Calkins defeats Exber in playoff for Morrison Cup title

3/17/2019 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Craig Calkins (left) receives a handshake from Brady Exber (Photo submitted)

Craig Calkins and Brady Exber, the two-time defending champion in this event, had to go three extra holes to determine a winner

Brady Exber put himself in position to win a third consecutive Morrison Cup title on Saturday afternoon, but that ended with a tricky 5-footer for par on the third playoff hole against Craig Calkins. After playing three solid days of golf at Pauma Valley Golf Club in Pauma Valley, Calif., Calkins put his name on the Morrison Cup winner’s list for the first time.

Calkins, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., led Exber, of Las Vegas, by two at the turn. Exber’s birdie on 15 and Calkins’ three-putt bogey on the treacherous 17th green allowed Exber to draw even.

While the focus had been on Exber and Calkins, another man in the final group was also making a move. David Oas, of Oceanside, Calif., stood in the middle of the fairway at the par-5 17th and crushed a driver to within 10 feet of the green. He got up and down for the only birdie in the group, which allowed Oas to get within one of the lead going to the 18th tee.

Oas’ wayward tee shot there, however, went out of bounds to the left, effectively ending his chances of a spot in the playoff.

After both Exber and Calkins parred the closing hole, it was back to the 18th tee. After two more trips down that hole and still no winner, the playoff moved to the 10th, an uphill par 4 with a large, steeply sloped green.

Both players found the center of the fairway and hit good approach shots into the green. Exber putted first but left it short, and after carefully watching Exber’s putt, Calkins lagged to within a foot before tapping in for his par. When Exber missed his putt, it left Calkins with the victory.

Calkins was runner-up at the Hesler in 2018 and tied for second at the Ralph Bogart Tournament. His head-to-head defeat of Exber is significant, considering that the defending champion is a two-time Stocker Cup champion, an SNGA stalwart and the reigning Canadian Senior Amateur champion.

Results: Morrison Cup

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Craig Calkins	Manhattan Beach, CA	500	76-71-74=221
2	Brady Exber	Las Vegas, NV	300	74-73-74=221
3	David Oas	Carlsbad, CA	200	76-75-74=225
4	John Mack	Alta Loma, CA	200	76-74-76=226
T5	Dan Sivadge	El Cajon, CA	200	80-73-74=227

View full results for Morrison Cup

About the Morrison Cup

The Marion R. Morrison National Senior Championship, or the Morrison Cup, is a 54-hole stroke play tournament with three divisions: Seniors (ages 55+), Super Seniors (65+) and Legends (70+). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who have reached t...

Most Popular Articles

2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced

Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing

2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING

Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year

2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners

Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.

Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch

Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory

Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s

Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original

Filters

Related Tournament

Morrison Cup

View Details

Loading latest news...