Kevin VandenBerg – Syndication Server

Four champs crowned at breezy Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions

The Forest Golf & Country Club in Ft. Meyers, Florida, hosted the event.

Three days of battling wind gusts north of 30 miles per hour and wet conditions at The Forest Golf & Country Club in Ft. Meyers, Florida, took its toll on much of the 96-man field, but four golfers were able to survive the rest to lay claim on the final Golfweek senior amateur tournament of the year.

Seniors (55-64)

Going into Thursday’s final round, Vance Welch held a two-stroke advantage over the field, sitting at 1 over for the championship.

Through 15, Welch needed to play the final three holes even par or better to close out the championship. A double bogey on No. 16 and a closing bogey on 18 saw Welch slip from the top of the leaderboard.

With the costly stumble, Ft. Meyers native Patrick Stayer slid past Welch thanks to a bogey-free final-round 71. Stayer’s final round was the only bogey-free round of the week and was also the lowest round of the tournament in the senior age division.

Patrick Stayer of Ft. Meyers, Florida, won the 2023 Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions. (Photo: Golfweek(

Golfweek No. 3 ranked, Kevin VandenBerg, was able to draw himself closer to the No. 1 spot in the Player of the Year rankings with a t-10 finish. Next week’s Society of Seniors Ralph Bogart Tournament will determine the Golfweek Senior Player of the Year as both VandenBerg and No. 2 Jon Lindstrom will be in the field. With No. 1 ranked Bob Royak not playing, Lindstrom and Vandenberg will have an opportunity to take the top spot right at the buzzer.

Super Seniors (65-69)

Steve Humphrey went into Thursday’s final round five shots back of 36-hole leader Greg Goode. Needing at least a runner-up finish to move ahead of No. 1 ranked Marcus Beck, Humphrey knew he had to play some of his best golf.

Carding an even par 72 to finish the event at 8 over par, Humphrey anxiously waited for the rest of the field to come in. Coming off of a birdie on No. 17, Goode bogeyed the 54th hole of the tournament, making way for a three-man playoff between himself, Humphrey and Mike Arter.

Knowing what was at stake, Humphrey took full advantage of the situation, winning the tournament on the second playoff hole. He not only goes home with the Tournament of Champions trophy but now sits atop the 2023 Player of the Year Super Senior rankings.

The playoff win also counts as a title defense for Humphrey who won the TOC super senior division in 2022 at PGA National.

Legends (70-74)

North Carolina’s Pete Allen goes wire-to-wire at The Forest, being one of two Legends to break 80 all three days en route to the championship win.

Nursing a four-stroke lead heading into the day, Allen coasted with a final round 79 to maintain his lead, closing the event out with a 13 over, 229 total. Vince Scarpetta and Bob Casamento tied for second place at 17 over.

Super Legends (75+)

After shooting his age or better the first two days, Gary Hardin (11 over) was able to battle the tough conditions just enough to take a wire-to-wire victory in his age bracket.

With scoring hard to come by, Hardin’s birdie-free 80 was enough to stave off Jack Marin, who finishes in second place at 14 over. John Blank (15 over), Gil Stenholm (16 over) and Henry Cole (16 over) round out the top five.

Three Player of the Year titles up for grabs at 2023 Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions

Player of the Year honors are up for grabs.

The best senior amateurs in the United States have descended upon The Forest Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida, for the 2023 Golfweek Senior Tournament of Champions.

Three of the four age brackets are duking it out not just for the Tournament of Champions title, but for Golfweek Player of the Year honors, too. Alabama’s George Walker ran away with the Legends (ages 70-74) PoY title, clearing the field by nearly 3,000 points for the season.

With three PoY titles up for grabs, every shot matters just that much more this week.

Seniors (55-64)

Florida’s John Barry paces the senior field after 18 holes of play with an opening salvo of even-par 72.

Sitting at 2 under through five, Berry bogeyed five of his next eight holes to fall to 3 over. Locking back in, Barry closed his round strongly with birdies on Nos. 14, 16 and 18 to take a one-shot lead into Wednesday’s second round.

Four players are tied at 1 over while last year’s ToC winner, Ken Kinkopf lurks in solo sixth place at 2 over.

