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Top-ranked Vance Welch, Walker Taylor share lead at 2023 Golfweek Senior National Championship

Talking to his daughter before the round, Vance Welch found out he is going to be a grandfather again.

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Vance Welch’s day was already made before he even hit a practice shot before his second round at the 2023 Golfweek Senior National Championship at the Grandover Resort (East Course) in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Talking to his daughter before the round, Welch found out he is going to be a grandfather again, this time for a baby girl due in October.

“That just put me in a happy place,” he said. “It didn’t matter if I hit a bad shot today. What an awesome day today was when I found out I was going to have another grandchild.”

With a smile on his face, Welch may have been the happiest man to ever be over par for a round. One over through eight holes and seven back of the lead, his golf turned around when he holed out for an eagle on the par-5 18th.

Not looking back, the top-ranked player in Golfweek’s Senior Amateur Rankings closed out his second round with a bogey-free back nine 33, good for a 68 and share of the lead alongside 18-hole leader Walker Taylor (3 under).

With two wins under his belt on the season, Welch acknowledges he’ll have a target on his back during Wednesday’s final round. No matter what happens in Wednesday’s final round, Welch is excited for a post-round celebration.

“My girls live in Raleigh, about an hour away [from Greensboro]…as soon as I get finished tomorrow I’m going to go hug my daughter and rub her belly and hold my girls. Both of my daughters live in Raleigh so I’m looking forward to spending time with them tomorrow night.”

Paired with Welch in the final group are co-leader Walker Taylor and Carolinas Golf Association Hall of Fame member Paul Simson.

Taylor pulled out to a seven-shot lead halfway through the second round after a 3-under front nine. Coming back to the clubhouse at 4 over, Taylor slipped from solo command of the lead and now finds himself in the middle of a dogfight. Tied with Welch and holding a one-shot advantage over Simson, Taylor looks to settle unfinished business after letting the 2022 Golfweek Senior National Championship slip away from him last year.

Simson was back in typical form following a tough first round of 4 over.

“I was pretty disappointed with my round yesterday,” Simson said. “I played a lot better than that 76 and today quite honestly, I played about the same. But I made a few putts and I holed a sand wedge on the 13th hole for my second eagle of the week.”

Out in 4 under, Simson was able to post another red number on his way back in to card a 5-under 67, right in the thick of things at 1 under and two back of the leaders.

North Carolina’s Sherrill Brent is also in the mix at 1 under. Improving upon his even-round start, Brent will lead the way for the penultimate group and look to apply pressure ahead of the final group. His playing partners Rick Cloninger and Michael Arasin both vie for the championship at even par total.

Super Seniors (65-69)

Randy King and Bob Edens look to duke it out in the Super Senior age division. Both at 2 over par and improving upon their first-round scores, the pair have a three-shot lead on the rest of the field.

Legends (70-74)

First-round leader Charley Yandell commands the leaderboard through 36 holes. With one of just four sub-par rounds in Tuesday’s action, Yandell carded a 2-over 74 but still enjoys a five-shot cushion as he looks to go wire-to-wire.

Super Legends (75+)

Sharing the lead after day one alongside Bill Engel, Frank Costanzo’s steady play through the second round has earned him a five-shot advantage with 18 holes to play. Carding consecutive rounds of 73, Costanzo searches for the win on Wednesday.

Golfweek’s 2022-23 women’s college golf All-Americans

Check out the women’s All-Americans from the 2022-23 season.

The 2022-23 college golf season has concluded, with two weeks of NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Rose Zhang capped her college career in incredible fashion, coming from behind to win the 2023 NCAA individual title for her eighth win of the season. Then, it was Wake Forest dominating in the championship match to capture its first title in school history on the back of its three leaders.

Now that the dust has settled on the season, it’s time to hand out some individual awards. Here are Golfweek’s First Team, Second Team, Third Team and Honorable Mention All-Americans for the 2022-23 women’s college golf season.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

More college: Men’s All-Americans

Golfweek’s 2022-23 men’s college golf All-Americans

Check out the men’s All-Americans from the 2022-23 season.

The 2022-23 college golf season has concluded, with two weeks of NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

And it was a sweep for the Florida Gators. It started with Fred Biondi’s come-from-behind victory in the individual competition to capture the title, and then in the match play championship, the Gators also came from down late to defeat Georgia Tech and win the fifth title in school history and first in more than two decades.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

More college golf: Women’s All-Americans

Walker Taylor leads stacked field at 2023 Golfweek Senior National Championship

Walker Taylor, 61, leads the 2023 Golfweek Senior National Championship.

