Jay Haas Wins 2007 Bank of America Championship
For Immediate Release, June 25, 2007:
CONCORD, Mass. – Jay Haas became the Bank of America Championship’s twentieth champion by winning the tournament’s twenty-seventh annual edition, played at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord the weekend of July 23-24, 2007. His 13-under-par, 203, earned him $247,000. He finished three strokes ahead of Leonard Thompson and Brad Bryant, who tied for second place at 10-under-par, 206.
This was Haas’ first appearance at the Bank of America Championship. “Winning the same event that my uncle (Bob Goalby, 1981, inaugural Marlboro Classic) won makes this victory even better for me,” Haas said. “I’m having the time of my life out here on the Champions Tour.” Haas joined the Tour in 2004.
“I’ve been playing very well this year,” Haas continued. “I came in here with good feelings after the win in Des Moines and felt comfortable on the course, which is the kind of course I grew up playing. Yesterday (second round) was a key round for me to get into position to win this tournament. I thought Tom (Purtzer) was the guy to beat today (final round). I thought I’d have to get to 14- or 15-under to catch him.”
Tom Purtzer followed Thompson and Bryant on the final leaderboard with a 9-under-par, 207. Purtzer had led the field at the end of round two at 10-under-par, 134, three strokes ahead of seven players tied at 137. He continued to lead through the front nine during the tournament’s third round and was 12-under at the turn, but bogied three holes on the back nine and double bogied the seventeenth.
“I kind of self-destructed more than anything,” Purtzer said after the tournament. “It started on number 10. I pulled my tee shot into the hazard and made bogey there. The next two holes, I got good drives, but bad iron shots and 3-putted those holes.” He hit into the water on 17 for the double bogey.
Purtzer came close to winning the 2005 Bank of America Championship, but lost on the second playoff hole when Mark McNulty birdied to his par.
Tom Watson in his first appearance at the Bank of America Championship led after the tournament’s first round with a 7-under-par, 65, just two strokes off the course record of 63 set by Allen Doyle during the second round of the 2003 Bank of America Championship, which he won. R.W. Eaks turned in the best second round score this year, 64, just one stroke off the record.
Local favorite Kirk Hanefeld of Acton, the club pro at The International in Bolton who received a sponsor exemption to play the tournament, finished the second round tied for second place. He started the day at 1-under-par, and then sank three birdies on the front nine, birdied 17 and eagled 18 to finish the day at 6-under-par for the day and 7-under-par, 137, for the tournament after the second round.
Another local sponsor exemption, Rick Karbowksi of Auburn, finished T8 and qualified for a spot in the Tour’s tournament on Long Island the following week.
Other highlights of tournament play included Massy Kuramoto’s hole-in-one during round two on the 171-yard seventeenth, the fifth ace in the tournament’s history, and Thompson’s double eagle on 18, which he made with a three wood from 250 yards out.
Tournament title sponsor Bank of America dedicated the 2007 tournament to America’s wounded military heroes. Several tournament week activities were devoted to wounded warriors, two of whom played nine holes following the pros during Friday’s championship play for the first time in Champions Tour history. Bank of America also donated $50,000 to the Wounded Warriors Disabled Sports Project and $10,000 to the Larry Izzo (New England Patriots linebacker and special teams member) Salute to the Troops.
Severe thunderstorms suspended play twice on Friday for a total of three hours and 13 minutes, but the weather never came close to the rain and course flooding that caused the cancellation of the 2006 Bank of America Championship. The weather the balance of the week was near perfect, with sunshine and high temperatures reaching the mid-to-upper 70s each day.
The Bank of America Championship is the only PGA TOUR Champions Tour tournament in New England and the oldest 54-hole event on the Champions Tour. The tournament has been at Nashawtuc Country Club since 1984, has contributed more than $4.5 million to local charities over the past 26 years and soon will announce it charitable giving for 2007. The twenty-eight annual Bank of America Championship will take place at Nashawtuc Country Club on June 16-22, 2008.
Contact:
Nick Ingala, 508-238-2800 Office, 617-291-3495 Cell, njingala@comcast.net
