U.S. Senior Amateur tee times; groups to watch

August 24, 2021 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com

Bob Royak begins his title defense at the U.S. Senior Amateur on Saturday (USGA)

Thirty-six holes of stroke play begins on Saturday at the Country Club of Detroit

The United States Golf Association has announced the tee times for the stroke-play portion of the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur which gets underway on Saturday at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Farms, Mich.

The U.S. Senior Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 28 and 29, after which the 156-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will be six rounds of match play at the Country Club of Detroit, starting Monday, Aug. 30. The quarterfinals and semifinals are slated for Wednesday, Sept. 1. The championship is scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Sept. 2, starting at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

Groups to Watch

Roger Newsom, Jeff Knox, Chip Lutz
Chip Lutz won the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2015 while Roger Newsom finished runner-up in 2019 but neither player can claim they've taken down Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia in The Masters. That distinction belongs to Jeff Knox, a longtime member at Augusta National who has regularly been called upon over the last 20 years to serve as a marker for one of the players who has had an early tee time on the weekends. In 2014, Knox served as a marker for Rory McIlroy in the third round, and shot a 70 to clip the then world's No. 1 player by stroke. Eight years prior, he took down Sergio Garcia. The Augusta native also holds the course record at the National (members tees) with a 61.

Bob Royak, Buddy Alexander, Ken Bakst
Defending champion Bob Royak has held the title for an extra year due to the cancellation of last year's event due to the pandemic. With wins at the National Senior Hall of Fame Championship and the Georgia Mid-Amateur earlier this summer, the Alpharetta, Ga. native promises not to go down without a fight in Detroit. Alexander, the former longtime head golf coach at the University of Florida where he led the Gators to a pair of national titles, also has one USGA title to his credit: the 1986 U.S. Amateur. In 2017, Bakst tied for ninth at the British Senior Amateur.

Paul Simson, Fred Ridley, Mike McCoy
Paul Simson is a two-time winner of the U.S. Senior Amateur (2010; 2012) and also won the British and Canadian Senior Ams in 2010. He's also won 40 Carolinas Golf Association events and nine North & South titles in various divisions.Mike McCoy, the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, is coming off a recent victory in the Iowa Senior Amateur. Fred Ridley won the U.S. Amateur in 1975, and he currently serves as the chairman of Augusta National.

Gene Elliott, Doug Hanzel, Craig Davis
Gene Elliott, the top-rated senior in the world by Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com, landed a huge win at the British Senior Amateur. He also won the Canadian Senior Amateur in 2019. Doug Hanzel has a history of making deep runs at the U.S. Senior Amateur, taking medalist honors in 2019 and reaching the quarterfinals on two occasions and the semifinals once in 2012. It was in 2019 that Craig Davis won the British Senior Amateur and is a three-time SCGA Senior Amateur champion.

Tee Times (All times EDT)
Saturday (Aug. 28), Hole #1 / Sunday (Aug. 29), Hole #10
7:20 a.m. / 12:20 p.m. – Rick Herpich, Orchard Lake, Mich.; Casey Boyns, Monterey, Calif.; Jack Hall, Savannah, Ga.
7:30 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Tim Jackson, Williston, Tenn.; Miles McConnell, Tampa, Fla.; Patrick Mohan, Elkhart, Ind.
7:40 a.m. / 12:40 p.m. – Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga.; Stewart Alexander, Auburn, Ala.; Kenneth Bakst, Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
7:50 a.m. / 12:50 p.m. – William Winter II, Portland, Ore.; Greg Sanders, Anchorage, Alaska; Kevin Hubbs, Denham Springs, La.
8 a.m. / 1 p.m. – Tore Carlson, Katonah, N.Y.; Michael Kelley, Westerville, Ohio; Patrick Dougherty, North Wales, Pa.
8:10 a.m. / 1:10 p.m. – Craig Hurlbert, Magnolia, Texas; Iain MacDonald, Fullerton, Calif.; Joe Jaspers, Huntersville, N.C.
8:20 a.m. / 1:20 p.m. – Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C.; Fred Ridley, Tampa, Fla.; Michael McCoy, Des Moines, Iowa
8:30 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. – Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va.; Jeff Knox, Augusta, Ga.; Chip Lutz, Jupiter, Fla.
8:40 a.m. / 1:40 p.m. – Bob Johnston, Haworth, N.J.; Chris Chocola, Harbor Springs, Mich.; Mark Gardiner, Ramstein, AF Europe
8:50 a.m. / 1:50 p.m. – Chris Fieger, Denver, Pa.; Tim McKinnis, Lyons, Kan.; Steve Rogers, Bowling Green, Ky.
9 a.m. / 2 p.m. – Jeff Wright, Benicia, Calif.; Kevin VandenBerg, Pulaski, N.Y.; Bryan Norton, Overland Park, Kan.
9:10 a.m. / 2:10 p.m. – Tommy Reynolds, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Toshi Hirata, Pooler, Ga.; Jim Muething, Cincinnati, Ohio
9:20 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Jim Lehman, Minnetonka, Minn.; Kenneth Coutant, Dallas, Texas; James Starnes, Fort Myers, Fla.