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Walker Taylor, 61, leads the 2023 Golfweek Senior National Championship after Monday’s first round at Grandover Resort (The East Course) in Greensboro, North Carolina. The scene is a dose of deja vu for the North Carolina native who led the tournament after one round last year.

Pacing the field with an opening 68, the former touring professional and three-time Ironman competitor out of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, had himself quite the back nine.

One under through 10, Taylor found the hazard on the par-4 11th. After a three-putt double bogey, Taylor was a bit irritated with himself as he walked to the 12th tee.

“I was actually standing on that tee and I was kind of mad at myself but I was calm,” he said. “I was like ‘Man, maybe if you ace you get back to under par.’”

Stepping into his tee shot on the 117-yard par 3, Taylor didn’t feel comfortable and backed off to reset and find the right mind space before hitting his next shot.

Flushing his wedge, Taylor one-hopped his ball right into the hole for an ace, immediately erasing the damage done on the previous hole.

The ace is Taylor’s ninth of his career but first in competition play.

With the good fortune, Taylor resumed his near-automatic play as he looked to finish strong. Birdies on Nos. 13, 14, 17 and 18 resulted in Taylor playing his final seven holes at 5 under par and granted him a first-round 68.

Currently an insurance broker, Taylor has plenty of experience playing on big stages. After finishing college at Clemson, Taylor made it to the final stage of European Tour Q-School and even made a PGA Tour start before hanging up his professional golf dream.

Since regaining his amateur status in 1989, Taylor has teed it up in five U.S. Mid-Ams, four British Amateurs, two U.S. Amateurs and most recently has advanced to match play in both of his U.S. Senior Amateur appearances. He’ll be making a trip across the pond later this summer to play in his third British Senior Amateur.

With 29 putts and 15 of 18 greens hit on the day, Taylor looks to build upon his hot start with one mantra borrowed from his good friend and Walker Cup Captain, Mike McCoy: “Keep moseyin’ on.”

He’ll have plenty of competition with one of the best fields of the year lurking behind him.

Georgia’s Mike Combs, ranked No. 15 in Golfweek’s Senior Amateur Rankings, posted a 1-under 71 and is tied for second alongside Alabama’s Michael Arasin (No. 20). Another friend of Taylor’s, Sherrill Britt (No. 79), carded an even-par round to take sole possession of fourth place through 18 holes. Golfweek No. 1 Vance Welch looks to apply some pressure after an opening round 73, giving him a three-way share of fifth place alongside Golfweek’s No. 10 senior amateur Rick Cloninger.

Other notables: 2022 Golfweek Senior National Champion Kevin VandenBerg (+6, T18), Carolina amatuer golf legend Paul Simson (+4, T14)

Super Seniors (65-69)

Randy King holds a one-shot lead following a first-round 73. Bill Long (+2) and Bob Edens (+3) lead the rest of the pack of nine players within five strokes of the lead.

Legends (70-74)

Charley Yandell earned the top spot in the Legends age bracket with an opening 71. The score holds as one of just four rounds under par and the only sub-par round outside of the Senior division.

Super Legends (75+)

Bill Engel and Frank Costanzo share the lead at 1 over. John Blank (+3) looks to give chase ahead of a three-man group at 4 over.

Rex Enright comes from behind to win; Team New Mexico goes wire-to-wire at 38th U.S. Senior Challenge Cup

Enright was glad he had seven years of local knowledge in his back pocket.

Rex Enright began the final round trailing 36-hole leader Randy Haag by three strokes.

As a member of the Canyon Club, host of the 38th U.S. Senior Challenge Cup, Enright was glad he had seven years of local knowledge in his back pocket as he faced off against Haag in the final group.

“After looking Randy’s resume,” Enright told Golfweek. “I was like ‘Oh (expletive) this guy is pretty good… this could be a challenge!”

With more than 300 wins in his amateur career and three wins already in 2023, Haag was definitely a worthy opponent. Resting on his local knowledge, Enright took comfort in his ability to navigate the elevation and sloped greens that prove to be the primary challenge in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I figured with his (Haag) resume, that I’d have to shoot 67,” Enright said.

Fortunately for Enright, Haag stumbled out of the gates with a bogey, bogey start. On the par 5 4th, Haag five-putted for a triple to sway the leaderboard in favor of Enright.

Down but not out, Haag battled for control of the top spot and earned back a share of the lead as the two men stood on the 17th tee after being down three strokes through 11 holes.

