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Two tied at the top following first round of the Golfweek Senior Amateur National Championship

Just 19 miles from the LPGA’s Chevron Championship, some of the world’s best senior amateurs are teeing it up.

Just 19 miles from where golf’s first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, is being played, some of the world’s best senior amateurs are teeing it up themselves.

PGA West in La Quinta, California, is hosting the Golfweek Senior Amateur National Championship, just a 30-minute drive from the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills.

Don Whittemore and Larry Nunez are the two who share a spot at the top of the leaderboard in the 55-to-64 year old division. Both carded even par rounds of 72. With just 10 birdies between the duo, Pete Dye’s Dune Course flexed its muscles to keep the leaders out of red numbers. Robert Funk rounds out the podium after day 1 with a 1-over 73.

Meanwhile, super senior Jeff Burda used five birdies to propel himself to an opening 70 and to the top of the field in the 65-to-69 division. Close on his heels, Steve Cribari posted a 1-under 71 to lead the charge come Friday’s moving day.

Curtis Worley and Doug Hopton-Jones have a share of third place thanks to their even-par rounds.

The legend division is led by Peter Van Ingen and Wyatt Meyer who each just missed out on shooting their age. Their matching 75s are good for a single stroke lead over both Gary Hardin and Evan Long.

Six more golfers are within four shots of the leaders.

In the super legends division, John Walker takes the early lead after a 1-under 71. He holds a single stroke over a trio of men tied at even par. John Seehausen is 1 over and rounds out the top 5 in the 75+ year old division.

The second round tees off at 7 a.m. local time (10 a.m. ET) at the PGA West Mountain Course.

Charleston Southern men, Coastal Carolina women crowned champions at Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday Collegiate

The True Blue Golf Course in Myrtle Beach hosted the Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday Collegiate.

The Golfweek/Any Given Tuesday Collegiate featuring men’s and women’s teams from across the country was held at True Blue Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Ten men’s teams and 17 women’s teams teed it up as they all prepare for the final stretch of the regular season and postseason play.

This was the first time Golfweek and Any Given Tuesday have teamed up but event was about much more than golf. Any Given Tuesday has spearheaded fundraising efforts for the families of those lost and injured in the tragic University of the Southwest vehicle crash. Any Given Tuesday has helped raise funds, one birdie at a time, with many teams, coaches and players pledging $1 for each circle on their card.

One player who helped that effort greatly was Marshall’s Tyler Jones. The junior broke the school’s scoring record of 63 that was set in 1958 by Linden Meade. Jones posted a 10-under 62 in Wednesday’s final round, catapulting him from T-6 and six back of the lead, to co-medalist honors.

“He was 4 under through six and I could just see that he had ‘it’,” Marshall head coach Matt Grobe told Golfweek. “You could tell he was kind of in a zone, so as a coach, you try to stay out of his way.”

Earning co-medalist honors was Gardner-Webb’s Zack Byers. The senior out of Shelby, North Carolina, held a three-shot lead over the field heading into Wednesday’s final round. A pair of 3-under 69s gave Byers a small cushion to build upon.

Byers, who shot a 5-under 67, appeared to have a solo win in the bag but a bogey on the par-4 12th, his final hole, slid him into a tie for first alongside Jones.

Claiming the men’s team title was Charleston Southern. The Buccaneers saved their best for last, posting a tournament-best 7-under 281.

On the women’s side, it was another individual title was split.

Incarnate Word’s Ellen Nicholas and Coastal Carolina’s Tiffany Arafi shared the individual title with matching 4-under 212s.

For Arafi, the individual title aided in securing the Chanticleers the team championship and weighed down the team bus down just a bit more on their ride back to Conway, South Carolina.

“I hope it was what they needed to get confident, turn the corner, and finish strong,” Chanticleer head coach Katie Quinney told Golfweek.

Staving off a run from the Cardinals, Coastal Carolina was able to stop the bleeding at 10 over in the final round to hang on for a four stroke win over Incarnate Word.

With most teams facing just one or two regular season events left, everyone is making their final push to play their best golf come April and May. Golfweek amateur events pick back up this summer starting with the Golfweek Myrtle Beach Amateur at Prestwick Country Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina June 14-16. For the full summer schedule, click here.

