Tag: Desert Willow Golf Club

Plenty of low scores highlight Golfweek Senior Amateur first round

A handful of players shot their age or better.

After a thrilling finish at the 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship, the West Coast senior swing continues in Palm Desert, California.

Seniors from ages 55 to 75 and up hit the links in four different age brackets for 54 holes to crown champions. With prime scoring conditions at the Firecliff Course at Desert Willow Golf Resort, a handful of players shot their age or better.

Three men lead the way in the Senior division (ages 55-64). Stan Humphries, Kirk Maynord and Steven McPherson all carded rounds of 1-under 71. Seven players slide in behind them at even par. 55 players are within seven shots of the leaders.

In the Super Senior division (65-69), Scott Masingill and Jeff Burda share the top of the leaderboard after matching rounds of 2 under. A trio of players trail by three shots while another 11 players are within five of the leaders.

Three players in the Legends division (70-74) found the fountain of youth. Tom Yellin, Kerry Booth and George Walker scored in red numbers with a combined 12 birdies.

In the Super Legend division, five men shot their age or better. Led by Jim DuBois’ 1-over 73, Denny Atkins, John Blank, Bob Lutz and John Seehausen all reached the incredible feat on Thursday.

If you want to play alongside the best senior amateur golfers in the United States, check out the Golfweek senior amateur schedule here.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Gary Albrecht wins 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship

For Albrecht, the win is one of the biggest of his career.

One of the most highly-touted fields in all of amateur senior golf lived up to its billing this week. The 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship needed an extra hole to crown a winner.

Following a one-hole playoff, 66-year-old Gary Albrecht came out on top at Desert Willow Golf Club in Palm Desert, California. The 36-hole leader was able to stave off Kory Frost for his first national championship win with a 2-under 214 total.

Typically a super senior, Albrecht dropped an age bracket to play, as it’s right down the road from where he winters in Indian Wells.

“I was comfortable coming in,” Albrecht said. “I was hitting the ball well and the first round I thought I didn’t putt real well but I was right there. I putted real well in round two and made a move up the leaderboard and then today was really just a matter of holding it together.”

Albrecht needed a bit of duct tape early after recording three bogeys through his first five holes. Never hitting the panic button, Albrecht quietly worked his way back toward 1 over on the day as he hit the final stretch.

“My game wasn’t all working, but it all worked at different times,” Albrecht recalled.

One group ahead of Albrecht were his top two challengers.

Jon Lindstrom and Kory Frost both had shots to track down Albrecht. Lindstrom bowed out after making par on the par-5 18th for a final-round 69. Frost however, birdied the hole to get himself to 2 under for the tournament and 6 under in his final 10 holes.

After an Albrecht par on No. 18, the pair were deadlocked at 2 under and headed to the first tee for a sudden-death playoff.

Both men found themselves in the left rough off the tee. Albrecht played first and nearly got to the green in two. Frost countered with a shot that was also a near miss, just left of the green.

With about 40 feet left, Albrecht elected to use the Texas wedge to try and knock it close.

Fortunately for Albrecht, the flagstick saved him from running by as his ball kissed the flagstick and nestled up well inside a foot. Frost left his birdie putt short and was unable to knock down a five-foot slider to extend the playoff.

For Albrecht, the win is one of the biggest of his career.

How’s the semi-retired attorney going to celebrate the victory? Well he’s going to tee it right back up on Thursday at the Golfweek Senior Amateur.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Gary Albrecht leads 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship

It’s one of the deepest fields in all of senior amateur golf.

The 2023 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship has become a battle in the desert.

Gary Albrecht takes a two-shot lead into the final round at Desert Willow Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, following a 4 under 68 on Monday. The California native carded just one bogey on the day to leapfrog 18-hole leader, Robert Funk, to take the 36-hole lead.

Funk was able to work off an early-round double bogey, closing his scoring with a birdie on No. 17 to get himself back to even on the day and remain 1 under for the tournament. He and Joe Palmer sit at 1 under and lead a pack of players well within striking range.

Mark Lindberg and Leonard Komar are both 1 over and coming off of sub-par rounds Monday. Three more players are in a tie for sixth, just five shots off the lead.

As one of the deepest fields in all of senior amateur golf, the tournament is living up to its billing. Six players, including 2021 U.S. Senior low amateur Billy Mitchell, are just 3 over and six shots back. With such an elite field, the championship is still anyone’s ball game.

For 2022 Golfweek Challenge Cup captain Craig Hurlbert, the week comes to an abrupt end with a WD. Other notables: Jerry Gunthorpe (T17), Craig Larson (T17), Kevin VandenBerg (T29) and Vance Welch (T39).

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

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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Jerry Gunthorpe leads after first round of Golfweek Senior Division National Championship

Desert Willow Golf Club’s Firecliff Course in Palm Desert, California, is hosting 84 top senior amateur players.

Desert Willow Golf Club’s Firecliff Course in Palm Desert, California, is hosting 84 of the top senior amateur players in the country for the 2022 Golfweek Senior Division National Championship.

The 54-hole event concluded its first round of play with one man on top of the leaderboard. Jerry Gunthorpe, a 58-year old mechanical contractor from Ovid, Michigan, leads by one shot following his opening 4-under 68.

A bogey-free day, Gunthorpe kept his card clean with birdies on Nos. 7 and 13 before closing with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 despite his lack of green control and what he described as an “abomination of ball striking”. Overcoming his struggles, Gunthorpe buckled down and got it right when he needed to.

Without having his A-game, Gunthorpe had a clean card with four pristine circles, which could spell trouble for the rest of the field.

One shot back of Gunthrope is Jerry Slagle. The Southlake, Texas, native carded a 3-under 69 that featured a tournament-high seven birdies. A much different day than Gunthorpe, Slagle is still the main challenger to the Michigander.

As always, Slagle said that his day could’ve been a lot better, but he recognized that it could’ve been a lot worse, too.

Three are tied at 1 under and six more are within five shots of Gunthorpe.

Split-tee action begins Monday at 10:15 am ET. Moving day will be scored live on Golf Genius with a winner claiming their title and 1,200 Golfweek Player of the Year points on Wednesday.