After catching multiple breaks in Wednesday’s second round, Haag’s luck seemed to have run out on the par-3 17th. Hitting his tee shot just a couple of paces too long, he found himself putting back down towards the hole from just off the green in the rough.

Four putting from off the green Haag left the door open for Enright to slam the tournament shut.

Putting the finishing touches on the championship with a two-putt par, Enright went on to par the 18th and claiming the Challenge Cup by two strokes with a tournament total of 2-over 218.

Defending his home course, Enright becomes the first U.S. Senior Challenge Cup individual champion from New Mexico.

Team Champion

Four more New Mexico natives made Challenge Cup history Thursday as Team New Mexico-Slayton was crowned champions. Riding the back of captain Jack Slayton all week, Kevin Sivage, Anton Salome and Bill Squier strolled through the week to win by 15 shots, boasting a three-day total of 6-over to complete a wire-to-wire win.

Legends (70-74)

Slayton not only ran away with the team portion, but also the Legends age division. Touting three straight rounds of 70, Slayton swept the 70-74 year old bracket by six shots and totaling the lowest 54-hole total of the tournament with a 6-under 210. His play nets him low man of the week honors as no other player finished under par regardless of age bracket.

Super Seniors (65-69)

Wyoming’s John Hornbeck was crowned champion in the 65-69 age group, running away with a seven shot victory with tournament total of 4-over 220. New Mexico’s Crispin Fuentes finished second at 11 over.

Super Legends (75+)

Arizona’s David Ralsey capped off the week with a final-round 77 to complete a wire-to-wire win in the 75+ age division.

Vance Welch, Jeff Burda, George Walker, John Seehausen take home wins at drama-filled Golfweek Senior Amateur

There was no shortage of drama at the 2023 Golfweek Senior Amateur.

The Firecliff course at the Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California, played host to one of the more dramatic finishes in Golfweek Senior Amateur history, with two of the events needing a playoff to decide things.

Vance Welch outlasted four others in a wild playoff.

Jeff Burda was dominant in the Super Senior division.

George Walker overcame a snowman on the scorecard earlier in the week.

John Seehausen defeats a former NBA star to win the Super Legends division.

Here’s more on each of the four divisions:

Senior Division (55-64)

Five players in the senior division ended up tied at 2 over following 54 holes. 36-hole co-leaders Tommy Brennan and Kirk Maynord both slipped from the top rung of the leaderboard following rounds of 4-over 76 to find themselves in a five man dog fight for the title.

The three challengers were all coming of sub-par rounds with Loren Lopeman having the hottest hand following a 4-under 68 to earn a spot in the playoff.

After playing the par-4 1st hole, Mike Combs bowed out with a bogey. The four remaining players then headed to the par-4 9th where Loperman and Brennan were eliminated.

Just as the sun was setting over the San Jacinto mountains, Vance Welch won the championship with a par on the par-3 8th. Welch, a Maryland native, improved each day en route to the win using rounds of 75, 72 and closing with a final 71 to backdoor his way to the win.

Super Senior (65-69)

Jeff Burda didn’t just play this week. He dominated.

The lone super senior that was exempted into last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur ran laps around not just his age bracket, but the entire field.

The So Cal native built a seven stroke lead with back-to-back rounds of 70 but saved his most impressive round for last. His bogey free final round 64 was the lowest score to par all week across all age groups and was six shots off of the all-time scoring record of 18 under.

Curtis Worley carded a final round 71 to secure a solo second place finish at 4 over while Scott Masingill rounded out the podium with a 5-over performance on the week.

Legend Division (70-74)

Legend George Walker had himself quite a roller coaster of a week.

Opening the tournament with four consecutive birdies, Walker ended his first round with an eight for a three-way tie for the 18-hole lead. After a second round 76, Walker trailed the leader, Fred Clark, by four shots heading into the final round.

Repeating his hot start from Thursday, Walker birdied the first four holes. Unlike Thursday, however, Walker was able to close out his round strong and avenged his snowman on 18 with a birdie to capture the championship and win by two shots.

Fred Clark finished second at 2 under for tournament while Patrick Rohan finished third at 2 over.

Super Legend (75+)

Another playoff occurred, this time in the 75+ Super Legend division. John Seehausen and former NBA star Jack Marin were both tied at 7 over through 54 holes.

Losing a playoff in this event two years ago, Marin was once again a bridesmaid as Seehausen defeated him in a one-hole playoff to take home the championship.

If you think you have what it takes to play against some of. the best senior amateur players from across the country check out the Golfweek Senior Amateur schedule here.

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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.

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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.

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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