Jerry Gunthorpe wins Golfweek Senior Division National Championship

Jerry Gunthorpe tracked down 36-hole leader Jerry Slagle to claim the championship.

The Firecliff Course at Desert Willow Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, played host to an eventful and dramatic Golfweek Senior Division National Championship.

The 54-hole event was graced by some of the best senior amateur golfers in the nation, with one man claiming his title and 1,200 points towards the year-long race for the Golfweek Player of the Year honor.

In the final round, Ovid, Michigan’s, Jerry Gunthorpe tracked down 36-hole leader Jerry Slagle on Tuesday to claim the championship. Behind by three strokes to start the final round, Gunthorpe made easy work of the front nine, carding a 2-under 34.

“Things were clicking,” Gunthorpe told Golfweek. “It started out easy right away.”

Slagle was not as fortunate with double bogeys on Nos. 5 and 8, erasing a birdie on No. 2, for an opening 39.

The five-shot swing put Gunthorpe in the driver’s seat at the turn. He relied on previous experiences on big stages both at the state level in Michigan and the national level as he came up just short to Gene Elliott in the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur.

“When I have a little bit of adrenaline, that means it matters to me,” Gunthorpe said. “If it doesn’t matter to me, I don’t do as well. When I feel the butterflies, or whatever that feeling is, that means it matters to me.”

Finding his why helped Gunthorpe stave off a late run by Slagle. Sitting at 4 over through 13 holes, Slagle turned on the jets, birdieing three of his last five holes in an attempt to make Gunthorpe feel the pressure. Gunthorpe stayed the course, swapping a birdie and bogey to close out a round of 2-under 70 and the championship.

In an interview following Sunday’s first round, Gunthorpe foreshadowed a bit saying that he always felt like he belonged in competitive senior golf.

“I always knew that I would [belong in competitive golf],” he said. “Every time I’ve competed, I’ve done well. I haven’t competed a lot, but when I have, I’ve been successful I feel.”

Well, to come back against one of the hottest hands of the week, in Slagle while also holding off the rest of the field is a success in anyone’s book.

Gunthorpe is expected to make a big jump in the Golfweek senior amateur rankings from his current spot at No. 37.

Slagle makes the trip back to Southlake, Texas, with much to be happy about as he recorded a tournament-high 16 birdies. Billy Mitchell, the 2021 U.S. Senior Open low-am, took home a solo third-place finish after a 1 over to finish at even par.

Greg Sanders (1 over) of Anthem, Arizona, and Steve McPherson (2 over) of San Jacinto, California, round out the top five.

The next Golfweek Senior amateur event will be a full-field event at the Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship at PGA West in La Quinta, California starting March 31.

‘Big 3’ set battle it out at Golfweek Senior National Championship

First-round leader Jerry Gunthorpe posted 17 pars and a bogey in Monday’s round.

A star-studded trio are set to duke it out in the final pairing of the Golfweek Senior Division National Championship at Desert Willow Golf Club in Palm Desert, California.

Jerry Gunthorpe, 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up, and 2021 U.S. Senior Open low-am Billy Mitchell have a tough test ahead of them as they are set to chase down 36-hole leader Jerry Slagle.

With conditions playing completely different than the first round and practice rounds, the Firecliff Course played tougher than usual on Monday.

First-round leader Gunthorpe was able to keep damage to a minimum with 17 pars and a lone bogey on the hardest hole of the tournament, the par-3 No. 17. He now sits two shots back of Slagle who picked up where he left off Sunday.

Slagle continued his onslaught of birdies, picking up five more in Monday’s second round to lead the tournament with 12 total.

“I made birdies where you’re supposed to,” Slagle told Golfweek following his 2-under 70. “I was pretty happy.”

Rounding out the final group is Billy Mitchell. Playing out of Atlanta, Mitchell was most notably the low-amateur at the 2021 U.S. Senior Open. Using five birdies to scrub away at an opening round 2-over 74, Mitchell is now 1 under for the tournament and looks to challenge his playing partners for the title on Tuesday.

