Thongchai Jaidee wins PURE Insurance Championship in playoff over Justin Leonard

PEBBLE BEACH, California -- Thongchai Jaidee won his second PGA TOUR Champions title, beating Justin Leonard on the fourth playoff hole in the PURE Insurance Championship on Sunday when Leonard hooked his tee shot into a penalty area abutting the Pacific Ocean on the par-5 18th at Pebble Beach.

Jaidee finished with a two-putt par while Leonard had to play his third shot from the tee box and made a double-bogey 7.

The 53-year-old from Thailand has 19 international wins, including six on the DP World Tour. He picked up his first win on the over-50 tour last year in Wisconsin.

The 51-year-old Leonard, who won The Open Championship in 1997, has yet to win on the PGA TOUR Champions, where he returned to competition after working as a television commentator.

Jaidee closed with a 5-under 67 and Leonard shot 68 to finish at 14-under 202 in the 54-hole event. They each parred the 18th on their first try in the playoff and traded birdies when they played it again. Jaidee got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the par-3 17th to extend the playoff.

Arjun Atwal (69) was third, three shots back, and Paul Stankowski (70) was fourth at 10 under.

Things to Know

• Beginning the final round of his second PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee a shot off the lead, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee follows a second-round 7-under 65 with a 5-under 67 Sunday, resulting in sudden death with 36-hole leader, Justin Leonard; with a par on the fourth extra hole, No. 18, secured his second career win on PGA TOUR Champions.
• Justin Leonard, who led after 36 holes by a stroke, birdied the final hole in the final round to force sudden death with Thongchai Jaidee.
• After advancing through Tuesday’s open qualifier for a spot in the field, Arjun Atwal posted three rounds in the 60s to claim third-place honors in his fifth PGA TOUR Champions start.
• After tying the PGA TOUR Champions all-time record for most-consecutive birdies (8) in round two, Paul Stankowski finished fourth at 10-under 206.
• In the First Tee junior portion of the competition, Brayden Casolari won the boys division at 21-under, while Alyssa Stewart won in the girls division by eight strokes at 28-under.

Thongchai Jaidee, 70-65-67 – 202 (-14)

• In his second start at the PURE Insurance Championship, followed a 7-under 65 in round two with a 5-under 67 in the final round, resulting in sudden death with 36-hole leader, Justin Leonard.
• After two pars and two birdies at the par-5 18th on the first two extra holes, a pair of pars at the par-3 17th sent the duo back to 18 for a fourth extra hole; with a par at No. 18, claimed the victory.
• With the win, he's projected to move to No. 16 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings.
• The victory at Pebble Beach is his second on PGA TOUR Champions (2022 American Family Insurance Championship) and comes in his 53rd start at the age of 53 years, 10 months, 16 days.
• Finished T10 in his first start in the event in 2022.
• This marked the fourth playoff of the season on PGA TOUR Champions and first since The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
• The win marks his third top-10 of the season, following a T5 at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open and more recently, T2 at the Shaw Charity Classic.
• With the win, earns a spot into the field at the 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
• Became the first player from Thailand to win on PGA TOUR Champions with last year’s win at the American Family Insurance Championship.
• The winner of 19 International victories, collected three top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR in 70 starts.

Other Notes

• Beginning the final round with a one-stroke lead at 10-under, Justin Leonard closed with a 4-under 68 to force sudden death with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee at 14-under 202; on the fourth extra hole, No. 18, was unable to match Thongchai Jaidee’s par; the runner-up finish comes in his 19th start on PGA TOUR Champions and marks his fifth top-10 finish in 15 starts this season.
• Following a 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s open qualifier to earn a spot in the field, Arjun Atwal (3rd/-11) followed back-to-back rounds of 4-under 68 in rounds one and two with a 3-under 69 in Sunday’s final round; was looking to become the first player on PGA TOUR Champions to win after open qualifying since Dicky Pride (2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship).
• In his bid for a third consecutive top-five finish in the event (T5/2021, T2/2022), Paul Stankowski (4th/-10) closed with a 2-under 70; played the 19-hole stretch of his last 15 holes in round two and first four in round three in 12-under (11 birdies, 1 eagle, 1 bogey).
• Vying for a third top-five finish in as many PURE Insurance Championship starts (T5/2021, T2/2022), Steven Alker (T5/-9) closed with a 2-under 70; highlighted by his Insperity Invitational win, Alker has now earned nine top-10 finished in 15 starts this season.
• Defending champion Steve Flesch finished T32 at 1-under 215.

First Tee

• The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee included 80 First Tee members from 45 U.S. chapters (and one from Morocco) who were paired with PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs from the business world. The juniors were selected based on golf proficiency and life skills knowledge.
• The top 24 First Tee Juniors (12 male and 12 female) after 36 holes advanced to Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach; the top junior male and female were crowned after the final round.
• In the First Tee junior portion of the competition, Brayden Casolari, who was paired with pro Brian Gay (10th/-7), won the boys division at 21-under, while Alyssa Stewart, who was paired with pro Justin Leonard (P2/-14), won in the girls division by eight strokes at 28-under.