Constellation Senior Players Championship
Funk’s hole-in-one caps ‘dream finish’
Former Maryland player and coach aces 17th hole, bidding for top-10 finish
As it rolled along the Caves Valley Golf Club green during the third round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship, Funk caught a glimpse as spectators raised their hands and cheered.
Then, the ball disappeared. Funk made a hole-in-one.
“That was really great,” Funk said after finishing Saturday’s round at 3-under to improve to 6-under entering the final day. “Usually it doesn’t work out quite that good, so that was a dream finish.”
Before that eagle on the par-3 17th, Funk had an internal conversation.
The former Maryland golfer and coach hadn’t felt confident about much of the day’s performance. While he had four birdies after 16 holes, he countered that with four bogeys.
One of the birdies came on the 16th hole, and as he sunk that 12-foot putt to even the round’s score, he vowed to finish strong, figure out a tweak to improve today’s outing and hope for a top-10 finish in front of a home crowd.
“That would be really good considering how I’ve been playing all week,” Funk said. “Making a lot of mistakes. Making a lot of birdies, but making a lot of mistakes.”
He accomplished the first part.
On the 17th, he struck the ball 215 yards. He joked that while every player aims for the hole, often the safest place for someone to be standing is at the pin because such accuracy is so rare.
After it took a bounce and rolled in for his fourth hole-in-one on the PGA Tour Champions — Funk estimates he’s made 13 or 14 during his professional career — Funk received a high-five from his caddy and groupmates
Funk used the ball again to birdie on the par-4 18th. Afterward, he signed it and his caddy gave it to
“I needed it,” Funk said. “You always need it, but that was pretty cool.”
The 57-year-old journeyman, chasing his first PGA Tour Champions major, was keeping pace with a player who owns the second most Champion wins ever.
While Pavin was happy with his outing Saturday — he shot 1-under to improve to 12-under through three days — that margin widened as Langer and
He’ll tee off the final round at 1:40 p.m. today, tied for third with
“I played fine today,” Pavin said. “I was happy with the way I played. I just hit one bad shot on that last hole, so other than that, I felt like I played pretty decently.”
That poor swing came on the par-4 18th, when he pushed his tee shot into a creek. After a shot from the rough and then from the fairway, he needed two putts on the green to cap the double-bogey.
Meanwhile, Langer, who leads at 18-under, and Jobe, one stroke behind, made par on the hole to push Pavin further from the top of the standings.
“I’m just out there playing my own game and playing the best I can,” Pavin said. “I can’t control what they do out there. I can only control what I do.”
Pavin had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine before shooting par until his final setback.
“I left a couple putts short, even though they were longer putts,” he said. “If I make a couple of those, I’m in better shape, but that’s golf. I did the best I could.”
This year’s event is a continuation of the Kenny Perry Charity Golf Invitational that Perry started and ran out of Rocky Point for four years. According to tournament director
The tournament, which will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, will feature a group including Perry and former Raven and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden. Daly will be at the first tee, where he will give players a chance to play his tee shot or “just hang out with John,” Unger said.
The event will benefit Cool Kids Campaign, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Boys & Girls Club of Franklin-Simpson (Ky.), Perry’s hometown. For more information, go to marylandgolfinvitational.com or contact Unger at 410-925-1591 or by email at toddscottunger@gmail.com.
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