Third-ranked Kevin VandenBerg can pull off a massive comeback, as both No. 1 Bob Royak and No. 2 Jon Lindstrom are not in the field this week. With 800 points separating VandenBerg from the top spot, he needs a win to take a 300-point lead. A second-place finish would put him about 50 points off Royak with one point event remaining on the calendar.

No matter what happens this week, Lindstrom and VandenBerg both have an opportunity to take the top spot, as they are teeing it up next week at the Society of Seniors Ralph Bogart Tournament in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Currently tied for 27th, VandenBerg has a hill to climb, but with tough scoring conditions making the Jack Nicklaus-design playing even harder than normal, VandenBerg’s consistency can easily help catapult himself back into condition.

Super Seniors (65-69)

Fifth-ranked Greg Goode had a consistent day, as he took a one-shot lead into moving day. He closed out an even-par round with birdies on Nos. 14 and 17. Navigating the chilly and breezy conditions, he sets out to fend off Golfweek No. 2 Steve Humphrey (+1), No. 3 James Starnes (+2) and No. 7 Mike Arter (+2).

A win for Humphrey or Starnes would allow them to slide by No. 1 Marcus Beck for Player of the Year honors. A win would also make two Senior Tournament of Champions wins for Humphrey, who took the title last year at PGA National.

Legends (70-74)

North Carolina’s Pete Allen enjoys the largest lead among the four age divisions, commanding a three-shot lead following an opening round 2-over 74.

Allen peppered his card with four birdies, showing promise as the event turns to the final 36 holes.

Paul Schlachter (5 over) and John Osborne (6 over) round out the podium.

Super Legends (75+)

Texas’ Gary Hardin matched his age with a first-round 75. He holds a one-shot lead over No. 6 Super Legend, Jack Marin. Top-ranked Johnny Blank is tied for eighth while No. 2 Bill Engel is one shot behind Blank at 11 over.

With 505 points separating the two, plenty of golf is left before we crown a Player of the Year.

Day 1 of Golfweek Senior National Match Play sets semifinal matches

Catch up on the action here.

Forty-two of the top senior amateur players from across four age brackets and traveling from all four corners of the United States have made their way to Duke University Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina, to, well, duke it out.

Over the next three days, four age divisions will crown a match-play champion with each winner receiving 1,200 Golfweek Player of the Year points. With just a handful of events left in the Golfweek senior amateur season, the competition is sure to be cranked up as the season winds down.

NOTE: Seeding for this event was based off of the Golfweek Player of the Year rankings as of August 1st. If the player was not ranked in Golfweek’s PoY rankings, random draw or national ranking was used.

Senior Bracket (55-64)

Thirteen players began the event, giving the top three seeds (Todd Hendley, Eddie Hargett and Kevin VandenBerg) byes into the afternoon quarterfinal matches.

First to advance from the morning matches was 2020 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year and 2022 Challenge Cup captain, Craig Hurlbert. As the 8-seed, Hurlbert was set to take on 9-seed Thomas Immenschuh. Unfortunately, Immenschuh had travel issues and was unable to make it to the course in time for the 7:50 a.m. match time. With the forfeit, Hurlbert found himself a date with top-seeded Todd Hendley.

Back-to-back three-putt bogeys put Hurlbert in a quick 2-down hole to start the match.

“I started really slow,” Hurlbert told Golfweek. “But it actually kind of helped me focus.”

Winning the third hole to get it back to one down, Hurlbert worked his way back to even as the pair made the turn.

Winning hole Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12, Hurlbert was able to put the throttle down in the blink of an eye to take a commanding 3-up lead through 12. Hendley was able to pick up a hole on No. 15 but was defeated on No. 16, 3 and 2.

For Hurlbert, this event is a prime tune-up for the U.S. Senior Amateur later this month.

“I feel like I’m getting close, but all these reps really help,” Hurlbert said. “It’s a Golfweek event so that’s one of the reasons I like to come [play] and the other reason is because it gives you invaluable reps in match play which candidly we don’t get a lot of on the senior circuit so to speak.”

As he continues to come into form, Hurlbert will face off against 4-seed Brian Keenan.

Defeating 13-seed Brian Kennedy 5 and 4 in the morning session, Kennan faced off against 5-seed Allen Peake who won his morning match 1 up against 12-seed Steve Pitts.

