Tag: John Blank

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.

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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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John Blank leads after first round of 2022 Golfweek Senior National Invitational

Through one round of the Golfweek Senior National Invitational, one man leads the way.

Through one round of the Golfweek Senior National Invitational, one man leads the way.

Maryland’s John Blank carries a two-stroke lead into Tuesday’s second round after firing an opening 2-under 70 at Grandover Resort’s East Course in Greensboro, North Carolina. Blank used three birdies to counter a single bogey en route to taking a four- stroke lead to pace the field.

Hot on Blank’s trail is Walker Taylor and Stephen Fox. Taylor posted a 1-under 71 while Fox carded an opening 73. Rounding out the top five is the duo of Bill Engel and Larry Vaughan. Matching each other with 74s, the pair is well within striking range for Tuesday’s moving day.

Golfweek’s No. 2 ranked senior amateur has some catching up to do. Kevin VandenBerg finds himself T-11 with 36 holes to play. With just one other player from Golfweek’s top 10 senior amateur rankings in the field, VandenBerg has plenty of time to make up ground on Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked player, Rusty Strawn. 

Nine players are within six shots of Blank and seven more players are within eight shots.

Play continues on Tuesday with second round play at the East Course at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina.