Best of the Boeing Classic

BY BOB SHERWIN • FOR CASCADE GOLFER

They return in August, the legendary familiar faces — as they usually are on the Champions Tour circuit — for the 18th edition of the Boeing Classic at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.

The 78-player tournament, set for the week of Aug. 7-13, is continuing to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. Three years ago, the 2020 tournament was cancelled because of the pandemic and the past two have been progressively better. This year, with golf booming and record crowds turning out for professional golf events, it should allow the opportunity to put all of it behind us.

Attendees may see the indefatigable Bernhard Langer, the dominant force on the Champions Tour for the past 15 years. The German now has 46 career Champions victories (as of this publication) — surpassing Hale Irwin’s all-time record of 45 — with his win at the U.S. Senior Open in Wisconsin last month. As of this writing, he has two wins this season, and is certainly one of the biggest stories in golf this year. Boeing could be his time to shine again — he is a two-time champion here.

The field for the Boeing event will not be known until a week before the tournament, but here’s a look at the possibilities and preferred places to view the action.

Our Fans Guide of players and places to watch the Champions Tour at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge Aug. 7-13

FOLLOW THESE THREE LEGENDS

Fred Couples

Of course. He’s Seattle’s most celebrated golfer, ever. Jefferson Park. Beacon Hill. Masters (1992) champion. World Hall of Famer. Effortless swing.

In April, Couples became the oldest player ever to make the cut at the Masters — 63 years, 187 days. He beat the old record — set by Langer in 2020 — of 63 years, 80 days. He finished 50th while players such as Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson didn’t even make the cut.

We all know him, follow him, pull for him. Couples once said that he’d love to win this tournament in his hometown, and he competes here every year. He has finished third four times (2010, ’13, ’15, ’19). He had a five-shot lead entering the final round in 2019 before his swing let him down, likely caused by his chronic back issues. Assuming he’s fit, he’ll surely tee it up this year.

Bernhard Langer

Now that the pressure is off with Langer picking up his 46th Champions Tour win, we can view this hall of famer through the lens of a great player rewriting history every time he wins another event. Only the greats like Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Tiger Woods are in an all-time class like the German.

Langer, who won here in 2010 and 2016, would be the first three-time Boeing champion. Other honors the twotime Masters champion has earned: six Charles Schwab Cups, nine player-of-the-year awards, 11 money titles, 12 Champions Tour majors, 10 multi-win seasons, 13 wins after turning 60 and five more since turning 64. He has also shot his age eight times in competitions.

Langer and Couples had one final-round battle, in 2015, but Billy Andrade pushed past both for a one-shot victory.

Miguel Angel Jiménez

The anti-Langer, not stoic or reserved. He is not contemplative. No, the 59-year-old Spaniard is the Champions Tour’s sangria-drinking, stogie-smoking free spirit. The one thing he has in common with Langer is he’s also a Boeing champion. He’s the defending champion, beating David McKenzie by two strokes in 2022.

Jiménez has had 21 international victories, but in 153 career PGA Tour starts his best finishes were two seconds and a third. However, he has thrived in America on the plus-50 circuit where he has 13 victories in his nine seasons, including three last season. Boeing was his last victory (no wins this season, as of this writing).

Fans love his easy swing, his contorted fitness stretches, his brief celebratory flamenco dances, and his overall quirkiness. He gives folks the feeling that he’d be a fun addition to their foursome.

Keep An Eye On These Two ‘Major’ Champions

Justin Leonard

The 1997 Open champion is in his second season on the Tour and is yet to have a podium finish. His appearance is uncertain because of his Golf Channel TV analyst duties.

Leonard does seem to be ready to make his Champions Tour presence known, however. His steady play and magic wand on the greens suit Snoqualmie well.

Ernie Els

The four-time major champion is the ultimate easy swinger. The 53-year-old South African has won three times on the Champions Tour, though his best Boeing finish was 11th in 2021. The fact that Boeing is his primary sponsor may contribute to his appearance here.

Els is long off the tee. The Boeing layout with the elevations and corner cutting opportunities could bring him favor in going low in the red numbers as aggressive play must play a part in winning the title here.

