Exempt status
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PGA TOUR Champions: Top 36 Charles Schwab Cup Points List (8th)
JOINED TOUR
PGA TOUR Champions Victories (4)
2018 Season
- Boeing Classic
- Invesco QQQ Championship
2020-21 Season
2022 Season
Korn Ferry Tour Victories (1)
2013 Season
PLAYOFF RECORD
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS (1-3)
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2018 Lost to Steve Flesch, Bernhard Langer, Mitsubishi Electric Classic
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2019 Lost to Kevin Sutherland, Rapiscan Systems Classic
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2019 Lost to Kevin Sutherland, Principal Charity Classic
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2022 Defeated Steven Alker, Gene Sauers, ClubCorp Classic
KORN FERRY TOUR (0-1)
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2012 Lost to James Hahn, The Rex Hospital Open
Personal
- Did not play college golf at UGA, electing instead to focus on his studies in computer science. Worked as a computer programmer and database administrator for 10 years following college. Did not turn pro until 1996, at age 31.
- His father introduced him to the game.
- Never travels without his laptop.
- Favorite Web sites are espn.com, facebook.com and youtube.com.
- Favorite pro teams are the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Red Wings.
- Top movies are "Braveheart," "Gladiator" and "The Shawshank Redemption."
- Enjoys listening to Fleetwood Mac and Elton John. Favorite book is Golf is Not a Game of Perfect. Enjoys visiting Atlanta and vacationing in Hilton Head Island.
- Carries cheese crackers in his golf bag for a snack.
- Is superstitious about carrying his Bull Dawg headcovers.
- Bucket list includes taking his wife to Ireland.
- Supports Catholic charities.
- Most famous person he's met is former President Bill Clinton.
- Best sporting event he's attended was the 2013 Georgia high school Class A football championship game, when his son played on the winning team.
Special Interests
- University of Georgia athletics, coaching high school golf, movies
CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
- ClubCorp Classic: Secured his fourth PGA TOUR Champions victory after making par on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to defeat 36-hole leader Steven Alker and Gene Sauers in the ClubCorp Classic.
- Cologuard Classic: Carded rounds of 71-67-68 at the Cologuard Classic to finish fifth. Marked back-to-back top-fives on PGA TOUR Champions.
- Chubb Classic: Posted Saturday’s best round, a bogey-free 8-under 64, and finished the 2022 Chubb Classic T5 at 9-under 207.
Career Highlights
2022 Season
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ClubCorp Classic: Secured his fourth PGA TOUR Champions victory after making par on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to defeat 36-hole leader Steven Alker and Gene Sauers in the ClubCorp Classic.
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Cologuard Classic: Carded rounds of 71-67-68 at the Cologuard Classic to finish fifth. Marked back-to-back top-fives on PGA TOUR Champions.
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Chubb Classic: Posted Saturday’s best round, a bogey-free 8-under 64, and finished the 2022 Chubb Classic T5 at 9-under 207.
2021 Season
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SAS Championship: Held the first-round lead before carding 65-70-71 – 206 (-10) and finished T5 at the 2021 SAS Championship.
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Cologuard Classic: Finished T3 at the 2021 Cologuard Classic for his second straight top-5 finish on PGA TOUR Champions. Carded rounds of 69-67-71 to post 12-under.
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Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai: Finished T4 at the 2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai after carding rounds of 64-71-66. During the final round, he played Nos. 7-11 in 6-under to tie for the lead, but played the last seven holes in even-par.
2020 Season
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SAS Championship: Carded rounds of 69-69-70 and finished T9 at the SAS Championship.
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Sanford International: Was T46 after a first-round 71 and T28 after a second-round 66, but closed with a course-record 62 and finished fifth at 11-under at the Sanford International.
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Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship: Finished runner-up to Jerry Kelly at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, recording as his best finish in a senior major championship since he finished T2 at the 2017 Regions Tradition. Marks his third top-three finish this season.