Saturday (Aug. 28), Hole #10 / Sunday (Aug. 29), Hole #1
7:20 a.m. / 12:20 p.m. – Jeffrey Wilson, Fairfield, Calif.; Joe Shaktman, Coral Springs, Fla.; Michael Hooper, Fairfield, Conn.
7:30 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Eddie Hargett, Blythewood, S.C.; Mike McKenna, Danvers, Mass.; Bill Fowler, Lakewood, Colo.
7:40 a.m. / 12:40 p.m. – Glenn Smeraglio, Newtown, Pa.; Gianluca Bolla, Italy; Mark Morgan, Shingle Springs, Calif.
7:50 a.m. / 12:50 p.m. – Philip Mahone, Charlottesville, Va.; Andrew Gabelman, Elmhurst, Ill.; David Clarke, St. Clairsville, Ohio
8 a.m. / 1 p.m. – Rick Lloyd, Sandy, Utah; Michael Staskus, Los Altos, Calif.; Titus Harris, Houston, Texas
8:10 a.m. / 1:10 p.m. – Joe Palmer, Norwalk, Iowa; Chip Nelson, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill.
8:20 a.m. / 1:20 p.m. – Dean Godek, Feeding Hills, Mass.; Brad Wayment, Mesa, Ariz.; John Foster, Woodstock, Ga.
8:30 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. – Tony Padilla, Sacramento, Calif.; Keith Smith, Franklin, Mass.; Walter Todd, Laurens, S.C.
8:40 a.m. / 1:40 p.m. – Blake Gibson, Yukon, Okla.; Scott Cuppett, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Daniel Harding, Wellesley, Mass.
8:50 a.m. / 1:50 p.m. – Neal Barfield, Dallas, Texas; Steve Harwell, Mooresville, N.C.; Glenn Hogle, Henderson, Calif.
9 a.m. / 2 p.m. – Robert Nelson, Fairhope, Ala.; Thomas Lefebvre, Upper Saddle River, N.J.; Anton Salome, Socorro, N.M.
9:10 a.m. / 2:10 p.m. – Jerry Gunthorpe, Ovid, Mich.; Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass.; Scott Almquist, Coto de Caza, Calif.
9:20 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. – Buddy Bryant, Lexington, Ky.; Pat Thompson, Asheville, N.C.; Dana Nelson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Saturday (Aug. 28), Hole #1 / Sunday (Aug. 29), Hole #10
12:20 p.m. / 7:20 a.m. – Jim Murphy, Crestwood, Ky.; Craig Steinberg, Agoura Hills, Calif.; Don Reycroft, Chandler, Ariz.
12:30 p.m. / 7:30 a.m. – Scott Spielmann, Mount Prospect, Ill.; James Scorse, Churchville, N.Y.; Ken Peacock, Brandon, Miss.
12:40 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Vince Price, Portland, Ore.; Rusty Strawn, McDonough, Ga.; Neil Moore, Redondo Beach, Calif.
12:50 p.m. / 7:50 a.m. – Brian Westveer, Charlotte, N.C.; Eddie Pimentel, Elk Grove, Calif.; Jim Doing, Verona, Wis.
1 p.m. / 8 a.m. – Matt Sughrue, Arlington, Va.; Mel Mendenhall, Marietta, Ga.; Elso Caponi, Oviedo, Fla.
1:10 p.m. / 8:10 a.m. – Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev.; Steve Vernasco, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Vance Welch, Scaggsville, Md.
1:20 p.m. / 8:20 a.m. – Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa.; Randy Haag, Orinda, Calif.; Lewis Stephenson, Mansfield, Texas
1:30 p.m. / 8:30 a.m. – Jim Reynolds, Denver, Colo.; Kory Frost, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.; Nick Raffaele, Austin, Texas
1:40 p.m. / 8:40 a.m. – Richard Kerper, Oldsmar, Fla.; Steven Galing, Burke, Va.; Jim Ihm, Peosta, Iowa
1:50 p.m. / 8:50 a.m. – Mark Small, Frankfort, Ill.; David Pfeil, St. Louis, Mo.; Rick Woulfe, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
2 p.m. / 9 a.m. – David Ortego, Spring, Texas; Rick Cloninger, Rock Hill, S.C.; Doug Stiles, Athens, Ga.
2:10 p.m. / 9:10 a.m. – John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas; William Mitchell, Atlanta, Ga.; Darin Eddy, Marshfield, Mass.
2:20 p.m. / 9:20 a.m. – Dick Engel, Lancaster, Calif.; Robert Polk, Parker, Colo.; Tim Peterson, Forest Lake, Minn.