Great Gallery Viewpoints

13th Hole Mt. Si-Gh

A 210-yard one-shotter, the 13th is probably the course’s most scenic hole, looking at the Cascade Range with Mt. Si in the foreground.

“The 14th may be the best spot for action, but for scenery it’s got to be the 13th,” says Tournament Director Ryan Ingalls who adds that fans sitting on the right side of the green, are high enough to see every swing and putt and, without moving, tee shots on the 14th. A two for one vantage point.

14th Hole Bear’s Canyon

The risk/reward ‘Canyon Hole’ measures 448 yards and has been the most popular viewpoint for fans since the beginning.

There is no better perspective or experience. The tee sits near the highest point of the course, looking down over a formidable canyon to a not-so-ample green below. A full carry is necessary, as the green begins where the canyon ends. Those golfers not willing to risk it, can bail out to the fairway on the right and still have an excellent chance at birdie.

Ingalls says the pros “play it accordingly”. When the tee is back in the 400-plus-yard range, they need to bail out right. When the tee is moved up to the 278-310-yard range, as it often is, “it’s a whole new ball game” says Ingalls. “Then it is a true risk/reward hole. They will try to drop the ball on the green and putt for eagle.” The tournament recognized years ago that 14 would be the fan focus, so it set up a series of bleachers along the perimeter for ‘Canyon Club’ fans. It’s sort of the course’s version of the wacky par 3 16th ‘Stadium Hole’ at TPC Scottsdale, host of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“You sit down near the green and it looks like the ball is coming right down into your lap,” says Ingalls. “Then it drops down in the fairway or green.”

Tournament officials elevated the fun index last year with the installation of a tower another 30 feet above the grandstands. This allowed fans to cycle through (no seats) and watch what was happening on 14 but, with a 360-degree view, they could also turn around and see approach shots on the par 3 17th or tee shots on the par 5 18th.

“If you’re looking for fun and want to watch fans interact, that’s where you want to go,” Ingalls adds. “People are obviously attracted to the cheers.”

18th Hole Craftsman

The 498-yard hole plays uphill to a heavily bunkered green and was designed with tournaments in mind. Behind the green is a large, sloping, grassy amphitheater that can accommodate virtually any number of spectators.

Down the left-hand side are wine-toting corporate guests and more hospitality tents are positioned on the right. They all surround the green complex, intimately close to the action. And there has been plenty of drama there over the tournament’s 17 years.

Five tournaments ended with playoffs, all finishing at 18. In 2007, Denis Watson won a remarkable seven-player playoff by sinking a 22-foot eagle putt on the 18th. It was the third time he had played the hole within an hour.

“It’s a great finishing hole,” says Ingalls. “Tournament officials watch the scores and might move the tee box up on Sunday to see if the final group can make a move. It’s a gettable hole, where players are expecting to make a birdie at least. No one is out of it.”

Because birdies are in play and eagles are feasible, the championship invariably comes down to the 54th and final hole. Besides the five playoffs, three tournaments have been decided by one stroke and three by two strokes.

Holes That Can Make Or Break The Field

4th Hole Twin Firs

The 426-yard hole features a tee shot over a ravine with OB left and right as well as thick fescue down the right side. “It can make these players human,” says Ingalls. “They may have scores they wish they could have back. Some play it beautifully, of course, but it can get the better of others.”

15th Hole Valleys

This long par 5 (590 yards) plays downhill so it is the scene of some of the longest drives on the entire Champions Tour. Players don’t hold back here, and generally go for it in two which is a kick to watch.

9th Hole Screaming Eagle 10th Hole Bunker Hill &

For those who don’t want to follow one group the whole way round and would rather camp out shortly after parking the car, watching players at the water-carry, 207-yard 9th and short, uphill par 4 10th provides perfect viewing.

You can see players take on the large lake at the 9th where there’s always a good deal of drama before the short walk to the 10th tee.

Depending on the tee location, the pros may try reaching the green at the 353-yarder. It’s another risk/reward shot, much like 14. If they reach the plateau green, an eagle is possible. If they are just a tad short, the false front will repel balls well down the hill.

Visit BoeingClassic.com for complete tournament, ticket and transportation information.