Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland cruised to a four-shot win at the American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday in Madison, Wis.
In the tournament’s first year at TPC Wisconsin and its first time as a team event, Bjorn and Clarke went a whopping 32 under par over three rounds. Playing four-ball (best ball) on Sunday, the duo shot a 7-under 64 to stay ahead of the pack.
Bjorn and Clarke shot a 59 in best ball on Friday and a 58 in a scramble format on Saturday.
Bjorn, 54, had won twice on the European Senior Tour but earned his first victory on the PGA Tour Champions. Clarke, 56, notched his fifth win on the 50-and-older circuit but his first since the 2022 Senior Open Championship.
When Bjorn carded a bogey at the par-4 first hole Sunday, it marked the duo’s first and only bogey of the tournament.
They bounced back with a birdie at the par-5 second hole, added birdies at Nos. 4 and 5, and made four in a row at Nos. 9-12. Bjorn was responsible for the birdies at Nos. 9 and 12, Clarke at Nos. 10 and 11.
Four teams tied for second at 28 under. Alex Cejka of Germany and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark combined for a 59 on Sunday, their best round of the week. Joining them were Doug Barron and Dicky Pride (60), Steve Flesch and Paul Goydos (64), and Steve Stricker and Mario Tiziani (65).
Germany’s Bernhard Langer and New Zealand’s Steven Alker — fresh off a 57 in Saturday’s scramble — placed sixth at 27 under. They posted a 63 in the final round.
South Africa’s Ernie Els, who won last year when it was an individual stroke play tournament, finished seventh at 26 under with teammate Tim Herron (66 Sunday).
–Field Level Media
