Ames thrilled with improvements after Chubb success
– Trinidad and Tobago-born golfer Stephen Ames has hailed the improvements in his game after sealing his seventh PGA Tour Champions and fifth over the last year, with the capture of the US$1.8 million Chubb Classic.
Ames, who turns 60 next month, enjoyed a handy slice of luck when Sunday’s final day of the 54-hole tournament was abandoned at the Tiburón Golf Club due to bad weather.
On top of the leaderboard at 13-under following an eight-under 64 in Saturday’s second round, Ames was declared the winner, claiming a cheque of $270 000.
“I was knocking on the door [in 2022] but didn’t win,” Ames explained.
“Last year, ’23, I won four times, and I was like, ‘wow, this is a little different for me.’ So I learned a lot from that, from being in that situation.”
He continued: “I would probably say it is [my best run], yes, for sure.
“Overall, the mindset was pretty much what it was last year. 2022 was a very consistent, great year for me, when I was knocking on the door multiple times but didn’t actually have a win.”
Ames enjoyed an outstanding 2023, winning the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco, the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta, the Principal Charity Classic in Iowa and the Boeing Classic in Seattle.
More than anything else, that success helped strengthen Ames mentally and prepare him for the 2024 campaign.
“We had almost a month and a half, two months off. And three weeks prior to coming here, I didn’t play much golf,” he said.
“The mental part was the part that was very capable.
It was very unusual, capable at the same time, to me to switch on and go. That’s something I took from ’23 coming into this year.
“At the end of the day, some people may say it was a lucky win, because it was only two rounds. But at the same time, I think I was already in the mode where I think I would have won by five or six again.”
Ames put that confidence on display over the weekend, sinking nine birdies and a single bogey in Saturday’s second round, to take a three-shot lead over Rocco Mediate.
On Friday’s opening day, Ames knocked down five birdies en route to a 67 which left him well placed at the start of the penultimate round.
“Overall I hit the ball extremely nice. I loved how I hit it,” Ames said. “Putting was extremely nice, but it was something that actually saved my round.”