Keenan and Peake battle back and forth for much of the day with Peake erasing a 2-down deficit an eagle on the par-5 9th and a birdie on the par-4 10th.

A birdie, par combo on holes 14 and 15 gave Kennan a 2-up advantage allowing him to close out the quarterfinal match on No. 17 with a par.

In the bottom half of the bracket, a couple of mid-seeds have begun their title run.

No. 6 Ken Kinkopf made light work of No. 11 Jeff Kane, winning 8 and 7 for the largest margin of victory of the day, regardless of division. In the afternoon session, Kinkopf faced 3-seed Kevin VandenBerg, only needing 16 holes to defeat him 4 and 2.

No. 7 seed Kirk Wright had a bit of a tougher road to the semifinals. Ten-seed Michael Healey took Wright to 18 where Wright came away with a 2-up win. In the afternoon, 2-seed Eddie Hargett erased Wright’s 1-up lead on the 18th to force extra holes.

Needing 37 holes to grind his way into the semis, Wright will square off with Kinkopf, who, comparatively speaking, is well-rested. The two will battle it out in a rest-versus-rust match for a chance to run the gamut and catapult themselves into the thick of a playoff run for the Golfweek Player of the Year.

Super Senior Bracket (65-69)

Eight men make up the Super Senior bracket, making byes irrelevant.

The entire bracket so far has been chalk as the top four seeds have advanced to the semifinals.

One-seed Marcus Beck defeated 8-seed Jim Webb 6 and 5; 2-seed James Starnes took down 7-seed Bill Hardaker 3 and 2; number 3 John Armstrong defeated No. 6 John Bailey 3 and 2 and 4-seed Keith Waters won 2 up against No. 5 Greg Goode.

Legends Bracket (70-74)

Another 13-player division set up quite a day in the Legends bracket.

Top two seeds George Walker (No. 1) and Sam Robinson (No. 2) were able to take advantage of their byes, playing their way into the semifinals 2 and 1 and 1 up, respectively.

Facing the top two seeds are No. 5 Pete Allen and No. 3 Bev Hargraves.

Allen rides into Thursday on the backs of a pair of 4 and 3 wins over 12-seed Fred Clark and 4-seed John Osborne. He’ll look to take down No. 1 ranked George Walker for a shot at the championship.

Defeating No. 10 Dale Porter 1 up, Sam Robinson will face an Arkansas legend in Bev Hargraves.

Getting a first-round bye, Hargraves needed 19 holes to put away Don Kuehn to advance. Kuehn, typically a Super Legend, played down an age bracket, wanting to test his game. After defeating No. 6 Charley Yandell 4 and 2 in the opening round, Kuehn falls just short of a semifinal run, losing out to Hargraves in extras.

Super Legends Bracket (75+)

The eight-man bracket has a bit more parity than its Legends bracket counterpart.

No. 1 ranked John Blank soundly beat No. 8 Ben Dowdey 7 and 5 for the biggest margin of victory on the day. No. 2 George Owens cruised to a 5 and 3 win over No. 7 Richard Kline.

Playing against Blank in the semifinals is 2022 Yancey Ford Award winner Joe Pavoni. As the 5 seed, Pavoni faced off against No. 4 Marty O’Connell. Pulling away late, Pavoni takes a 3 and 2 win into Thursday’s semifinals.

As the 6-seed, John Casstevens pulled off the best upset of the day within the division, taking down No. 3 John (Jack) Marin on the final hole, 1 up to advance to Thursday’s semifinals.

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.

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.

Craig Steinberg among four winners at the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown

Four champions were crowned after a 54-hole shootout in the desert.

Four champions were crowned after a 54-hole shootout in the desert at Casino Del Sol’s Sewailo Course in Tucson, Arizona.

In the senior division, the final round began as a two-man race. Thirty-six-hole leaders Mike Lohner and David Nelson were tied at 1 under. Neither would finish under par once Friday’s final round came to a conclusion.

Instead, it was Craig Steinberg and Steve McPherson who would duke it out. McPherson held the head-to-head advantage, beginning the day at 1 over to Steinberg’s 2 over.

