Category: Senior

Robert Funk paces field after one round at 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship

It’s an elite senior amateur field at Desert Willow Golf Club.

One of the most elite senior amateur fields of the year is being paced by one man through 18 holes. Robert Funk holds a one shot lead after posting a 1-under 71 to open the Golfweek Senior Division National Championship at Desert Willow Golf Club in Palm Desert, California.

Despite not feeling 100 percent with his golf swing, Funk managed to score when he needed to, carding three birdies on the round.

When it comes to his game plan for Monday’s penultimate round, he says he’s just going to take it one shot at a time.

As for those in pursuit, there are plenty of contenders waiting. Joe Palmer leads the pack as the lone man to shoot even par on the day. Three over through 15 holes, Palmer closed his first round out strong with a trio of birdies.

Seven men are tied for third. The pack is highlighted with 2021 U.S. Senior Open low amateur Billy Mitchell and 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year and 2022 Challenge Cup captain, Craig Hurlbert.

Seven more players lurk three shots back at 2 over and 16 more players are just four shots back at 3 over. From top to bottom, the entire field is separated by 15 shots or less. The crowded leaderboard is to be expected. Last year’s Golfweek Senior Division National Championship was one of the highest-rated fields in all of senior amateur golf last year, making this championship a sneak peek into the summer major season.

When it comes to how he’s going to defend his slim lead against such a large number of players, Funk has just one request: “I’d love to make more putts.”

If you want to tee it up with the best senior amateurs in the game, check out the Golfweek senior amateur schedule here.

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Mike Finster, Gene Bingman go wire-to-wire at Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic

The 2023 season started in a dominant fashion for Mike Finster.

The 2023 season started in a dominant fashion for Mike Finster. The Florida native kicked off the 2023 Golfweek senior slate with a wire-to-wire victory at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club.

Rebounding from his 1 over second-round performance, Finster closed the championship out with an even-par final round. Finster had a hot hand on the front nine with four birdies sandwiching a double bogey on the par-4 sixth. 

Rusty Strawn, the defending Golfweek Player of the Year and U.S. Senior Amateur champion, began the day four shots back of Finster and was a part of the final group set on chasing down the 36-hole leader. Strawn was able to muster three birdies on the front nine but made the turn at 1 under and six shots back of Finster.

As the final group plodded their way through the final nine, Strawn was unable to capitalize on Finster’s two back-nine bogeys, finishing the tournament three back of the leader at 3 over.

Finster’s play was strong all week, as he navigated tough and uncommon Florida conditions en route to his 54-hole, even-par total. He was the only player in the field, regardless of age bracket, to have two rounds at par or better. 

In the Super Senior division, it was Steve Humphrey taking the crown. Holding a share of the 36-hole lead with Mike Poe, Humphrey left no doubt on Wednesday.

Making the turn at even par, Humphrey stayed out of trouble while those around the top of the leaderboard faltered left and right. As his opponents struggled, Humphrey tacked on two birdies down the stretch to cap off a 10-shot victory and the lowest round of the week.

While the Super Senior division was decided rather easily, the Legends needed all 54 holes to declare a winner.

Don Donatoni, the 36-hole leader and the 2022 Legend Player of the Year, set out to keep his outstanding form going into the 2023 calendar year. Looking to contest was Arkansas’ Bev Hargraves, who paced the Legends after Monday’s first round and trailed Donatoni by three strokes heading into Wednesday’s final round alongside Don Russell.

Russell bowed out of the fight following a double bogey on the par-4 15th, leaving way for Donatoni and Hargraves.

Three shots behind Donatoni with just four holes left, Hargraves birdied Nos. 15, 16 and 18 to tie Donatoni for the lead at 10-over par.

With both men needing to catch a flight, the pair decided to share medalist honors. With the act of sportsmanship, the pair were awarded 1,000 player of the year points each and split the first place purse of $900. 

In the 75+ year old Super Legends division, Gene Bingman matched Finster’s dominant play, also going wire-to-wire in his win. Rounds of 80, 82 and 78 was enough to keep Jack Marin and Gil Stenholm well away from the lead, as Bingman coasted to a five-shot victory.

The next Golfweek senior event is the Golfweek Senior Division National Championship, slated for March 26-28 at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California. To register, click here.

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Moving day sees little ‘moving’ at 2023 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic

Scoring has been hard to come by at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club.

