Only one man, Jay Gregory, broke par in the opening round of the Golfweek Player of the Year Classic on Tuesday and he’s leading the tournament’s senior division.
Only one man broke par in the opening round of the Golfweek Player of the Year Classic on Tuesday and he’s leading the tournament’s senior division. Jay Gregory’s 1-under 71 at the Omni Orlando (Florida) Result at ChampionsGate included 17 pars and a single birdie on the par-5 eighth hole, but that birdie gave him a little edge on two men chasing at even par.
Gregory, of Lineville, Iowa, finished fourth at this event a year ago, a big bump from his T-21 finish in 2022. Interestingly, the Midwesterner may be better known for his work hosting a hunting show on The Sportsman Channel than his golf, though his golf also produced top-10 finishes in a handful of state senior tournaments in 2023. Notably, he won the Iowa Senior Masters, finished sixth in the Minnesota Senior Amateur and was eighth at the Iowa Senior Amateur.
Mike Lohner of Southlake, Texas, and Michael Arasin of Auburn, Alabama, are tied for second in the senior division with rounds of 72. Lohner’s round was similar to Gregory’s in its steadiness – he had just one bogey and one birdie – while Arasin offset two bogeys and a double with four birdies.
Doug Hanzel, the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion and a Georgia Golf Hall of Famer, is in the mix at 1 over, which left him solo fourth.
In the super senior division, Marcus Beck kickstarted his 2024 season with a round of 1-over 73 that left him one shot ahead of three players tied for second at 2 over. Beck was Golfweek’s Super Senior Player of the Year in 2023 after winning the Florida Senior Azalea and the Reynolds Senior Invitational, finishing runner-up at the Senior Porter Cup and third at the North & South Senior.
Beck, of Tallahassee, Florida, said his game greatly improved in 2023 after a putting lesson he took with Mike Shannon at TPC Sawgrass.
“Same lesson I got when I was 14 years old,” Beck joked, “but it clicked pretty well and I was happy with that.”
Two players, Bev Hargraves of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Peter Van Ingen of Palm Beach, Florida, are tied for first in the Legends division after opening rounds of 2-over 74. It’s a tight race in that division, with Jeffrey Knox of Jupiter, Florida, and Miles Cumberland of Dublin, Ohio, tied for third at 3 over.
Three players share the lead at 4 over in the Super Legends division: Bill Engel of St. Augustine, Florida, Jack Ramsey of Germantown, Tennessee, and John Osborne of Vero Beach, Florida.
For as long as he can remember, golf has been Jim Popa’s life.
For as long as he can remember, golf has been Jim Popa’s life. It has been the family game and the family legacy for the Popas, bringing as many memories in services rendered as rounds played. Jim Popa has left his mark primarily in the former way.
Popa, 69, not only led both the Ohio Golf Association and the Columbus District Golf Association, but was the longtime Executive Director of the Society of Seniors. Despite all that, Popa, now fully retired, never imagined himself a candidate for the Yancey Ford Award, annually presented by Golfweek to an individual who has made significant contributions to senior-amateur golf.
When Ford himself called to tell Popa he was this year’s award winner, Popa was speechless. Near the beginning of Popa’s 24-year tenure with the Society of Seniors, Ford was president of the organization. The two men have remained friends since.
“He’s a wonderful human, he’s a great old Virginia gentleman who just epitomizes what you would hope all golfers would be,” Popa said. “Gentle, competitive, nice guys who just really reflect what we’d like to have as models for senior amateur golfers.”
Jim Popa (Courtesy Ohio Golf Association)
Popa and Ford had shared a vision for the Society of Seniors, and Ford was in Popa’s corner when it came to Popa’s rise to the role of Executive Director. Notably, the two men worked to raise money for and launch a scholarship fund for the sons or daughters of full-time employees of the golf courses where the Society of Seniors hosted its events. To date, nearly 20 scholarships have been awarded.
Popa, an Ohio native, followed in his father Nicholas Popa’s footsteps as the executive director of the Ohio Golf Association, taking up the reins after his father’s death in 1993. In 1998, Jack Hesler, an original member of the Society of Seniors who knew Jim Popa as a board member of the Ohio Golf Association, asked Popa to attend a Society event and provide some feedback. Once there, it took Popa all of five minutes to realize he wanted to be a part of it.
Popa took over as Executive Director in 2014 but maintained the executive director role for both the Ohio Golf Association and Columbus District Golf Association for the next few years. After the summer tournament season in Ohio, he would often take his help on the road in the winter to run the Society’s events.
“I was very honored to have that job,” Popa said of his work with the Society, even though it kept him busy.
