claiming the Champions Tour’s Morocco Championship.
“It’s been so long since I won a tournament,’’ Quigley said. “Just incredible. It’s weird, I had a peace all week, I was pretty comfortable all week. I wouldn’t say I was nervous until the last hole here on my second putt, but just felt comfortable and just felt comfortable here in Marrakesh.’’
Three strokes behind Ames entering the day, Quigley shot his second straight 6-under 66 to finish at 15-under 201 at Samanah Golf Club. Ames, the leader after each of the first two days, had a 70.
Ames birdied the par-5 16th and par-3 17th to pull within one, with Quigley saving par on 17 with a 5-footer. Ames got up-and-down for par from off the right side of the green on the par-4 18th, making a 7-foot putt, and Quigley ran in a 6-footer for the victory.
Quigley, the nephew of 11-time PGA Tour Champions winner Dana Quigley, tied for 64th in Calgary, Alberta, in September in his first senior tournament. He made a PGA Tour start last year and played seven Korn Ferry Tour events.
“I think it helped not having been playing too much the last few years,’’ Quigley said. “I had a lot of years off. I had a leg problem, I had three fractured vertebrae, so I’ve been home for almost seven years raising girls. I think a different perspective.’’
Quigley saved par on the par-4 13th with a 20-footer to maintain a one-stroke lead over Ames, then made a 40-footer for birdie from the front of the green on the par-3 14th, with the ball banging into flag stick and falling in. Ames bogeyed the hole to give Quigley a three-stroke lead. Both players bogeyed the par-4 15th.
Quigley played a six-hole stretch on the front nine in 5 under — making an eagle on the par-5 fifth and three birdies — and also birdied the par-4 11th.
Quigley won a PGA Tour-sanctioned event for the first time since taking the 2001 Arkansas Classic for his second victory on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour.
Brett Quigley is former Champions Tour superstar Dana Quigley’s cousin, who is known as the “Iron Man” of senior golf for playing in 278 consecutive senior PGA tournaments while winning 11 times.
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