Photo Credit: Insperity InvitationalNews
Fred Funk to make 1,000th PGA TOUR start, rounds out 2025 Insperity Invitational field
Fred Funk’s pursuit of happiness in golf always brings him back to the The Woodlands, TX, and that will certainly be the case this week when he makes his 1,000th PGA TOUR start at the Insperity Invitational.
The 2012 Insperity Invitational champion will become the 25th player in PGA TOUR history to accomplish the milestone mark when he tees it up on Friday at the The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course.
“Back when we’d play here when it was the Shell Houston Open it was always my favourite tournament, and now at the Insperity Invitational it is our best event. I have a lot of great memories in Houston and this week will be very special being my 1,000th event. I just love this tournament.”
And rightly so.
Funk won his seventh of nine career PGA TOUR Champions titles in 2012 at his home-away-from-home in The Woodlands, TX. The Tournament Course was also the sight of his first of eight PGA TOUR wins.
“I got through Q-School here. I won my first PGA Tour tournament at this course in 1992. I had my son on the bag when I won the Insperity Invitational here. I have the course record here. I met my current wife here in 1992 and the God parents of my kids – who I stayed with since my rookie year – are from here,” added Funk. “It’s like coming home for me. There is a great vibe here and I love it.”
Funk will mix it up this week with players from around the globe including six World Golf Hall of Famers including: Ernie Els (South Africa); Retief Goosen (South Africa); Padraig Harrington(Ireland); Bernhard Langer (Germany); Vijay Singh (Fiji); and Colin Montgomerie (Scotland).
The impressive list of international names also includes: Angel Cabrera (Argentina); Ricardo Gonzalez, Stuart Appleby, Steve Allan, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling and John Senden (Australia); Stephen Ames and Mike Weir (Canada); Thomas Bjorn (Denmark); Paul Broadhurst (England); Alex Cejka (Germany); Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan); two-time champion Steven Alker (New Zealand); Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland); Stephen Gallacher (Scotland); K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang (South Korea); Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain); Robert Karlsson (Sweden); Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand); along with a high-powered group of Americans including Stewart Cink, John Daly, David Duval, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, and David Toms.
The complete 2025 Insperity Invitational field can be found here:
The Insperity Invitational is also bringing back 20 legends of the game on Saturday who are ready to put on a show for Houston area golf fans while playing behind what is arguably the strongest field on the PGA TOUR Champions in the Folds of Honor Greats of Golf.
Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Annika Sorenstam will once again be the featured group. They are bringing a handful of new World Golf Hall of Famers – Sir Nick Faldo, Curtis Strange and Mark O’Meara – with them for the 10th edition of the Folds of Honor Greats of Golf at The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course.
The exhibition will include four teams of five playing in a scramble format. Golf’s legendary lineup will tee off the 10th hole (approximately 2 p.m.) after the last group in the official PGA TOUR Champions competition makes the turn onto the back nine.
The world class group showcases eight players who have won four or more major championships: Jack Nicklaus (18); Annika Sorenstam (10); Gary Player (9); Tom Watson (8); Juli Inkster (7); whilePat Bradley, Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo claimed (6).
Each group will feature one of the greatest women’s golfers ever to play the game.
Team Majors Team Hall of Fame Team Legends Team Greats
Annika* Pat Bradley* Nancy Lopez* Juli Inkster*
Jack Nicklaus* David Graham* Dave Stockton Ben Crenshaw*
Gary Player* Tony Jacklin* Larry Nelson* Bill Rogers
Lee Trevino* Tom Kite* Hale Irwin* Andy North
Tom Watson* Sir Nick Faldo* Mark O’Meara* Curtis Strange*
*Denotes World Golf Hall of Fame Member
Fans are encouraged to wear red, white and blue during Folds of Honor Saturday as an outward display of unity and an inward commitment to meeting sacrifice with hope for the families of America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders. An impactful opening ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. on the driving range that will include the Patriot Parachute Team flag jump, National Anthem and Presentation of Colors.
The Insperity Invitational offers free grounds only admission tickets courtesy of Insperity, Woodforest National Bank and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. For updated information on all aspects of the Insperity Invitational, fans are encouraged to visit www.insperityinvitational.com.
Source: Insperity Invitational
