Miller Barber - After seemingly owning Jeremy Ranch for two straight years, Barber dropped to a 16th-place finish at the 1989 Showdown Classic. Barber had a two-year run at Jeremy Ranch winning the Showdown in 1987 and 1988. He also teamed with Ben Crenshaw to win the junior-senior title in 1985. Barber has won $115,500 in the four senior-only tournaments Jeremy Ranch has hosted.
Last year, Barber earned a career-best $370,229, but only finished 11th on the money list, the first time he hasn't finished in the top 10 since he joined the Senior TOUR in 1981. The Barbers live in Sherman, Texas.Don Bies - Bies followed up his successful 1988 rookie season on the TOUR with a banner 1989. Last year, Bies won three tournaments and $421,769 in prize money. He captured the Murata Seniors Reunion, the Inaugural Tradition at Desert Mountain and the GTE Kaanapali Classic. He entered 24 tournaments and finished in the top 10 eleven times.
A native of Cottonwood, Idaho, Bies jumped into contention at the 1989 Showdown with a second-round 65, tying the tournamant course record. He finished with a 4-under-par 212 to tie for sixth.
Al Geiberger - Geiberger finished third on the 1989 Senior PGA TOUR money list with $527,033 in official earnings. His lone victory last season came at the GTE Northwest Classic although he teamed with Harold Henning to win the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.
Last October, Geiberger passed the $1 million mark in earnings on the Senior TOUR giving him more than $1 million in earnings on both tours. After missing the 1989 Showdown, Geiberger comes back as a member of the Showdown Classic's Vantage Cup team in 1990. Geiberger is still the only player to break 60 on a TOUR event, doing it in 1977.
Frank Beard - Beard made his presence felt as a TOUR rookie in 1989 battling Orville Moody at the U.S. Senior Open before finally finishing second. It was one of three runner-up showings he had. He eventually finished 25th on the money list winning $189,655.
Beard had five straight seasons where he won more than $100,00 during his time on the regular tour, capped by the 1969 season when he was the top money winner with $175,224 in earnings.
Although eligible for last year's Showdown, this will be his first visit to Jeremy Ranch.
Bob Charles - Charles has been a dominating force on the Senior PGA TOUR since joining in 1986. The New Zealand native has yet to finish out of the top 10 in money winnings, and has won the TOUR'S money title for the last two years. In 1989, Charles won five official tournaments and $725,887, a Senior TOUR single-season record. He also captured wins at the British Senior Open and the Fuji Electric Grand Slam in Japan.
This is the first Showdown Classic Charles, the 1963 British Senior Open champion, has played in.
Harold Henning - Henning was the TOUR'S ironman last year playing 106 official rounds, more than any other player. His $453,163 in money winnings also established a record for the most money won by a player without winning a tournament.
Last year was Henning first experience playing at the Showdown Classic as a senior. He finished tied for 37th. In 1986, Henning teamed with Denis Watson to finish in second place when the Showdown Classic used a junior-senior format.
Mike Hill - Hill turned his rookie season on the Senior TOUR into a success by finishing ninth on the money list with $412,104 despite not winning an official tournament. He did team with Patti Rizzo to win the Mazda Champions in Puerto Rico where top Senior TOUR players team with players from the LPGA. His best TOUR finish was at the Digital Seniors Classic where he finished second.
Hill's older brother, Dave, is also on the Senior TOUR. Between the two, the Hills earned more than $900,000 in 1989. This is the first appearance at the Showdown Classic for Mike Hill.
Orville Moody - Moody turned in his best season as a professional last year winning $647,985 and two of the most important tournaments on the Senior PGA TOUR-the Mazda Senior TPC and the U.S. Senior Open. He was also the RJR stats All-Around champion for the second consecutive year. He has finished in the top five on the money list four out of the six years on the TOUR.
Moody continues to play well at Jeremy Ranch despite never breaking into the winner's circle. His best finish came in 1988 when he tied for second with Dick Rhyan and Ben Smith.
Tom Shaw - Shaw came to the 1989 Showdown Classic as another Senior TOUR rookie, but walked away with his first Senior TOUR title edging Larry Mowry for the title. He was one of five rookies to win last season. He carded rounds of 69, 68 and 70 for the one-stroke win and the $52,500 first prize. Shaw finished the season in 16th place on the money list with $281,393.
It had been 18 years between wins for Shaw with his last victory coming in 1971 at the Hawaiian Open. When Tom was a regular on the PGA TOUR, his one-time travel partner was Jeremy Ranch director of golf, Lanny Nielsen.
Don January - January has played a limited Senior PGA TOUR schedule recently despite winning 22 TOUR events since joining the TOUR in 1981. He is currently the director of golf at the Stonebriar Country Club in Dallas.
January is making his first Showdown Classic appearance since 1986 when he teamed with Brian Claar for an eighth-place finish when it was a junior-senior event. January teamed with Mike Sullivan in 1984 to win the junior-senior tournament at Jeremy Ranch. He played in the inaugural Senior TOUR event at Jeremy Ranch in 1982 finishing tied for second.
Chi Chi Rodriguez - After a two-year absence, Rodriquez returns to the Showdown Classic. He played in the 1987 Showdown finishing in a tie for third with four other players.
Rodriquez wasn't able to play as often last year because of a pinched nerve in his neck. By winning the Ameritech Senior Open in July, Rodriquez has won at least one tournament every year since 1986. His best year on the Senior TOUR came in 1987 when he finished first on the money list and became the first Senior TOUR player to win more than $500,000 in a season.
Lee Trevino - One of golf's most dynamic players, Trevino is having a spectacular rookie season. The winner of two U.S. Opens on the regular tour, Trevino outdueled Jack Nicklaus for the U. S. Senior Open title earlier this summer in New Jersey.
Trevino last played at Jeremy Ranch in 1983 as the junior partner to Miller Barber. The two Texans battled to a tie for fifth.
Trevino is a five-time winner of the Vardon Trophy which goes annually to the player with the lowest stroke average. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.
Billy Casper - Casper is probably the most familiar name to Utahns. For several years he was a Utah resident. Today he lives in Chula Vista, Calif.
Casper joined the regular PGA Tour back in 1955. During his career on the tour he accounted for 50 victories, including the U.S. Open and the Masters.
He joined the seniors tour in 1981 and since that time has won more than $1 million. He has nine tour victories on the Senior Tour, including the 1982 Jeremy Ranch title. Last year he won the Transamerica Senior Golf Championship.
His best year was 1983 when he was third in total winnings with $136,749. In 1989, he finished 23rd with $198,754.