The Yancey Ford Award follows Popa’s induction into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame earlier in 2023. He also has been awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in and the USGA’s Ike Granger Award for longtime commitment to golf.
Clearly, Popa’s contributions to golf have been great, even though he didn’t originally intend to make it his job. After graduating from high school, and having done drafting and layout work for his father’s ad agency in Columbus, he enrolled at Ohio State to study commercial art with aspirations of becoming a cartoonist. Upon learning he’d need to take a few chemistry courses when he transferred into the fine arts program, Popa – not a science guy – decided instead to take some time off. He spent the next two and a half years caddying on the PGA Tour, most notably for his brother-in-law Ed Sneed, whose four Tour victories included the 1977 Tallahassee Open with Popa on the bag.
With Sneed, Popa had the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the game’s greats in that era, including Arnold Palmer, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Weiskopf and Jack Nicklaus. He gathered enough stories for a lifetime – or a least a thick memoir.
And when it was all over, he landed back in Ohio, once again with golf as his north star.
“After I came back to town, I went to work for my father doing layout work,” Popa said. “One thing led to another, and pretty soon I was going to tournaments with him. We had other people to run the advertising agency, and he and I sort of started running golf in Ohio.”
Jim Popa (Courtesy Ohio Golf Association)
Popa and his wife Martha – who Popa describes as the “great woman” behind his story – raised three children as Popa guided golf in Ohio for three decades. With that service largely behind him, Popa now reserves a place for golf in his life with a weekly game that’s strictly for fun.
“Golf is the greatest game of all,” he said in reflecting on the game to which he gave so much. “I’m convinced that it’s a game where we have taught the young players to be gentleman on the golf course, to shake hands, to wear their hats forward, have their shirttails tucked in. They respect the game, they respect the traditions, that’s what I always try to impress on the young people in my tournaments.”
“When you get to the senior level, these guys, this is the life they’ve led and it’s second nature to them to just be that courteous to each other and to respect the rules and the golf course and respect the people who run the tournaments. That’s what I like the most about the Society.”
Chris Hall isn’t your typical elite senior amateur golfer.
The 65-year-old golf course arborist isn’t able to play in a lot of the big events throughout the year because of his job. Assisting in jobs across the country, Hall most recently completed a project at the Honors course in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is starting another at East Lake soon.
That hasn’t stopped him from completing one of the hardest achievements to accomplish in the senior amateur game – qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur.
Chris Hall (Ron Gaines/Golfweek)
In what will be his sixth U.S. Senior Amateur later this summer, Hall was able to forego qualifying for the event, earning an exemption into the event as a top-25 senior golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
“I’m not a ‘professional amateur’,” Hall said. “They get to play nearly every week somewhere. I don’t get to do that.”
Despite not teeing it up regularly, Hall not only qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur but finds himself atop the leaderboard early on at the Golfweek Super Senior National Championship held at The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta.
Hall carded a bogey-free 3-under 69 in the opening round.
“This is my first super senior event, and I’m still pretty long,” he said. “(The course) takes the longer clubs out of my bag. I’m hitting a lot of 3-wood and rescue off of the tee.”
Feeling his way through the golf course, Hall stuck to his game plan of keeping his ball in the short stuff, resulting in hitting 14 greens in regulation and just 30 putts. Not too bad for a guy new to the 65-70 age division.
So what’s the mentality for Hall the rest of the way? Well, it’s simple.
“Play smart golf.”
Three shots back from Hall is Georgia’s Robert Allen II who looks to piece together another solid round following a first-round 72. Mike Arter (1 over) is in third and will look to close the gap during Wednesday’s second round.
Five more players are tied at 2 over, including Hall’s Central Alabama Community College teammate Emile Vaughan.
Legends (70-74)
Don Kuehn paces the legends age division, shooting a 73. Kuehn takes a one-shot lead into moving day. Three players are tied at 2 over. and five more are within five shots of Kuehn.
Super Legends (75+)
Alabama’s Wayne Gardner bested his age to take command of a one-shot lead in the Super Legends division. With three birdies on his scorecard, Gardner could have flirted with a sub-70 score had it not been for an eight on the par-5 11th hole.
Gardner leads the way with Florida’s Bill Engel just one shot back (3 over) and eight more golfers within five strokes of his lead.
“The vision we have is to get the four best seniors from as many states as possible.”
What started in 1986 as a team event to give seniors a chance to team up with their friends and go head-to-head is becoming one of the most elite fields on the senior amateur circuit. Now with Golfweek joining the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association in tournament operations, the Senior Challenge is primed to take the next step in becoming a show-stopping event in senior amateur golf.
