PITTSBURGH, PA. – After achieving one of his biggest goals last year, a win on the Champions Tour, Jay Don Blake’s next goal is within reach. The St. George native wants to win a Major.
When he set his new goals at the beginning of the 2012 Champions Tour, one of those goals was to win a major championship. Blake will have another chance this week at the Constellation Senior Players Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Blake had not finished in the top 10 since a second place finish in the first event of the year until last week. Blake used a second round 5-under 63 to finish in a tie for fifth place. The top five finish showed Blake that the things he had been working back in St. George are starting to pay off.
“When I was home, I did some video stuff (watching his swing) with Gary White,” Blake said. “He knows my swing and we made sure the club was in the right places.”
Blake said he knew his game was headed back in the right direction.
“I didn’t think I was going to finish in the top 5, but I knew my swing was getting better and the ball was going where I wanted it to go,” he said.
Being that the Constellation Senior Players Championship is a Major, the tournament will start on Thursday, not Friday like every other Champions Tour events.This could be an advantage for southern Utah’s top golfer.
“I like the four day events,” Blake said. “You can be more patient on the course.”
This year’s Constellation Senior Players Championship will be played at Fox Chapel Golf Club. Last year Fred Couples won the same tournament in Westchester NY.
The Golf Channel will have live coverage on Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET and on Saturday and Sunday from 2:30–5:30 p.m. ET.
The Majors seem to bring out the best fields and the Constellation Senior Players Championship is no different. Couples, Tom Watson, Michael Allen, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Lehman, John Cook, and Greg Norman will all be teeing it up to become champion.
The winner of the Constellation Senior Players Championship will not only become a major champion, but will also get to play in next year’s Players Championship on the PGA Tour.
Blake starts round one at 8:35 a.m. ET Thursday. Blake will be grouped with Tony Jacklin and this year’s Sr. PGA Champion, Roger Chapman. They will tee off at 11:09 a.m. ET on Friday.
For more SPORTS TALK, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on the brand new KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com
Email: sports@stgnews.com
Twitter: @BlakesTake
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kznusports
Copyright 2012 St. George News.
