Tom Pernice Jr., left, and Scott Hoch pose with the trophy after winning the PGA Tour Champions' Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf on April 28, 2019 in Ridgedale, Miss.Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
Tom Pernice Jr. and Scott Hoch completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends, opening with Pernice’s hole-in-one on the Top of the Rock par-3 course.
Pernice used a 7-iron on the 175-yard first hole.
“Obviously when they go in, it’s a little bit lucky, but I did hit a very good shot and was fortunate for it to go in,” Pernice said. “Followed it up with a birdie on 2, so that was a great start.”
Pernice and Hoch finished with an 8-under 46 for two trips around the par-3 course, playing both the opening nine of modified alternate shot and the best-ball second nine in 4-under 23.
The winners had a 23-under 156 total to break the record at Big Cedar Lodge and finish five strokes ahead of Vijay Singh-Carlos Franco and Paul Broadhurst-Kirk Triplett. Singh Franco shot 46, and Broadhurst-Triplett had a 44.
The 63-year-old Hoch won for the third time on the 50-and-over circuit, becoming the oldest winner in tour history — a record that he quickly dismissed because it came in a team event.
“It’s a team event. It’s great that I won, but I don’t think you can compare that to an individual win.” Hoch said. “I mean, the individual winner, especially getting 62, 63 or something like that.”
Mike Fetchick was the oldest previous winner, at 63 years to the day in the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational.
The 59-year-old Pernice won for the sixth time on the tour.
They opened with a 9-under 62 in best-ball play Friday at Ozarks National to take a one-stroke lead and stretched the advantage to three Saturday with a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 course.