It’s not all sunshine and roses in Tampa, Florida, this week. Scoring has been hard to come by at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, home of the 2023 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic.

One man, however, has been able to piece things together enough to lead not just his age division, but also the entire field.

Mike Finster paced the field for the second straight day following his opening round 71 with a 1-over 73, good for an even-par score through 36 holes. The St. Petersburg native has held steady throughout the week despite unusual Florida weather and tough course conditions.

Finster holds a three-shot lead over Georgia’s Danny Nelson, while last year’s Golfweek Player of the Year, Rusty Strawn, lurks in solo third at 4 over.

Through 36 holes, Super Senior co-leaders Steve Humphrey and Mike Poe still have not separated from each other, both at 8 over. First round Super Senior leader Marcus Beck slid back into solo second with a 6-over 78 on Tuesday. At 9 over, he sits one shot behind Humphrey and Poe and will be the primary contender for the co-leaders. 

Reigning Golfweek Legend Player of the Year, Don Donatoni looks to pick up 2023 right where he left off 2022. A second round 75 moved the Pennsylvania native past round one leader Bev Hargraves and sets Donatoni up for an early season victory.

At 8 over for the week, Donatoni leads Hargraves and Florida’s Don Russell by three strokes.William Everett has a puncher’s chance, as he played himself into the final foursome with a second-round 76. He remains four back at 12 over.

In the Super Legend division, it’s still anyone’s race. 

Ohio’s Gene Bingman continues to pace the field, following his opening 80 with a second round 82. However, with just two shots ahead of the field, a slew of contenders await a chance to move up the leaderboard Wednesday. Led by Jack Marin and Dan Nicholson at 20 over, there are five golfers within seven shots of Bingham. 

With more of the same scoring conditions coming for Wednesday’s final round, a more than solid round of golf will be needed to overtake any leader.

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2023 Senior Amateur season tees off in Tampa at Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic

The quest for Player of the Year honors commenced Monday at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club in Florida.

The 2023 Golfweek senior amateur season is officially underway. 

The quest for Player of the Year honors commenced Monday at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Florida. But first, let’s take a moment to honor the four men who earned Player of the Year honors in 2022.

Senior division player of the year Rusty Strawn had a fantastic 2022. The Georgia native began his year with a win at the Florida Senior Azalea in March. Picking up another win at the Senior Trans-Miss, Strawn took down fellow Georgian Doug Hanzel in the U.S. Senior Amateur.

Not done yet, Strawn followed the USGA major victory with a win North of the border, winning the Canadian Senior Amateur a week later. Capping off his 2022 season with a winning captaincy at the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup, Strawn ran away with Player of the Year in the senior division.

Super Senior Marc Fried, like Strawn, had a dominant 2022. Starting his season with three straight top-five finishes, Fried built momentum towards a winning effort at the U.S. Super Senior National Championship. Per AmateurGolf.com, Fried’s worst finish on the year was T-18 in 17 starts.

Pennsylvania native Don Donatoni nabbed Legend player of the year honors thanks in part to a win at the Super-Senior Amateur. Playing strongly throughout the year at Golfweek events, the 74 -year-old was able to secure the top spot at year’s end.

After a season that included a win at the Golfweek Senior National Invitational, John Blank earned the Super Legend player of the year honor.

With all four age division winners and 2022 Yancey Ford Award winner Joe Pavoni, all honored on Monday, the 2023 race for Player of the Year is officially underway.

Mike Finster leads the senior division through round 1. The Florida native carded the lone under-par score of the day with a 1 under 71. Georgia’s Danny Nelson lurks two shots back at 1 over while Rusty Strawn is in a two-way tie for third after posting an opening 74.

In the Super Senior division, it’s Marcus Beck holding a two-shot lead at 3 over. An even par front nine was marred by a lone double bogey on the par-5 15th. Mike Poe and Steve Humphrey matched each other with 77s to finish the day two back of Beck.

Arkansas’s Bev Hargraves impresses with an opening 4 over 76. With 36 holes left to play, Hargreaves will have to be weary as Don Donatoni trails by just one shot.

In the 75+ age bracket, Gene Bingman commands an early lead. The super legend carded an 8 over 80 to take a one shot lead over Gil Stenholm.

Round two of the Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic continues on Tuesday. For more information on how to play Golfweek events, click here.

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Joe Pavoni named Golfweek’s 2022 Yancey Ford Award winner

Few match the game-changing impact that 2022 recipient Joe Pavoni has made.

The Yancey Ford Award is awarded to those in senior amateur golf who have made a lasting impact on the game.

Few match the game-changing impact that 2022 recipient Joe Pavoni has made.

Growing up, Pavoni and his brother were introduced to the game by their father and spent most summers playing municipal courses in and around Chicago. Pavoni became good enough to earn a partial golf scholarship at Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. Upon graduation, Pavoni went on to run his own civil and environmental engineering company, leaving competitive golf behind.

It wasn’t until 2004 that Pavoni began playing national-level senior tournaments. Playing in the first-ever Golfweek senior event, Pavoni raised concerns about the yardages and setups. Almost immediately he was heading a three-man committee that would oversee yardages and course setups for every Golfweek senior event. 

Helping revolutionize how competitive senior amateur golf is played is deserving enough for the Yancey Ford Award, but Pavoni didn’t stop there.

He created his own senior tournament at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club, his home course, in Louisville, Kentucky. Pavoni was also an advisor tasked with helping create a points system to rank senior amateurs throughout the country and was instrumental in instituting four different age brackets in senior golf that are now widely used across the Society of Seniors, Golfweek events and countless other tours and events nationwide. Most recently, Pavoni was the tournament chairman for the Society of Seniors from 2015-2020.

Using his engineering background, Pavoni helped come up with yardage breakdowns and age breakdowns used regularly in elite senior events.

“What we tried to do was to adjust the yardages so players in different age brackets all hit the same clubs on their second or third shots,” Pavoni told Golfweek. “It’s not a perfect science, but you do the best you can.”

Of course, the reasoning behind adjusting yardages for senior golfers is simple – Pavoni wants everyone to enjoy the game of golf for as long as possible.

“My dad taught this to me when I was 6, 7 years old: the best thing about the game is I can play it until I’m no longer around,” Pavoni said. “You can play it with your friends and enjoy yourself your whole lifetime. What other game can you do that with?”

The adage is something Pavoni has taken to heart. Not only does he play golf, he plays it well. Most recently, the 78-year-old took home a win at the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup in the Super Legend division, shooting his age or better in two of the three rounds. With the win, Pavoni ended his winless streak after a couple of close calls leading up to the 2022 finale. 

As we turn the page to 2023, Pavoni’s legacy in the game continues to grow and now with the Yancey Ford Award, his legacy is cemented.

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Team Strawn completes comeback win at 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup

Rusty Strawn closed out 2022 by captaining his team to an incredible come-from-behind victory at the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup.

Capping off one of the most dominant years in recent senior amateur golf history, Rusty Strawn closed out 2022 by captaining his team to an incredible come-from-behind victory over Team Hurlbert at the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup.

Carding a team front-nine score of 7 over, Strawn’s team did enough to chip away at Team Hurlbert and get within one shot. It wasn’t until the pressure turned up on the back nine where Strawn’s team felt the most comfortable. 

As one of the top three scorers on his team, Strawn combined with John Wright and James Starnes for a wild 10-under par back nine. The incredible loop, in addition to six of the 10 counting scores being at or under par, opened up a nine-shot lead for the Strawn Men.

Captains Craig Hurlbert (L) and Rusty Strawn at the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup

While Team Strawn flourished down the stretch, 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year Craig Hurlbert and crew couldn’t hold on to their vanishing lead. 

Combining for 12 over on the front nine, Hurlbert’s team saw their lead quickly shrink. Grasping for straws, Team Hurlbert was 5 over through 15. Needing a miracle push, eight of the 10 counting scores birdied the par-4 16th, giving Hurlbert’s crew a glimmer of hope with two holes to play.

Unable to muster any more magic, Team Hurlbert carded a 9-over 739. The finish resulted in a comeback win for Rusty Strawn’s crew. Closing out strong, Team Strawn’s final-round 704 was the lowest team score of the week.

Aside from the team championship, four individual titles were awarded.

Ken Kinkopf was able to fend off a slew of challengers to hold on to the Senior division title. Kinkopf’s bogey-free, final-round 67 was the lowest round of the week in the senior division. The win makes it back-to-back Golfweek senior event victories, as Kinkopf took home the Tournament of Champions title in early December.

Rusty Strawn and Mike Combs couldn’t overcome speed bumps from early in the week, tying for second place at 2 over.