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Chubb Classic: Closed with an 8-under 63 to erase a three-shot deficit and win the Chubb Classic with a tournament-record tying score of 17-under. It was his third career victory and he moved to No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup for the first time.
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Morocco Champions: Carded rounds of 68-68-69 to finish T3 at the inaugural Morocco Champions, his best finish since losing to Kevin Sutherland in a playoff at the 2019 Principal Charity Classic.
2019 Season
Finished eighth in the Charles Schwab Cup after posting three runner-up finishes and 10 top-10s. Two of his second-place finishes were playoff losses to Kevin Sutherland (Rapiscan Systems Classic, Principal Charity Classic). Played in Sunday’s final group five times, the second most on Tour.
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Invesco QQQ Championship: Carded rounds of 70-66-71 to finish T8 at the Invesco QQQ Championship, his 10th top-10 of the season.
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Dominion Energy Charity Classic: Was a 36-hole co-leader at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic and played in the final group of the final round for the fifth time this season. Posted a final-round 71 and finished T4, his fifth Playoffs top-10 and third top-10 in Richmond.
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DICK'S Sporting Goods Open: Carded rounds of 66-69-70 to finish the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open T6, his eighth top-10 this season.
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Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship: Led by one through 54 holes and was part of a five-way tie for the lead with four holes to play at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. Errant tee shots on the par-3 15th and par-5 16th led to a bogey and double bogey, respectively, and he settled for a T4 finish at 2-under. It was his fifth top-10 in his last six starts.
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American Family Insurance Championship: Carded rounds of 68-71-66 to finish T8 at the American Family Insurance Championship, his fourth straight top-10.
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Mastercard Japan Championship: Posted rounds of 70-68-69 and finished T4 at the Mastercard Japan Championship, his third straight top-10 and fifth of the season.
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Principal Charity Classic: Set the Principal Charity Classic’s 36-hole scoring record after bogey-free rounds of 63-66, and he led by five with 18 holes to go. Shot a final-round 70 and lost in a playoff to Kevin Sutherland, who shot 62 on Sunday and completed an eight-shot comeback to win.
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KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship: Led after a first-round 66 and closed with rounds of 73-74-69 to finish sixth at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
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Insperity Invitational: Closed with a bogey-free 66, tied for the lowest final round, and finished second at the Insperity Invitational, two shots behind champion Scott McCarron. It was the second time he played in Sunday’s final group, and first since the 2017 Regions Tradition.
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Rapiscan Systems Classic: Parred the seventh playoff hole and lost to Kevin Sutherland in a two-man playoff with a Monday finish at the Rapiscan Systems Classic. Birdied the final hole of regulation to post 7-under, earning a spot in the second playoff of his PGA TOUR Champions career. The runner-up finish was his sixth on Tour.
2018 Season
His breakthrough season included two victories (Boeing Classic, Invesco QQQ Championship), four runner-up finishes and 11 top-10s, resulting in over $1.8 million in winnings. He was No. 2 in the standings entering the season finale with a chance to win the Charles Schwab Cup, and he went on to finish the season No. 3. He led the Tour in total birdies (352) and birdies per round (4.40) and finished among the leaders in driving distance (T3, 296.1), putting average (T2, 1.733) and scoring average (5th, 69.40).
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Charles Schwab Cup Championship: Entered the season finale No. 2 in the standings and was one of six players mathematically capable of winning the Charles Schwab Cup. He finished the tournament 18th and was third in the final standings.
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Invesco QQQ Championship: Carded a bogey-free 4-under 68 in the final round of the Invesco QQQ Championship to win by one stroke over Paul Goydos and claim his second 2018 title on PGA TOUR Champions. Moved to No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup.
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Dominion Energy Charity Classic: He posted rounds of 71-67-71 and finished T8 at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, his 10th top-10 of the season.
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SAS Championship: He tallied 10 birdies in his final-round 65 at the SAS Championship and he finished second at 16-under, six shots behind Bernhard Langer. It was his fourth runner-up finish of the season.
