ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Cameron Beckman came from three strokes back with a 4-under-par 68 Sunday to claim his first PGA Tour Champions victory in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.
A 51-year-old Texas resident making his 15th start on the senior tour, Beckman made eight closing-round birdies at En-Joie Golf Course and sidestepped a bogey at the 18th to top Ernie Els by a shot.
Beckman finished 12-under to Els’ 11-under, with five sharing third at 10-under.
Els, leader by three through 36 holes and by two at the turn Sunday, shot even-par 72 with three birdies and three bogeys. He was offered wonderful opportunity at the 18th when Beckman drove in a hazard left of the fairway, but left his second from 94 yards in the fairway well short and two-putted.
Beckman, whose most recent win came in 2010 on the PGA tour, had two previous top-10s on the PGA Tour Champions. Sunday’s victory qualified him for next week’s U.S. Senior Open.
