BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The chase for top honors in the 16th playing of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and the accompanying $315,000 cut of the purse begins Friday morning at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott.
Back to defend his championship will be 51-year-old Padraig Harrington, whose Dick’s Open debut brought rounds of 66-67-67 and a three-stroke victory over Mike Weir and Thongchai Jaidee, with Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh another shot back.
One of the most-followed players across decades at En-Joie will not be in the field for the first time since his 2008 Dick’s Open debut.
Joey Sindelar, a long-time resident of nearby Horseheads and now residing in the Town of Lansing and twice a B.C. Open champion, has concluded his competitive playing career due to health reasons. He did, however, play in Dick’s Open Pro-Ams Wednesday and Thursday.
Here is a smattering of players to keep an eye on:
Paul Broadhurst
- Age: 57.
- Five-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions − two of the majors − with four second- and three third-place finishes.
- Played first Dick’s Open in 2017 and finished T9, hasn’t fallen short of a top-20 in four subsequent appearances.
- Last summer was T15 on rounds of 68-69-71.
- Last time out slipped to a Sunday 74 after a 65-64 getaway and finished T2 in the American Family Insurance Championship.
- Was T5 in the mid-May Regions Tradition.
Darren Clarke
- Age: 54.
- Four-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions was champion of last year’s Senior British Open.
- 2011 British Open champion.
- In 2023, ranks third in total driving, eighth in driving distance (293.2), second in eagles (eight).
- T6 in last year’s Dick’s Open (65-72-69) followed a T8 in 2021.
Ernie Els
- Age: 53.
- Three PGA Tour Champions wins, most recent Hoag Classic in March.
- Eight top-10s in 11 events this season, with $925,040 to show for it − fifth on the money list.
- Most recent outing brought a 10th place finish in America Family Insurance Championship (69-67-72).
- Fourth on Tour in driving distance (296.3), first in par-3 scoring average (2.89).
- Runner-up in 2021 DSGO on rounds of 68-65-72.
- T15 last year.
Retief Goosen
- Age: 54.
- Most recent of two PGA Tour Champions victories was rung up in last year’s Haog Classic.
- Best 2023 finish a T3 at The Galleri Classic in late March.
- 11th on Tour in driving distance, fifth in eagles.
- Two-time U.S. Open winner (2001, 2004).
- Second at En-Joie in 2021 on rounds of 72-68-66, that after a T13 in 2019.
Padraig Harrington
- Age 51.
- Defending champion debuted in DSGO last year with a 66-67-67 showing.
- Will defend his championship this week, and again in the following week’s U.S. Senior Open at Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
- Four-time PGA Tour Champions winner in 2022 sits No. 7 on 2023 money list ($775,110).
- Runner-up in a playoff in late-May Senior PGA Championship, and made the cut in PGA Championship last month at Oak Hill.
- T27 in last week’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
- No. 1 on senior tour in driving distance (302.6).
Miguel Angel Jimenez
- Age: 59.
- 13-time PGA Tour Champions winner to go with 14 runner-up finishes (56 top-5s).
- Three-time winner in 2022.
- Leads Tour in putting average, No. 3 in final-round scoring average (68.4).
- Sixth on money list ($908,923).
- Top finish among five DSGO starts a T3 in 2021, one of three consecutive top-10s.
Bernhard Langer
- Age: 65.
- 45-time PGA Tour Champions winner has 40 runner-up finishes.
- Won first senior tour title in 2007 and most recent in this year’s Chubb Classic.
- The 2014 Dick’s Open champion has finished T8 and T6, respectively, the last two years at En-Joie.
- In 10 DSGO start’s he’s got seven top-10s.
- Twenty-five rounds under par in the DSGO.
- 11th on money list ($615,225).
Vijay Singh
- Age: 60.
- Most recent of four PGA Tour Champions victories was secured in 2018.
- Four-time runner-up with 17 top-five finishes.
- Best finish this season was a T5 in the Galleri Classic in March, and last month was T8 in the Senior PGA Championship.
- Shared fourth place last summer at En-Joie on rounds of 65-70-69, his third Dick’s Open appearance.
Ken Tanigawa
- Age: 55
- Twice a PGA Tour Champions winner
- This season, T2 in January’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (68-65-66) and third in early-May Mitsubishi Electric Classic
- First on Tour in total driving − a bonus anywhere, but even more around En-Joie
- In four Dick’s Sporting Goods Open appearance, is 12-for-12 in sub-par rounds
- Last summer went 69-69-68 for a share of sixth.