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Shaw Charity Classic: Cosed with a final-round 62 and finished T2 at 14-under at the Shaw Charity Classic, his third runner-up finish of the year.
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Boeing Classic: Carded a final-round 63 to turn a five-shot deficit into a three-shot victory at the Boeing Classic. It was his first win in his 57th start on PGA TOUR Champions, and his first official victory since the 2013 Air Capital Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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3M Championship: Holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole of the 3M Championship to finish at 12-under 204 for his fifth top-10 of the season, a T10.
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Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship: Parel opened with rounds of 67-66 and was the 36-hole leader at the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, marking just the second time he's led/co-led after a round on PGA TOUR Champions. He closed with rounds of 70-69 and finished T6 at 16-under.
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Principal Charity Classic: Parel carded rounds of 66-67 and finished T2 at the weather-shortened Principal Charity Classic. It was his second runner-up finish of the season and third of his career.
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Mitsubishi Electric Classic: Tied the TPC Sugarloaf course record with a final-round 64 at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Posted 11-under 205 to earn a spot in a playoff with Steve Flesch and Bernhard Langer, where he lost to a Flesch birdie on the second extra hole.
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Rapiscan Systems Classic: Birdied four of the last six holes to shoot a 5-under 67 in the final round of the Rapiscan Systems Classic, finishing T3.
2017 Season
In his first fully-exempt season on PGA TOUR Champions, Parel played 23 events and posted six top-10s, including a season-best T2 finish at the Regions Tradition. He finished 21st in the final Charles Schwab Cup standings.
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PURE Insurance Championship: Was just two strokes off the pace after 36 holes at the PURE Insurance Championship, but a final-round 74 dropped him to ninth overall at Pebble Beach.
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Regions Tradition: Was on the leaderboard all four rounds at the Regions Tradition before eventually finishing T2 in May's Alabama event. Earned a career-best $184,000 with his finish.
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Chubb Classic: Shared the first-round lead at the Chubb Classic following a 7-under-par 65 before eventually finishing T10.
2015 Season
Played in 18 Korn Ferry Tour events, making 10 cuts. Recorded two top 10s. Finished 76th on the money list.
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WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft Heinz: Came to the Regular Season finale, WinCo Foods Portland Open, No. 74 on the money list. After missing the cut and waiting through the weekend, the inevitable happened and he was bounced to No. 76 and out of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
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Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank: Made the 67th double eagle in Korn Ferry Tour history when he recorded a 2 on the par-5 second hole at the GC at Thanksgiving Point during the Utah Championship. Lucas Lee in 2014 was the last player to make an ace and a double eagle in the same season. Went on to T18 in Lehi.
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Rex Hospital Open: At the next tournament, The Rex Hospital Open, earned his first top-five finish on Tour since winning the 2013 Air Capital Classic. Birdied four of his final five holes in the third round and was T15 after 54 holes. Jumped up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 65 in the final round, good for a T4.
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BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by SYNNEX Corporation: On his 50th birthday, aced the par-3 16th hole with a 9-iron from 142 yards in the second round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am in May. That led to a 7-under 65. Posted 69-71 on the weekend for a T55.
2014 Season
Made the cut in half of his 18 Korn Ferry Tour starts, Had a pair of top-25 finishes.
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Champions Tour Q-School: Finished T14 at the Champions Tour Qualifying Tournament in mid-November and will have limited status on that Tour when he turns 50 on May 15.
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Cleveland Open: Best week was a T18 at the Cleveland Open. Did not post a score below 66 all year and had only three rounds below 68 out of 53.
2013 Season
Made the cut in nine of 22 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and earned his first career win.
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Air Capital Classic: Fired a 64 in Sunday's final round to win the Air Capital Classic by three strokes over Alex Aragon. Tied a tournament record for the lowest final-round score by a winner at the Wichita event. Carded all four rounds in the 60s to become the fourth-oldest winner of a Korn Ferry Tour event. His first Tour title came in his 171st start. Collected a first-place check for $117,000 and vaulted from No. 153 to No. 14 on the Regular Season money list.
