Photo Credit: Todd Korol/Insperity InvitationalSports
Scott Dunlap wins 2024 Insperity Invitational presented by UnitedHealthcare
On Sunday, May 5, Scott Dunlap was announced as the winner of the 2024 Insperity Invitational presented by UnitedHealthcare.
The PGA TOUR Champions Rules Committee stated, “The weather affecting the greater Houston area overnight and throughout the morning has required Round 3 of the Insperity Invitational to be cancelled. Therefore, in accordance with the PGA TOUR Champions Regulations, the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 36 holes.”
Things to Know about Day 3, the Final Round of Championship Play:
- With Sunday’s final round cancelled due to continued inclement weather, Scott Dunlap was declared the winner of the 2024 Insperity Invitational after producing scores of 65-70—135 (-9) on Saturday. When severe storms resulted in the postponement of Friday’s first round, all players completed 36 holes Saturday.
- 2022 and 2023 Insperity Invitational champion Steven Alker finished T4 at 7-under 137 in his bid to become the first player to win the same PGA TOUR Champions event three consecutive seasons since Bernhard Langer at the Kaulig Companies Championship (2014-2016).
- In his first start since tearing his Achilles on February 1, World Golf Hall of Fame member and 4-time Insperity Invitational winner Bernhard Langer claimed T31 honors at 1-under 143 after rounds of 69-74.
INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT DUNLAP
Insperity Invitational talked to Scott Dunlap following the announcement of his win.
First win in 10 years, shortened to 36 holes, but still a win, take me through your
emotions right now?
“Well, we chatted yesterday when we knew what the forecast was, but still had to prepare. So,
wow, I’m just overcome by it all. I did mention yesterday it has kinda been in the wilderness, and
hadn’t played that well but thinking I could do better, not really knowing if something like this
was in the offing, and low and behold it was. Now we get to play some more golf for a year and
a bit, and keep hacking.”
Did you think this day was gonna come?
“I mean, you had to hold out hope. I mean, I just knew I could do better than I was doing and so,
you just don’t know how much better and what that means. I know I’m going up against, I mean
the TOUR has only gotten tougher since I’ve turned 50. Some really great quality players have
turned 50 since I’ve been out here so it only got harder. So, I knew that I could be better but I
didn’t know if that meant that I could beat these guys again. There is still a nice living to be
made playing golf, but you do play to win. Did I think I could win? Maybe. But I wasn’t sure.”
You get to go to Hawaii now?
“Ya, well, I saw one my first year out and so I got two years, so I guess I got two more. Vacation,
Hawaii, geez, I’ll see if I can clear my schedule.”
What does this mean to you?
“Just a little bit of validation and I guess I kind of represent what all golfers are doing – we just
kind of wake up each day, just trying to get better, and working it. It was very interesting,
Steven Alker spoke at a Evergreen Society meeting in Atlanta last week and I go to these
meetings when I’m in town, and I’ve always, my buddy Louis Brown runs these things and I was
like, man you gotta ask him ‘what did you figure out when you turned 50’ and even I was
thinking you must have changed your grip, there must have been some lightening bolt one
thing, and it wasn’t. I just got a little better, worked the process, got stronger, got fitter, short
game, and it’s like, you know, that is the way life is and the way golf is. There is no short
answer, there is no quick fixes. You just work, get better, wake up each day. And, it was very
interesting and maybe that was in the back of my head, kind of help me clear a few things and
get a little better immediately. But ya, it’s just a trek, that is what golf is. I knew that I could do
better than I was doing and here we are.”
You drive out of here today, or tomorrow, to Birmingham all smiles right?
“Oh for sure. I mean, so, okay, my golf is good enough to win a two round shootout. Now I get to
find out if we can play three or four days, and maybe sleep on a lead, but now I can relax and
play golf. I mean, Bryan Naugle (Tournament Director) called me after the West Coast trip
where I was out there for three weeks, first altered all three of them, only got in one of them. I
was not expecting to get in this week, he calls me and hey, you know, Jane and I want to invite
you to play and it’s like, wow! I almost broke down there – that is just so cool. So just being
here, I just told him even if I finished 50th this week, that was the nicest phone call that I have
received in months, much less now standing here in the winner’s circle. The good graces of
others brought me here. It wasn’t owed me, my golf’s been okay, but not good enough to
guarantee my place here and they extended me an invite and to take advantage of that, ya, it
feels pretty awesome.”
How hard is it to be alternate and not knowing?
“At the end of the day, these are real first world problems. I mean, I knew I was going to play
twentysome tournaments this year, but I got to make hay if I want to not do that next year I’ve
got to finish 45th to 49th on the Money List, which is what I’ve done. And once again, like I said, I
think I should have been doing better than that. I wasn’t. I was getting a little worse each year,
but I said this is not an inevitable slide. I should be able to turn this around possibly, but until
you do, you don’t know if you are going to. And, now we’ve taken a good step in the right
direction. Look at Steven Alker, I mean he found greatness at the age of 50. I don’t know if I can
find greatness at the age of 60, but I know I can do a whole lot better than I have from the age
of 55 to 60 which was some okay to mediocre golf. Now, lets get a little better and have some
fun and keep playing.”
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Source: Insperity Invitational
