Fichardt Wins Champions Tour Season Finale
Retief Fichardt claimed the season-ending Champions Tour title after a playoff, with Darren Clarke and Pádraig Harrington also in the field.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Golf
Retief Fichardt won the Champions Tour season-ending tournament after a playoff finish. His eagle attempt from about 10 feet at the par-5 18th set up the decisive extra holes.
Why it matters
The result settles the season-ending championship and affects the standings of senior players contending for the year's top finish. It also shows how a single approach shot can decide a tournament decided in a playoff.
Johnson closed with a 64, while Darren Clarke finished tied for 29th with a 70 and moved up to 10th in the rankings. Pádraig Harrington, ranked fourth on tour, shot 72-71-70 to finish tied for 45th.
The players
Retief Fichardt
Retief Fichardt is a South African professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour Champions.
Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke is a Northern Irish professional golfer and former Open Championship winner who competes on the Champions Tour.
Pádraig Harrington
Pádraig Harrington is an Irish professional golfer and three-time major champion who won the Champions Tour season-ending title in 2022.
The details
Fichardt's fairway metal bounced onto the front of the green at the par-5 18th, leaving him about 10 feet from the hole for eagle. He made the eagle putt to force the playoff result that gave him the title.
Timeline
Harrington won the season-ending championship in his rookie season in 2022.
Clarke was runner-up at the Stifel Charity Classic last week.
Fichardt's playoff win came this week at the season-finale.
Season Trajectory
Fichardt's win adds to a Champions Tour season in which veteran players such as Harrington, who claimed the season-ending title as a 2022 rookie, have set the benchmark for the finale. The result shifts the year-end race and affects how senior players rank heading into the offseason.
The season-ending standings now determine final positions in the Champions Tour rankings for senior players. Fantasy and betting lineups tied to senior golfers should be updated to reflect Fichardt's win and Clarke's move to 10th.
The takeaway
A single approach shot can decide a tournament, as Fichardt's bounce-onto-the-green at the par-5 18th showed. Watching final-hole decisions closely helps readers understand how tournaments are settled.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Irish Golfer Magazine.
