Frazar Welcomes Fresh Start on Champions Tour
IRVING — Eight years ago, a whole golf career’s worth of injuries had finally caught up to Harrison Frazar. He was ready to walk away for good.
“I just couldn’t get my body to do what I needed it to do,” he said, “so I swore I’d never play again.”
These days, however, the Park Cities resident has restarted his competitive juices and regained his form on the PGA Tour Champions. And he hopes to make a breakthrough at the Senior PGA Championship on May 25-28 at the new Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco.
He’s in good position to earn a spot in the field for the major event, which would be his second chance this spring to compete close to home.
He was encouraged by an opening round of 68 at the Invited Celebrity Classic, which wrapped up on Sunday at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, although he faded over the weekend to finish in 33rd place.
Still, Frazar — whose lone PGA Tour win came in 2011 at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee — feels invigorated despite having to start over as a rookie of sorts on the tour for players 50 and over.
“Out here it’s so much more relaxed and fun. We want to play well, and we’re competitive, but at the same time, we’re laughing and trying to enjoy the moment,” Frazar said. “It’s been great to put eyeballs on so many familiar faces.”
Despite the persistent injuries that derailed his PGA Tour career, the former standout at Highland Park and the University of Texas became intrigued by the Champions tour as his 50th birthday approached in July 2021.
‘This is where my friends are now,” Frazar said. “These are people who we went through the battles with. They’re like family. It started to look really appealing to me.”
There have been positive signs, most notably a runner-up finish at a tournament in Florida in October, and a top-10 showing at an event in Morocco in February.
Frazar hopes to earn exempt status so he can compete more regularly. He would like to play in 20 or so tournaments a year while continuing to work for a Dallas bank. But more importantly, he’s healthier and more confident on the course than he’s been in years.
“I have to make the most of the opportunities that I have and play well enough to earn my stripes,” Frazar said. “I feel like I still hit the ball really well. I’ve got to work my short game and get tidier around the greens and better with the wedges. These guys out here are so good with their wedges. I’ve got to keep up with them, but I’m excited about the opportunity.”
The Invited Celebrity Classic featured Champions tour players competing for three rounds alongside celebrity golfers, albeit in different divisions for separate prize money.
The field included several Dallas-area athletes including former Cowboys standouts Emmitt Smith, DeMarcus Ware, and Tony Romo (who won the celebrity title); former Rangers catcher Pudge Rodriguez; former Stars great Mike Modano; and more.
Mark Hensby of Australia won the Champions portion of the event in a playoff over South Korea’s Charlie Wi. Dallas native Justin Leonard was six shots back in 10th place.