54 holes wasn’t enough to settle the Super Senior division. Steve Humphrey and Tim Vigotsky traded blows throughout the second and third rounds, but it was Humphrey who was able to ride the momentum from a final round 1 under 70 to take the championship on the first playoff hole.

Peter Van Ingen closed out a wire-to-wire victory in the Legend division with a final-round 72. The win closes out a strong finish to Van Ingen’s 2022 season, as he finished second in the Golfweek Tournament of Champions and followed that up with a third-place finish in the Society of Seniors last weekend.

2022 Yancey Ford Award winner Joe Pavoni also went wire-to-wire in his Super Legend win. Pavoni used rounds of 76, 80 and 74 to close out a four-shot victory in the 75+ age division.

With Team Strawn hoisting the Challenge Cup, the 2022 Golfweek senior amateur season comes to a close. The 2023 season begins January 16-18 at the Golfweek Senior Division National Championship in Palm Desert, California. Registration is still open here.

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Team Hurlbert maintains lead heading into final round of 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup

It all comes down to this.

With 18 holes left, the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup is primed for a dramatic finish.

2021 Golfweek Player of the Year Craig Hurlbert has captained his team to a six-shot lead after two rounds of play at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Florida. Hurlbert’s team is looking to go wire-to-wire against 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year Rusty Strawn and company.

Hurlbert’s crew went into Thursday’s second round with a 19-shot advantage. Although not as sharp on Thursday, Team Hurlbert used consistent play to maintain its lead. Seven of the 10 players that counted toward Wednesday’s first-round score counted toward the second round: Hurlbert, Gary Durbin, Greg Hendrix, Ken Kinkopf, Tom Lape, Jerry Slagle and Peter Van Ingen.

On the opposite sideline, Rusty Strawn’s team looks to continue its climb back after a positive penultimate round.

With Jacaranda playing tough, two rounds of even par from Mike Combs and Tim Vigotsky were enough to claim low rounds of the day and help close the gap.

Just as dramatic as the team portion is, the Senior Challenge Cup medalist races are setting up for a wild 18-hole shootout.

Overnight leader Rich Buckner fell from his perch Thursday with a 5-over 76. Currently in a tie for third at 3 over with Hurlbert and teammate Gary Durbin, Buckner looks to make up the ground he lost to Kinkopf and Combs, who are at 1 over.

The Super Senior division is a dog race among Team Strawn teammates. Tied atop the leaderboard at 4 over are Mike Arter and Tim Vigotsky. Two shots back is fellow Team Strawn member Marc Fried.

Van Ingen was able to grow his lead to seven shots despite a second-round score of 73. He remains the only Legend to have his score count towards team totals this week.

Joe Pavoni, the 2022 Yancey Ford Award winner, has an opportunity to go wire-to-wire in the Super Legend division. One shot back is Jim Dubois. 

The final round of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup tees off at 7:39 am local time Friday.

If you want to put your game to the test against some of the best senior amateur golfers in the world, check out the 2023 Golfweek events schedule, here to sign up.

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Team Hurlbert leads following the opening round of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup

Former Golfweek player of the year Craig Hurlbert and his crew have taken the early advantage over Rusty Strawn’s team at the 2022 Golfweek Challenge Cup. Led by a 2-under-par performance by senior division leader, Rich Buckner, Hurlbert’s team …

Former Golfweek player of the year Craig Hurlbert and his crew have taken the early advantage over Rusty Strawn’s team at the 2022 Golfweek Challenge Cup.

Led by a 2-under-par performance by senior division leader, Rich Buckner, Hurlbert’s team takes a 13-shot lead into Thursday’s second round. The biggest factor in growing the team’s lead? Half of the counting scores for Hurlbert’s team tallied up to even par. Buckner, Ken Kinkopf, Gary Durbin, Kevin VandenBerg and Victor Leoni were the biggest performers as they all carded rounds of 72 or better.

With over 20 players per team, 10 counting scores each day and 36 holes yet to play, a 13-shot lead can be erased in a matter of seconds. Knowing things change quickly when playing a team competition, Strawn is keeping his team in high spirits with a strict curfew of 3 a.m.

Much like the team portion, the individual competition is far from being decided.

Senior leader Rich Buckner holds a two-shot lead over a trio of players. His 2 under round of 69 was the low round of the day in all age divisions. Golfweek’s No. 2 ranked senior Kevin VandenBerg trails by three shots. Both captains are in the top 10 after one day of play as Hurlbert carded a 2-over 73, good for solo eighth. Strawn is hot on his tail at 9 over in a tie for ninth.

