Making Inroads

Coloradan Gary Hallberg posted his best finish on the PGA Tour Champions since October 2013 on Sunday by tying for seventh place at the first senior major of the year, the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Ala.

Hallberg carded rounds of 72-69-68-71 for an 8-under-par 280 total, ending up nine strokes behind champion Bernhard Langer, who notched his sixth major victory on PGA Tour Champions.

Hallberg, who earned his only Champions victory in 2010, will turn 58 years old on May 31. Though he’s played 160 events on the tour since 2008, he’s gotten only four starts so far in 2016.

His last finish higher than the one he had at the Regions Tradition came in the fall of 2013, when he was fourth at the SAS Championship.

Sunday’s performance was worth $78,200 to the Coloradan. Hallberg only made it into the Regions Tradition field via a sponsor’s exemption.

“I still have some goals I want to achieve, so I’m real motivated,” Hallberg said in Birmingham. “I’ll try to scratch and claw all I can and see if I can get back out here fully exempt. That for me is the ultimate challenge.”