2012 Season
Made the cut in 20 of 26 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and wound up No. 35 on the final money list, thanks to six top-25 finishes. His 20 made cuts led the Tour.
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The Rex Hospital Open: Finished runner-up to James Hahn at The Rex Hospital Open, where he lost a playoff on the second extra hole. Fired a 3-under 68 in the final round at TPC Wakefield Plantation to finish at 13-under 271, tied with Hahn. Missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole that would have given him the victory. Missed a slick, 18-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole where Hahn tapped in for birdie from a foot away. Runner-up finish was his career best in 144 total starts and his first top-10 on Tour since a solo fourth at the 2008 South Georgia Classic. Ended the week second in Fairways Hit and T7 in Greens in Regulation.
2011 Season
Made four starts on the Korn Ferry Tour but did not cash a check in any of the four.
2010 Season
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Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Presented by Planters: Was also T21 at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open.
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Albertsons Boise Open Pres'd by Kraft: Did not record a top-10 finish but was T20 at the Albertsons Boise Open, with rounds of 67-67-69-69 in Idaho.
2009 Season
Made six cuts in 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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BMW Charity Pro-Am: Fired a course-record, 10-under 62 at the Carolina CC in the second round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Career-best score happened to come on his 44th birthday. Stumbled to a 74 in the third round but rebounded with a 64 on the last day to finish T13, his best of the year.
2008 Season
Made 15 cuts in 26 starts, including four top-25 finishes, on the Korn Ferry Tour. Ended the year No. 81 on the money list.
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South Georgia Classic: Later, equaled his career-best finish with a fourth-place showing at the South Georgia Classic–finishing six strokes behind champion Bryan DeCorso.
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Panama Movistar Championship: Finished T8 at the season-opening Panama Movistar Championship, where he was the only player in the field to post sub-par scores in each of the final two rounds. Had a streak of five consecutive birdies during the first round.
2007 Season
Made the cut in 13 of 23 events, with four top-25 finishes. Finished the season No. 68 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list, with $87,425.
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PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament: Earned full playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2008 with a T62 finish at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.
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National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic: Posted top-10 finish at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic (T7).
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Xerox Classic: Posted top-10 finish at the Xerox Classic (T4).
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Price Cutter Charity Championship Presented by Dr. Pepper: Posted top-10 finish at the Price Cutter Charity Championship (T7).
2006 Season
Made the cut in 10 of 21 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour , with two top-10 finishes. Concluded the year No. 97 on the money list, with $53,521.
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Utah Energy Solutions Championship: Didn't crack the top 10 until 13 events later with a T9 finish at the Utah Energy Solutions Championship, set up after he shared the 18-hole lead with an 8-under 64.
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Virginia Beach Open: Finished T8 at the Virginia Beach Open for his first top-10 of the season.
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BellSouth Classic: Made his first career PGA TOUR cut when he T57 at the BellSouth Classic outside Atlanta.
2005 Season
Made the cut in just two of 13 starts, finishing No. 143 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list.
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Lake Erie Charity Classic at Peek 'n Peak Resort: In just his second start of the season, notched a career-best T5 at the Lake Erie Charity Classic at Peek'n Peak Resort. Rounds of 70-71-65-73 left him at 9-under 279, five shots behind winner Esteban Toledo.
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U.S. Open Championship: Qualified for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, where he missed the cut.
2004 Season
Played in just two events on Ton the Korn Ferry Tour.
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LaSalle Bank Open: Was T66 at the LaSalle Bank Open.
2003 Season
Made the cut in just two of 18 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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The Reese's Cup Classic: T42 at The Reese's Cup Classic.
2002 Season
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U.S. Open Championship: Qualified for his first major championship, the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park (missed cut).
Amateur Highlights
- Was on two state championship teams at Aquinas High School in Augusta, Ga.