A member of Team Strawn leads the Super Senior division. Mike Arter used two birdies on the back nine to close out a strong 2 over 73. Two shots behind Arter, Steve Humphrey, Tim Vigotsky and Marc Fried are all giving chase.

Despite a back nine 40, Peter Van Ingen enjoys a four-stroke lead in the Legends division. Both Dale White and Sam Robinson will look to capitalize on what they hope to be a lack of momentum for Van Ingen as they begin their chase Thursday.

This year’s Yancy Ford Award winner, Joe Pavoni, holds the helm in the Super Legend division following an opening round of 76. His five-over-par effort is good enough for a three-shot lead over Jim Dubois.

Play continues Thursday at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Florida. Come Friday, four medalists will be crowned as well as a team champion. With nearly 50 of the world’s best senior amateur golfers in one place, only time will tell who will stake their claim as champion.

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2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup features stacked field

The 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup is more than just the penultimate event of the season.

The 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup is more than just the final ranking tournament of the season. It’s an opportunity to share camaraderie, stories and plenty of healthy rivalries.

The 54-hole stroke play event will be at Jacaranda Golf Club just outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and features four different age groups ranging from 55 to over 75 years old. Aside from crowning individual medalists in each age division, the Challenge Cup features a team aspect as well.

Not only are bragging rights and player of the year points up for grabs, but crucial World Amateur Golf Rankings points. The top 20 ranked senior amateur men in WAGR are exempt into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur. Although the points race for the U.S. senior am ends in August, every event matters.

Captaining the two teams are 2022 Golfweek/USA Today Sports Player of the Year Rusty Strawn and 2020 Golfweek/USA Today Sports Player of the Year Craig Hurlbert. Strawn is coming off an incredible year that was highlighted by wins at the U.S. and Canadian senior amateurs. Hurlbert is getting back in the playing saddle after taking time off to upstart a venture, raising over a billion dollars in investment capital for his newest company, Local Bounti.

Backing them is plenty of firepower: 2021 U.S. Open low amateur Billy Mitchell, Golfweek No. 2-ranked senior am Kevin Vandenberg and 2022 Yancey Ford Award winner Joe Pavoni.

If you want to play premier courses across the country and test your skills against the best senior amateur golfers, check out the 2023 Golfweek senior amateur golf schedule.

Four champs crowned at 2022 Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions

Four champs were crowned at 2022 Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions.

Four winners were crowned at the Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions on Friday.

The event, held at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, lured some of the best senior amateur from around the country. 

However, 55 holes were needed to name a senior champ. Ken Kinkopf needed an extra hole to defeat Ryan Howison. Kinkopf had been near the top of the leaderboard all week long and enjoyed a share of the 36-hole lead heading into Friday’s final round.

Howison was two shots back to begin the day but made quick work to close the gap. Carding three early birdies, Howison not only negated Kinkopf’s lead, but took a one-stroke advantage as he headed to the back nine. Unable to muster any more birdies, Howison fell down the stretch, ruining his good work on the front nine with three bogeys, including the 18th, to finish even on the day and 5 over for the tournament.

In the clubhouse with a share of the lead, Howison would have to wait and see what Kinkopf and company could do.

Kinkopf struggled with the front nine on Friday. Making the turn at 1 over on the day, Kinkopf began the back nine with two more bogeys to go from 2 over on the week to 5 over.

Rallying with a birdie on the par-4 15th, Kinkopf held the solo lead until he carded a bogey on the 18th to fall into a playoff with Howison. The pair set back out onto the par-4 18th, where Kinkopf was able to claim the win with a par.

In the super legends division, Steve Humphrey put the finishing touches on a blowout. The Florida native not only won his age division but posted a tournament low with a 54-hole score of 4-under 212.

Humphrey took home the super legends title by a whopping 14 shots. Stacking up against the rest of the field, Humphrey’s 212 would have been good for a nine-shot victory in the 55-60 year old age group.

Don Donatoni pieced together rounds of 74, 78 and 75 (227) for a five-shot victory in the legends division. Super legend Frank Polizzi broke 80 twice to sneak away with a three-shot victory in the 75+ age division.

Want to play some of the best golf courses around the world? Want to make friends along the way? Check out the 2023 Golfweek senior amateur golf schedule to see when and where you can join the best.

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