McPherson was bogey free and 6 under on the day through 14 holes. Carding his first bogey on the par-3 15th, he immediately erased it with another birdie on the par-4 16th. Holding the solo lead as he stood on the 18th tee, all the Hemet, California, native needed was a par to secure the clubhouse lead and potentially the championship.

Making bogey, McPherson played the waiting game, as he held on to second place, one shot back of Steinberg, who was still on the course.

Steinberg used an electric front nine to catapult himself into the conversation. Out in 31, Steinberg used the bogey-free start to slide up the leaderboard.

2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown Champion, Craig Steinberg

Another flurry of birdies on Nos. 14-16, he was in control and clear of McPherson by a stroke. An untimely bogey on No. 17, his second of the day, Steinberg was unable to negate it with a birdie on No. 18 for the win. Signing for a final round 6-under 66, Steinberg headed back to the 18th tee for a sudden death playoff with McPherson.

As the hotter hand, Steinberg was able to secure the title on the first playoff hole with a par.

Rounding out the top five, all at even par, were Terry Rice, Mike Lohner and Golfweek’s No. 2 ranked senior amateur, Kevin VandenBerg. VandenBerg was not able to grab all 1,200 points, but he was able to take a bite out of Rusty Strawn’s 1,930-point lead, as VandenBerg was awarded 543.33 points for his top-five finish.

In the Super Senior division, Robin Rubrecht cruised to a five-shot victory, thanks in large part to his tournament-best 7-under 65 in the second round. Jim Starnes took second at 2 under.

John Hamilton outlasted the competition to take a two-shot victory back to Stillwater, New York. Steve Wilson was able to shoot his age or better all three days to take the top spot in the 75+ age division. Rounds of 71, 76 and 75 secured a four-shot victory.

If you think you have what it takes to compete with some of the best senior amateur players in the country, check out the 2023 Golfweek senior amateur schedule to put your game up to the test on some of the best courses around the country.

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Day 2 of the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown makes way for dramatic final round

Chilly temperatures and gusty winds kept scoring to a minimum during the second round of the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown.

Chilly temperatures and gusty winds kept scoring to a minimum during the second round of the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown. Taking place at the University of Arizona’s home course – the Sawailo Course at Casino Del Sol — Tucson wasn’t the desert paradise most expect when wintering there.

The lone exception to the lack of scoring was Super Senior Robin Rubrecht. The Indiana native was not phased a bit by the adverse desert conditions en route to carding a second-round 7-under 65. Bogey free on the day, Rubrecht catapulted himself into the lead and now holds a five-shot advantage as he heads into the final round. Not only that, but Rubrecht’s score is the lowest of the tournament so far.

Jim Starnes was the only other super senior to come in under par and is 1 under for the tournament.

In the Senior Division, plenty of movement was seen on the leaderboard. First-round leader Terry Cook slid all the way down to a tie for 12th following a second-round 83. Unable to replicate his first-round success, Cook looks to backdoor himself back into the top 10.

Atop the senior leaderboard is the duo of Mike Lohner and David Nelson. Lohner was able to ride the waves to card an even-par 72 to remain at 1 under for the tournament. For Nelson, he was able to move up the leaderboard despite going backward.

Nelson was 1 under for the tournament until he carded a double bogey on his last hole to slide into a tie for first alongside Lohner. The pair will have plenty of competition hot on their heels with four players within two shots of the lead. Another five players lurk within five strokes.

Among those looking to chase down the lead is Golfweek’s No. 2 ranked Kevin VandenBerg.

VandenBerg is looking to chase down not only Lohner and Nelson, but Rusty Strawn. Strawn is not in the field this week but is ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek Player of the Year rankings. With Strawn idle, VandenBerg can make a dent in the 1,930-point difference between him and Strawn.

In the Legends division, New York’s John Hamilton holds a two-stroke lead over Texas’ Bruce Meyer. In the Super Legends division, it looks as though it will come down to Oklahoma’s Craig Collins and California’s Steve Wilson. Both tied at 3 over, the pair of 75+-year-olds have matched each other shot for shot all week long. Should one of them slip, Chicago’s Gil Stenholm is hanging in the fight at 6 over par.

In total four champions will be crowned tomorrow as we inch closer to the end of the Golfweek Player of the Year race. If you want to put your hat in the ring for next year’s race, check out the 2023 schedule here.