Mitchell is tied for third alongside Greg Saunders who is in the penultimate pairing with Joe Palmer and Walker Taylor who sit at 3 over in a four-way tie for fifth.

As for Slagle, he’s not putting too much thought into being chased by two of the top senior amateur players in the world.

“I don’t want to think about anything,” Slagle said about being five under and leading the event. “I just want to go out and play golf.”

With a win and 1,200 points on the line, any of the three men in the final group can jump into the top-10 in the Golfweek Senior Amateur rankings. Slagle is currently No. 97, Gunthorpe is No. 37, and Mitchell, who is No. 17 in the rankings, all can make huge strides in the year-long race for the Golfweek Senior Player of the Year honor.

Four champions crowned at the 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year Classic

The Golfweek PoY Classic came to a close on Tuesday with four senior golfers earning their claim to ‘Champa Bay’ at Tampa Palms CC.

Tampa, Florida, has been given the moniker ‘Champa Bay’ in recent years thanks to the Lightning winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl LV on their home turf and the Rays winning divisional and American League pennants.

The Golfweek Player of the Year Classic came to a close on Tuesday with four senior golfers earning their claim to ‘Champa Bay’ at Tampa Palms Country Club.

Lurking all week long, Miles McConnell stuck around the top of the leaderboard long enough to claim the top spot in the senior division (ages 55-64). McConnell was a co-leader following the first round and trailed 36-hole leader Billy Mitchell by three shots heading into the day.

McConnell got out of the gates quickly, carding birdies on three of his first five holes.

“I knew today particularly, I had to play well,” McConnell told Golfweek. “It was a challenge the whole way around [to] keep your composure and try to hit greens.”

McConnell felt that he had the tournament in hand by No. 16. After a front nine 4-under 32 and sitting two under through No. 16, McConnell was quickly reminded that golf is a humbling game. Back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 led to a bit of sweat, but McConnell was able to piece together a couple more good swings to close out the tournament with a par on No. 18 for a final round 70 to take the Classic by two strokes.

Virginia’s Matt Sughrue took home second place at even par for the event with Bob Royak taking the final podium spot at 1-over par. Solo leader Billy Mitchell could not close out the tournament, posting a final round 78 to finish in fourth. 2021 Yancy Ford Award winner Gene Elliott finished fifth after an uncharacteristic week, posting 78/74/71. 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year Rusty Strawn nabbed a three-way share of eighth place at 11-over par.

Trailing by three strokes before the final round teed off, Duke Delcher held his own in the Super Senior division (ages 65-69). The Bluffton, South Carolina, native sandwiched a bogey on No. 4 with 14 pars.

Delcher watched the scoreboard on the back-nine after a six-shot swing between himself and overnight leader Mark Benefield. After a bogey on No. 16 and a birdie on No. 17, Delcher knew he had a five-stroke lead heading into the infamous par-4 18th.

“I made a triple on the hole yesterday,” Delcher said. “Today I drove it well but hit it into the left-hand bunker. I wasn’t going to fuss with the water… I made six but it was a good day even though I didn’t have a birdie.”

Despite the double bogey on the last, Delcher was able to post a tournament total of 14-over 230. Finishing second was Tim Vigotsky, two shots back of Delcher while Mark Benefield took third.

Finishing third in the 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year Legends standings (ages 70-74) Pete Allen took his first step towards improving on his 2022 ranking. Allen went wire-to-wire, coasting to the victory with his tournament-best, even-par 72. Missing just one fairway over the final 18, Allen lived up to his ‘Pipeline Pete’ nickname that John Daly gave him back in 1991.

Arkansas’s Bev Hargraves took solo second, eight shots back of Allen at 14 over. Georgia’s Don Marsh, finished third at 18 over.

After maneuvering his way past the first-round leaders on Monday, Super Legend Dennis Adkins never looked back over the final 36 holes. Holding a two-shot lead, Adkins used a final round 76 to grow his lead all the way to eight shots to claim the title.

Jim Pfrogner claimed second place with a 20-over 236. Defending Golfweek Player of the Year from the 75+ Super Legends division, Walt Martin, finished third at 21 over.

All four division winners, on top of their purse money, receive 1,200 Player of the Year points. The race for top dog has just begun, but the point totals from this week can go a long way into determining who is crowned Golfweek Player of the Year in 2022.

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Billy Mitchell storms up leaderboard to take lead at Golfweek Player of the Year Classic

“I guessed right more often than I didn’t. Probably the most solid round I played in a while.”

Tampa Palms Country Club in Tampa, Florida is playing host to some of the best amateur senior players in the world this week. With four age groups teeing it up to kick off the Golfweek Player of the Year race, 18 holes separate four players from 1,000 points which will give them quite a head start over their peers vying for Player of the Year honors.

In the senior division, first-round co-leader Rusty Strawn stumbled down the back nine which included an 8 on the par-4 16th to go from the solo lead to a tie for seventh place. Rising from the pack today was Atlanta’s Billy Mitchell.

“[I] made birdie on 1 which is kind of a hole that doesn’t fit my eye,” Mitchell told Golfweek after his round. “It’s a hard driving hole to start out on.”

The birdie kick started a fantastic front nine for Mitchell who went out in 32 at four under par.

It wasn’t until the par-3 13th, where Mitchell missed his lone green of the day, where he also made his lone bogey of the round.

“I kind of got confused with the wind, hit in the bunker, short sided myself and made bogey,” Mitchell said. “I guessed right more often than I didn’t. Probably the most solid round I played in a while.”

Mitchell leads by three shots over round one co-leader Miles McConnell, who is even for the tournament. Three more golfers are within seven shots of Mitchell who tees off at 11:50 a.m. ET in the final round.

Day 1 Super Senior leader Steve Humphrey was disqualified after signing an incorrect scorecard, opening the door for Georgia’s Mark Benefield. Improving on his opening round of 78 with a 2-over 74, good for a three shot lead over Duke Delcher. Four more golfers trail by seven shots or less heading into Tuesday’s final round.

Pete Allen maintained his four stroke lead in the Legends flight. The North Carolinian went 73-77 for a 6-over total with 18 holes separating him from claiming the Player of the Year Classic. Don Marsh leads the pack that will be on the hunt to chase Allen down.

Super Legend Dennis Adkins slid past 2021 Player of the Year Walt Martin and round 1 leader Jim Pfrogner for a two shot lead heading into the final round. Adkins’ 1-over 73 is the lowest score of the tournament out of the Super Legends division so far. He will look to hold off Martin and Pfrogner as well as G.M. Bingman who trails by six.

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Rusty Strawn, others lead Golfweek Player of the Year Classic after first round

The star-studded senior division is being paced by 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year.

The Golfweek Player of the Year Classic, held at Tampa Palms Country Club in Tampa, Florida is the official start to the Player of the Year race for the four divisions represented this week.

The star-studded senior division is being paced by 2021 Golfweek Player of the Year Rusty Strawn. His 1-under 71 is good for a split of the leadwith Tampa’s own Miles McConnell. McConnell used three birdies over a six hole stretch to cement his red number. Stawn had a more colorful card, needing five birdies to negate a double bogey and two other bogeys throughout his round for his share of the lead.

Bob Royak’s even-par round separates the rest of the field with seven golfers within four shots of the leaders.

Super Senior Steve Humphrey holds a slim lead over the rest of the field despite a dreaded snowman on the par 4 10th. Without the eight, the Ocala, Florida native would have had a commanding five shot lead heading into the second round, but as it stands, he sits atop the leaderboard by one stroke following an opening 75.

South Carolina’s Duke Delcher trails Humphrey by a shot but leads the trio of golfers that set out to chase Humphrey down from their perch at 6 over par.

Pete Allen leads the way for the Legends. His opening round 73 is good for a four shot lead over Jack Mahan. Legend division 2021 Player of the Year Jim Kamis lurks five shots behind Allen.

In the Super Legends division it’s Sarasota, Florida’s Jim Pfrogner who holds a one shot lead following an opening 3-over 75. Defending Player of the Year Walt Martin trails by one stroke.

Round two of the Golfweek Player of the Year Classic begins at 8 a.m. ET on Monday.

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Golfweek Player of the Year Classic set to kick off 2022 Player of the Year race

The event will be contested January 16-18 at Tampa Palms Country Club.

The 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year Classic, held at Tampa Palms Country Club in Tampa, Florida, allows both reflection and elite competition.

The event will be contested January 16-18 with the top three players of the 2021 season from each division being honored at a dinner following the first round of play. Gene Elliott will also be presented with his well-deserved lifetime accolade: the Yancy Ford Award.

Featuring three different divisions, the Golfweek POY Classic is a who’s who of senior amateur golf. Elliott, the defending U.S. and British Senior Amateur champion, joins Jerry Gunthorpe, Bob Royak, Allen Peake, 2020 POY Classic champion John Wright, and 2021 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year and defending POY Classic champion, Rusty Strawn, in the senior division.

The super senior division is up for grabs with 2021 champ, Tim Pope not in the field. In the Legends division, it’s Jim Kamis who is welcomed as both the 2021 Player of the Year and defending champion.

Super Legend and St. Augustine, Florida, native Walt Martin is salivating to tee it up in the new year. Last January, Martin began his 2021 campaign by sweeping all of the January events, including the Player of the Year Classic at Lake Jovita. He’ll be itching to run it back this year at Tampa Palms Country Club. Martin earned Super Legend Player of the Year honors thanks in large part to his strong start last January.

Hopes to become the 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year start Sunday morning. The first piece of the coveted puzzle locks into place Tuesday afternoon after four new champions are crowned to kick off the 2022 Player of the Year race.

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Golfweek 2022 Media Kit

Golfweek has spent more than four decades delivering golf fans the most complete and comprehensive coverage in the game. After Golfweek joined forces with USA TODAY Sports Media Group in 2016, the brand experienced record-breaking growth and now, …

Golfweek has spent more than four decades delivering golf fans the most complete and comprehensive coverage in the game.

After Golfweek joined forces with USA TODAY Sports Media Group in 2016, the brand experienced record-breaking growth and now, together, these two powerhouses have created an unparalleled golf media business to serve the game’s most engaged audience of avid golf fanatics.

Top-ranked senior Gene Elliott leads Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions

Top-ranked senior amateur Gene Elliott is back where he is most familiar: atop the leaderboard.

Gene Elliott, the top-ranked senior amateur, is back where he is most familiar: at the top of the leaderboard.

With 18 holes to play at the Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions at The Forest Country Club Bear Course in Ft. Myers, Florida, Elliott should feel pretty comfortable.

The 59-year-old from Iowa has already had a year for the record books, winning both the U.S. Senior Amateur and the British Senior Amateur. He also has a track record at this event where he has won twice since its inception in 2018.

Elliott began the second round two shots back of co-leaders Dave Bunker and Jerry Gunthorpe, who each began the day at 2 under. Carding birdies on holes Nos. 2, 3, and 4, Elliott made quick work in erasing the deficit. Despite a bogey on the par-4 16th, he did enough to take the top spot heading into Friday’s final round.

Bunker negated any ground made up on the field in the first round with a second-round 75. Having four bogeys on his card, the top-ranked Canadian senior slid from a tie for first to solo second at 1 over. As for Gunthorpe, a trio of back-to-back bogeys throughout the day saw him fall into a tie for sixth at 4 over.

Seven golfers are within five strokes of Elliott heading into Friday’s final round. The two co-leaders from round one find themselves still atop the Super Senior division. Randy King and Edward Turner account for two-thirds of tomorrow’s final pairing as they sit at 5 over with Keith McKelvy.

Defending Legend champion Jim Rollefson leads the pack that will be looking to chase Charley Yandell, who backed up his opening 1-over 73 with yet another to take a commanding four-stroke lead in the Legend division.

Gil Stenholm of Illinois bounced back from a first round 78 with a 1-over 73 on Thursday to go 7 over for the tournament. The 75-year old leads by two over Jack Marin who sits in solo second. Round 1 leader Steve Wilson and defending champion Charlie Busbee lurk at 10 and 11 over respectively.

Four golfers will take home trophies and have bragging rights as a ‘Champion of Champions’ following play on Friday.