An explosive finish in St. Louis
On October 25, 2026, Rory Sabbatini won the Stifel Charity Classic at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. The 50-year-old closed with a nine-under 62 for a 54-hole total of 199, 14 under par, securing his first PGA TOUR Champions title at the opening event of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
The turnaround was dramatic. Sabbatini began Sunday at five under, four behind co-leaders Henrik Stenson and Mario Tiziani at nine under. He then made two eagles, eight birdies and three bogeys during the final 18 holes, racing through the back nine in 29 strokes.
The decisive closing stretch
A chip-in eagle from the rough at the par-five 15th hole ignited his winning run. A birdie at 16 brought him level with the leaders, a precise approach to 17 set up another birdie, and a lengthy downhill birdie putt at 18 completed the charge to 14 under.
Darren Clarke finished second on 13 under after a closing 65. Steven Alker (66), Stenson (68) and Tiziani (68) tied for third at 12 under. Sabbatini earned $350,000 for his victory.
A new chapter after 2011
Born in South Africa and now representing Slovakia, Sabbatini won six times on the main PGA TOUR. His previous victory in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event came in 2011. Having turned 50 in April 2026, he is now a first-time winner on the over-50 circuit — and he did it in a postseason event.
Field Level Media reports that the win moved Sabbatini from 23rd to a projected seventh in Charles Schwab Cup points. Only the top 54 advanced from the Stifel Charity Classic to the Simmons Bank Championship, the second of three playoff events, before the top 36 reach the season finale.
Verification
Golfweek, in a report published October 25 at 22:02 UTC, and Field Level Media independently confirmed the closing 62, 14-under total and finishing order. The PGA TOUR's tournament coverage corroborates the playoff format and Saturday's leading scores. This report updates an existing editorial draft rather than creating a duplicate article.
Sources: https://fieldlevelmedia.com/champions_tour/rory-sabbatini-gets-hot-late-wins-stifel-charity-classic-with-62/ ; https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rory-sabbatini-cards-stellar-62-220242825.html
Image: archival photograph of Rory Sabbatini during 2008 US Open practice, not the 2026 Stifel Charity Classic. Jeffrey Gordon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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