2026 SAS Championship news, field updates, highlights, Charles Schwab Cup storylines, and leaderboard movement from Prestonwood Country Club.
Cary, North Carolina — Prestonwood Country Club
Explore SAS Championship history, Prestonwood Country Club, past champions, memorable scoring performances, and the tournament's long-running place on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule.
View HistoryFollow the 2026 event preview, field developments, playoff-bubble storylines, defending-champion coverage, and highlights as the PGA TOUR Champions regular season concludes in Cary.
Event PreviewReview Prestonwood's Highlands-and-Meadows composite, Bermudagrass surfaces, tree-lined corridors, water hazards, par-5 scoring opportunities, and demanding approach-shot requirements.
Prestonwood Course GuideCompetition Dates: October 16-18, 2026
Tournament Week: October 12-18, 2026
Venue: Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, North Carolina
Format: 54-hole PGA TOUR Champions stroke play
Purse: $2.1 million
Tour: PGA TOUR Champions
Field: 78 players
Defending Champion: Alex Cejka
The SAS Championship returns to Prestonwood Country Club as the final tournament of the 2026 PGA TOUR Champions regular season. The 78-player event combines three days of competition with Charles Schwab Cup playoff pressure, community programming, the HBCU Invitational, Women's Day, pro-ams, and charitable support throughout North Carolina's Research Triangle.
Vijay Singh is the 2026 SAS Championship winner. Singh posted three consecutive rounds of 69 at Prestonwood Country Club to finish at 9-under 207, two strokes ahead of runner-up Ernie Els. The 63-year-old champion turned a tightly packed Sunday leaderboard into his first PGA TOUR Champions victory of the season and the sixth win of his PGA TOUR Champions career.
| Champion | Vijay Singh |
|---|---|
| Winning score | 9-under 207 (69-69-69) |
| Winning margin | Two strokes over Ernie Els |
| Dates | October 16-18, 2026 |
| Course | Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, North Carolina |
| Format | 54 holes, par 72 |
| Finish | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vijay Singh | 69 | 69 | 69 | 207 | -9 |
| 2 | Ernie Els | 69 | 71 | 69 | 209 | -7 |
| T3 | Alex Cejka | 71 | 70 | 69 | 210 | -6 |
| T3 | Tag Ridings | 67 | 73 | 70 | 210 | -6 |
| T5 | Ben Crane | 73 | 69 | 69 | 211 | -5 |
| T5 | George McNeill | 69 | 71 | 71 | 211 | -5 |
| T5 | Tim O'Neal | 70 | 68 | 73 | 211 | -5 |
| T5 | Mario Tiziani | 73 | 70 | 68 | 211 | -5 |
| T5 | Michael Wright | 69 | 72 | 70 | 211 | -5 |
| T10 | Chad Campbell | 68 | 71 | 73 | 212 | -4 |
| T10 | Ricardo Gonzalez | 71 | 69 | 72 | 212 | -4 |
| T10 | Fredrik Jacobson | 68 | 70 | 74 | 212 | -4 |
| T10 | Søren Kjeldsen | 68 | 71 | 73 | 212 | -4 |
| T10 | Bernhard Langer | 69 | 72 | 71 | 212 | -4 |
Fourteen players are listed because all five golfers tied for 10th are included.
A crowded tournament stayed open through Saturday. David Duval supplied an early spark with confident approach play and putting, while Paul Goydos repeatedly attacked the flagsticks. Michael Allen produced one of the loudest early reactions, and two-time SAS champion Bernhard Langer reminded everyone that he could still create a moment with the putter.
Retief Goosen made his move with precision. Crisp iron shots created chance after chance, and his eagle at the par-5 17th moved him into the lead before a composed finish at 18. Richard Green briefly joined him at the top, while Chad Campbell, Ricardo Gonzalez, Ernie Els, Tim O'Neal and George McNeill all delivered shots that kept the tournament bunched.
Els built the strongest chase. His eagle at 17 was one of the championship's signature highlights, and a closing 69 ultimately secured solo second at 7-under. Alex Cejka also finished with a 69 to share third with first-round standout Tag Ridings at 6-under.
Sunday belonged to Singh. He started the final round tied at 6-under with Tim O'Neal and Fredrik Jacobson, then calmly separated from the pack. A long birdie putt at the 10th pushed him to 8-under, and an aggressive approach later in the round showed that he was playing to win rather than protect position. Singh's steady closing stretch completed a third straight 69 and left Els two shots behind.
| Video Time | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Duval, Goydos, Allen and Langer create the early-round moments. |
| 2:06 | Goosen's pure iron play and eagle at 17 drive his surge to the top. |
| 3:37 | Campbell, Gonzalez, Els, O'Neal and McNeill keep the chase alive. |
| 5:56 | Singh takes control of the final round and closes out the championship. |
| 8:33 | The winning moment: Vijay Singh is confirmed as the 2026 SAS champion. |
Singh won with the exact combination Prestonwood demands: controlled ball-striking, patience around the water, confident putting and no wasted movement when the pressure increased. Three matching 69s tell the story. He never needed a spectacularly low round because he kept producing the right shot at the right time, then answered the Sunday pressure before anyone could catch him.
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2026 SAS Championship final recap, leaderboard and tournament highlights from Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina.