Steve Allan’s been on quite a winning streak since joining the champions tour a couple of years ago and can’t wait to hit the links next week for the annual Hoag Classic in Newport Beach.
“It’s one of my favorite tournaments for sure,” Allan told City News Service. “It’s such an enjoyable place to play. It’s an old-fashioned kind of course. It’s got a beautiful view, the conditions are good and it’s a well-attended tournament. There’s a lot of people out there watching. It’s one of the best weeks of the year.”
Best of all, he said, his 14-year-old son Zac will caddy for him at the Newport Beach Country Club.
“It’s his first time doing it, so that’ll be fun,” Allan said.
His other son, Joey, will be attending San Jose State next year and was his father’s caddy at the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona this weekend.
Allan placed 15th at Hoag in 2024 and 25th last year, but he racked up three champions tour victories last year. It was a stunning turnaround for a golfer who last won a major tournament on the PGA Tour on his home turf at the 2002 Australian Open. Before that he won the German Open in 1998.
“Before I turned 50, I wasn’t playing particularly well,” Allan said.
But age and wisdom helped, he said.
“In my 20s and 30s, I would have let it get to me when things didn’t go well,” he said. “But I am used to it. I accept what’s going on and do my best and I think that’s really helped.”
Beyond that, he said, he’s just “worked on a few things. Good putting, hitting the ball a little better. Keeping my head down. … It sounds easy but it’s not.”
Winning in Australia was certainly a highlight of his career, he said.
“It’s a great event. We always get the best Australians playing even if it doesn’t attract the international field, we still get a great field,” he said. “It obviously meant a lot to win a national open. I feel like I’m disappointed I haven’t had a chance to win another one. Clearly, a highlight of my career.”
These days, “I play a lot less in Australia than I would have liked to … but it’s my favorite course in the world, Melbourne.”
Making the jump to the champions tour has “been fantastic,” he said.
“It wasn’t an easy transition, but it was a huge transition for me,” he said.
In the few years leading up to turning 50 he was relegated to “mini tour events just to keep in shape because I had my eye on the champions tour,” Allan said.
The champions tour is a chance to reconnect with old friends and it is a more relaxed atmosphere, he said.
“They have nothing to prove,” he said of the legends on the champions tour. “They enjoy competing and there’s nothing out there that can tarnish their legacy. It’s great to play with them and obviously considering a lot of us are still playing a sport in our 50s is amazing.”
Now that Tiger Woods is 50, Allan said it would be terrific to see him on the champions tour.
“It would be great to see him play a few,” he said. “I know he’s left it out there he might play the Masters, but if he plays a few events on our tour it would be great for the tour and so much energy.”
Given Woods’ injuries the champions tour might be ideal for him since golfers can use a cart instead of having to walk the entire course, Allan said.
“One of his big problems was walking, not swinging,” he said. “I hope he chooses to come out and play. It would be great.”
Allan is thrilled to keep going on the champions tour.
“It’s been good to be doing it again full-time instead of sort of scratching around,” he said. “It’s good to have a schedule and play in real events.”