Since its inception, the Senior Challenge has had two champions that have also won the U.S. Senior Amateur, the pinnacle of senior am golf. 1999 U.S. Senior am champion Bill Ploger won the individual title en route to helping Georgia take home the team title. In 2003, Mike Rice won at the Challenge Cup. In 2006, he would go on to win the U.S. Senior Am at The Farm in Georgia.
With USGA champions dotting their history and dozens more who have earned spots in state golf hall of fames, USGA championships and other poignant accolades, the Challenge Cup is looking to make their event a place where the best of the best from across the country duke it out for bragging rights. So what has kept the Senior Challenge from growing?
“Our biggest problem is that captains age,” Challenge Cup president Mike Quinlan told Golfweek. “It became harder and harder to get the same reach that Golfweek has in senior amateur golf.”
Now with Golfweek event staff assisting in tournament operations, the Senior Challenge looks to broaden their reach and welcome players and teams from parts of the country where they haven’t previously had a lot of players.
“The vision we have is to get the four best seniors from as many states as possible,” Quinlan said.
With the event moving from state to state every year, similar to the PGA Championship, the Senior Challenge should have no problem piquing the interests of senior players around the country.
This year’s edition will be hosted at The Canyon Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Both senior and super senior individual champions will be crowned as well as a team champion. When it comes to team titles, Texas holds the lead with seven wins, all of which have come after 1995. Georgia leads the rest of the pack with four while Florida can tie the Peach State if they can go back-to-back.
The 37th Senior Challenge is set for June 5-8 with 13 states represented and features a handful of ranked players in the Golfweek Senior and Super Senior rankings. If you’re interested in playing in the 2024 Senior Challenge at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, head over to the ASCGA for more details.
This is Your Chance to Play Tournament Golf in Ireland – Don’t pass it up! Regarded as one of Ireland’s best golf courses, the championship course at Galway Bay Golf Resort is a perfect combination of natural beauty and golfing adventure. The course …
This is Your Chance to Play Tournament Golf in Ireland – Don’t pass it up!
Regarded as one of Ireland’s best golf courses, the championship course at Galway Bay Golf Resort is a perfect combination of natural beauty and golfing adventure. The course blends a stunning backdrop of Galway Bay along with the rugged and unpredictable curves of the Atlantic coastline. With ever changing wind speeds and directions, Galway Bay Golf Resort will pose a considerable yet fair challenge for our group of Elite Senior Amateurs.
NOTE: This is a limited field tournament so make plans early!
This tournament is certified by the World Amateur Golf Rankings – WAGR
**For complete tournament information follow the registration link**
Since 2020, Strawn has 12 wins, including the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur.
Ranked atop the Golfweek rankings and a captain at Golfweek’s upcoming Senior Challenge Cup, Rusty Strawn is a force to be reckoned with on the senior amateur circuits.
Taught by his father, Strawn began playing at seven years old with a set of Chi-Chi Rodriguez golf clubs. He quickly fell in love with the game.
Growing into a pretty good player, Strawn played for Georgia Southern all throughout college. Although a solid player, Strawn opted to keep up with the family business.
Heading Strawn & Co. Insurance and growing a family, golf took a back seat.
“It was very, very difficult to juggle all three things,” Strawn said. “Obviously, if I wanted a healthy marriage and be the father to my kids that I thought I should be and want my company to grow, there was no way I could put the time and effort into golf that I would’ve needed to to compete at that (national) level.”
Although not playing on a national scale, Strawn kept his game in good enough shape to take home Georgia’s state mid-amateur title when he was 29 and followed it up with a runner-up finish the next year. It wasn’t until his late 40s that he decided to really work towards his dreams of competing on the biggest stages amateur golf has to offer.
“I didn’t want to wait until I was 55,” he said. “I wanted to start getting prepared for senior golf when I was five or six years before then. I was like ‘Ok, let’s see how good I can get.’”
With his kids in college and his company operating like a well-oiled machine, Strawn was finally able to begin chasing his dream.
“I wasn’t torn at the end of the day,” Strawn said. “Sometimes when I was playing golf early in my career I felt like I should’ve been home or I should’ve been at work. But I was really focused in my late 40s and early 50s about what I wanted to do.”
No one was a bigger supporter of Strawn’s dreams than his wife, Jennifer.
“She (Jennifer) played a big part in that,” recalled Strawn. “She really encouraged me and said ‘Hey you know what, you’ve got this last shot to compete.'”
With his wife pushing him and his willingness to put in the work, Strawn blossomed when he reached the senior amateur game. Not only did Strawn compete once he reached the senior amateur stage, he dominated.
Since 2020, Strawn has 12 wins topped by a win at the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur.
