ICYMI: Craig Hurlbert wins Society of Seniors Founders Cup
11/7/2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for Society of Seniors Founders Cup, Mission Hills Country Club - Pete Dye Course
The Texan posted rounds of 71-70-71 to bring home a 9-shot victory over two players while other divisions crowned champs
The Society of Seniors headed west in November for the Founder's Cup, picking the historic and much loved Pasatiempo Golf Club as the venue.
Craig Hurlbert of Magnolia, Texas took the title in the senior division going away, posting an impressive trio of rounds -- 71, 70, and 71 for a 2-over total that kept him clear of his closest competitors (Stephen Maddalena of Jackson, MI and Doug Stiles of Athens, GA) by a full nine shots.
It wasn't that other players couldn't figure out the famed Alister MacKenzie layout -- which, by the way, can be played by the public -- it was that they could only "own" it for one round.
For example, the lowest score of the tournament was posted by Greg Sanders of Anchorage, Alaska in the second round. After posting 78 in the first round, he got himself into contention with a 68, that included six birdies. But the next day he posted 78 again, much closer to the field scoring average of 78.82.
Pasatiempo is a hard course to make birdies on, and an easy one to record bogeys. The hardest hole in the tournament was No. 16. That par four is the site where MacKenzie had a house. It's a tough driving hole with a triple-tier undulating green that would probably be shunned if designed today, but stands as one of the most interesting green complexes in California.
The scoring average on No. 16? That would be 4.93. And it played between 355 and 367 yards on the week.
Back to Hurlbert. He played No. 16 1-over, making par the first two days and a bogey in the final round. Despite shooting 3-over 38 on the back nine in the final round, Hurlbert was coming off of a 33 on the front and had two hands on the trophy by that point.
OTHER DiVISIONS
The Society of Seniors is "tour" of sorts that rewards longevity by providing players of various age brackets the chance to compete against players their own age.
In the Super-Senior Division, two highly regarded Californians finished 1-2.
Jeff Burda of La Quina fired two straight sub par rounds (68 and 69) to take a commanding lead and came home with 74 to finish eight shots clear of smooth-swinging Jim Knoll of Sunnyvale, who posted consistently-improving rounds of 74, 73, and 72 to place solo second at 9-over.
Chris Maletis of Indian Wells, CA took the Legends title at 10-over by two over Bob Kain of La Quinta (notice a desert theme in these addresses?) while Jim Saivar (San Diego) won the Grand Master division by eight shots over Jim Dubois of Coral Springs, Florida.
Results: Society of Seniors Founders Cup
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodlands, TX | 700 | 71-70-71=212 | |
| T2 | Jackson, MI | 400 | 73-76-72=221 | |
| T2 | Athens, GA | 400 | 76-70-75=221 | |
| T4 | Redlands, CA | 300 | 75-71-77=223 | |
| T4 | La Jolla, CA | 300 | 71-78-74=223 |
About the Society of Seniors Founders Cup
A 54-hole stroke play championship for Society of Seniors members with Senior, Super Senior and Grand Master Divisions.
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
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
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.
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.