Terry Cook, Don Kuehn among leaders at 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown

Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona, is host of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown.

Casino Del Sol’s Sewailo Golf Club was a beautiful canvas for opening round action of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown.

Some of the best senior amateur players from across the country have descended upon Tucson, Arizona, to duke it out in the desert for 54 holes. With players ranging in age from 55 to older than 75, plenty of scores came in under retirement age.

Terry Cook has the early lead in the 55-64 year old senior division. Pacing the field with a blazing 6-under 66, the Iowa native holds a four-shot lead. A lone bogey on the par-4 5th dirtied Cook’s scorecard but he was able to finish strong with three birdies over his final five holes to close out his impressive start.

Four players sit at 2 under with another duo finishing Wednesday’s opening round five back of the lead. Golfweek’s No. 2 ranked senior amateur Kevin VandenBerg finished his day at even par. Unable to keep bogeys off of his card, VandenBerg was able to finish on a high note as he closed with a birdie on No. 18 in hopes to gain a bit of momentum heading into Thursday’s second round.

VandenBerg is practically the only challenger to No. 1 Rusty Strawn for 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year honors. With less than three events left in the season and Strawn playing in the East-West Matches this week, a strong finish by VandenBerg would take a bite out of the 1,930 points that separate him and Strawn.

Super Senior Don Kuehn is in a familiar spot: atop the leaderboard. Kuehn carded a 2-under 70 to take an early two-stroke lead. As a winner of 44 championship events throughout his career, Kuehn looks to make it 45 before heading home to be inducted into the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame next week.

Florida’s Jim Starnes trails by two after a 72. Dan Parkinson and Robin Rubrecht are hot on the trail after matching each other with 1-over 73s.

John Hamilton leads the way in the Legends division. The New York native made the cross country trek and is loving the change of pace. Firing a 5-over 77, Hamilton didn’t quite shoot his age but will take a one-shot lead into Thursday looking to change that.

Steve Wilson and Craig Collins came into the clubhouse with some of the most impressive golf of the day. Both in the Super Legend division (75-years-old and up), the pair turned in matching 1-under 71s.

Wilson was bogey free on the day with his lone birdie coming on the par-5 14th. Collins had a much more colorful scorecard that was highlighted with an eagle on the par 5 8th. Neither man can rest easy thinking it’s a two horse race. Dan Nicholson and Richard Hunt lurk at 2 over par, making the Super Legend age bracket one to watch as the championship turns its eyes to Thursday’s second round.

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2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown kicks off year-end rush for Player of the Year points

The Sewailo Course at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona, plays host to some of the best senior amateur golfers in the world beginning November 2nd.

The Sewailo Course at beautiful Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona, plays host to some of the best senior amateur golfers in the world beginning November 2nd. The 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown tees off on Wednesday with players beginning to make their final pushes for their chance at Golfweek Player of the Year honors.

With just three events remaining for this year’s POY title, the race is tight between No. 1 Rusty Strawn and No. 2 Kevin VandenBerg. With Strawn not in the field in Tucson, VandenBerg can take a bite out of the 1,930 points that separate the two men.

As the only player within nearly 4,000 points of Strawn, VandenBerg is mathematically the only challenger that can overtake Golfweek’s No. 1 as the season ticks down. Nonetheless, players inside the top 10 are all jockeying for strong finishes to gain momentum heading into the 2023 POY race.

No. 7 ranked Steve Maddalena is the next highest-ranked player in the field this week. A first-place finish this week would catapult him all the way to the No. 4 spot thanks to the 1,200 POY points that come with a win.

While it won’t put him close enough to challenge Strawn, Maddalena would most certainly use the late-season push as a building block for next season.

The field also includes Craig Larson, who went wire-to-wire in his victory back in late September.

In all, four different age divisions will duke it out over 54 holes in the desert. Four new champions will be crowned with winners being invited to the year-end Golfweek Tournament of Champions.

If you want to play elite golf courses across the country against some of the best senior amateurs in the world, check out Golfweek’s events schedule. There’s still time to register for the three remaining events that round out the calendar year. The Golfweek Player of the Year Classic in January kicks off the 2023 race for Player of the Year honors. We hope you join us!

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