A golf rarity took place Sunday when two professionals with ties to the area won separate tournaments, and combined for more than $800,000 in prize money along the way.
Gary Woodland is a Topeka, Kan. native who played golf at KU. He won a PGA Tour event in Nevada and collected $540,000.
Earlier in the day, Tom Pernice Jr. earned more than $262,000 for a Champions Tour win among the 50-and-older pros.
With four top-5 finishes in the first five Champions Tour events Tom Pernice Jr. played this season, he said in late May he felt close to winning again.
"Oh yeah. My golf game's in good shape, so (if) we keep ourselves there we'll knock down the door sooner or later," said Pernice.
At the Senior U.S. Open in Omaha last month, Pernice Jr. pulled himself into contention after a shaky opening round.
"I played good the second day. That helped, "said Pernice Jr. "I 3-putted three times the first day and (that) got me behind the 8-ball."
But he faded in the final round and finished tied for 23rd with Tom Watson and five others.
The final round Sunday was a different story. A birdie on the final two holes locked up the 3M championship in Minnesota for Pernice Jr., who grew up in Raytown and now lives in Nashville.