Winning the crown jewel of senior amateur golf is not lost on Strawn. But the win is more than just claiming the Frederick L. Dold trophy — it’s what comes with it.
“I’m very appreciative of the trophy I’ve got and the gold medal and everything but I tell you, that 10-year exemption into the senior amateur is the number one prize you win when you win a USGA event,” said Strawn.
With a USGA crown under his belt, four individual wins, a team win at the East West Matches and a trip to the Concession Cup in Spain, Strawn will close out a career year as a captain at the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup.
Although winning is preferred, Strawn’s favorite part of being a part of a team? The friendships.
“I love the camaraderie. It reminds me of college golf,” Strawn said. “Sharing those opportunities, the victories and even the defeats together, that’s what I really like about team events.”
Strawn will be facing off against former Golfweek Player of the Year, and good friend, Craig Hurlbert, and his team at the Challenge Cup. The event takes place on the East Course at Jacaranda Golf Club, in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, Dec. 14-16.
More Challenge Cup information along with registration can be found HERE.
Join us for the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup, December 14-16 at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Fla! The 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup will provide you with the opportunity to play The East Course, one of south Florida’s finest. The …
Join us for the 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup, December 14-16 at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Fla!The 2022 Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup will provide you with the opportunity to play The East Course, one of south Florida’s finest. The East Course at Jacaranda is as much about strategy as it is about difficulty and puts a premium on a solid short game.
Now in its fourth year, the Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup is a tournament within a tournament. Champions will be crowned in each division while at the same time two teams, one captained by current U.S. Senior Amateur Champion, Rusty Strawn, and the other by 2019 Golfweek senior player of the year, Craig Hurlbert, will do battle for the overall Challenge Cup trophy. Members of each team will be selected by captains pick and blind draw. Don’t miss this Golfweek Elite Senior Amateur tournament featuring one of the premier fields in senior amateur golf!
The Challenge Cup is the last national ranking tournament of 2022 and will help decide the 2022 Golfweek Player of the Year in each division. Jacaranda Golf Club will be the perfect venue for the fourth annual Golfweek Senior Challenge Cup.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All Golfweek senior amateur tournaments are WAGR counting tournaments leading to twenty-five exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur to be contested at Martis Camp in Truckee, Calif.
The Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, AZ is the home of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown. Sewailo Golf Club was designed by Notah Begay, who made his name both as a PGA Tour player and a commentator for both NBC and the Golf …
The Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, AZ is the home of the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown. Sewailo Golf Club was designed by Notah Begay, who made his name both as a PGA Tour player and a commentator for both NBC and the Golf Channel. Begay’s mandate was simple. Design a course that would work within the land and honor its natural beauty. Begay succeeded with the beautiful Sewailo Golf Club, or “Land Where Flowers Grow.” Ranked as one of Arizona’s finest courses you can play, Sewailo Golf Club is the home of the 2018 Women’s NCAA Champions, The University of Arizona Wildcats. Join us at Casino Del Sol in beautiful Tucson, AZ – the perfect home for the 2022 Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown!
The Golfweek Senior National Match-Play Championship consists of four separate brackets, senior (age 55-64), super-senior (age 65-69), legends (age 70-74), and super legends (75+). Over the course of three days, players in each bracket will be …
The Golfweek Senior National Match-Play Championship consists of four separate brackets, senior (age 55-64), super-senior (age 65-69), legends (age 70-74), and super legends (75+). Over the course of three days, players in each bracket will be whittled to one Senior National Match-Play champion in each division. The Golfweek Senior National Match Play is not a one loss and done tournament. As players are eliminated from match-play they will enter a consolation stroke-play competition using the stableford scoring system. Duke University Golf Club will be the perfect venue to host Golfweek’s ninth annual Senior National Match Play!
Calling all National Champions, State Champions, club champions and elite senior amateurs age 65 and over! Join us July 5-7 at one of the nations premier private golf clubs, The Golf Club of Georgia, in the 2022 Golfweek U.S. Super Senior, Legends & …
Calling all National Champions, State Champions, club champions and elite senior amateurs age 65 and over! Join us July 5-7 at one of the nations premier private golf clubs, The Golf Club of Georgia, in the 2022 Golfweek U.S. Super Senior, Legends & Super Legends National Championship.
This is the first national ranking championship exclusively for elite senior amateurs age 65 and over. The Golfweek U.S. Super Senior, Legends & Super Legends National Championship, sponsored by USA Today Sports, is now in its sixth year. The tournament fills a US Golf Association void by providing a national championship for players age 65 and over. After 54 holes of intense competition, only one player in each division will earn the right to hoist the trophy and be called a “National Champion.”