Saturday (Aug. 28), Hole #10 / Sunday (Aug. 29), Hole #1
12:20 p.m. / 7:20 a.m. – Mike Arnold, Fort Myers, Fla.; Dave Bunker, Canada; Terry Wamack, Columbus, Ohio
12:30 p.m. / 7:30 a.m. – Lee Kolquist, Geneva, Ill.; Ken Kinkopf, Jupiter, Fla.; Danny Arvanitis, Manchester, N.H.
12:40 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – James Volpenhein, Cincinnati, Ohio; Walter Gieselman, Naples, Fla.; John Sajevic, Fremont, Neb.
12:50 p.m. / 7:50 a.m. – Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va.; Gary Ellis, Norwalk, Iowa; Andrew Fogarty, Naples, Fla.
1 p.m. / 8 a.m. – Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga.; Craig Davis, Chula Vista, Calif.; Gene Elliott, West Des Moines, Iowa
1:10 p.m. / 8:10 a.m. – Robin Bradbury, Berthoud, Colo.; Edward Parnell, Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Chris Hall, Marietta, Ga.
1:20 p.m. / 8:20 a.m. – Joe Roeder, Marlton, N.J.; Preston Edmondson, Morrisville, N.C.; Jonathan Kosier, Argyle, Texas
1:30 p.m. / 8:30 a.m. – Sherrill Britt, West End, N.C.; Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif.; Darryl Osler, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
1:40 p.m. / 8:40 a.m. – James Sweeney, Crescent Springs, Ky.; Paul Jett, Southern Pines, N.C.; Scott Anderson, Bakersfield, Calif.
1:50 p.m. / 8:50 a.m. – Arthur Sellinger, Irving, Texas; Steve Golliher, Knoxville, Tenn.; Gordy McKeown, Little Rock, Ark.
2 p.m. / 9 a.m. – Ronald Kilby, McAllen, Texas; Scott Briggs, Burlington, Iowa; Terry Werner, Dyer, Ill.
2:10 p.m. / 9:10 a.m. – Randy Hicken, American Fork, Utah; Timothy Rypien, Spokane, Wash.; Mark Eriksen, Clarkston, Mich.
2:20 p.m. / 9:20 a.m. – John McClure, Los Angeles, Calif.; Bob Rolston, Hopkins, Minn.; Bart Goodwin, Flower Mound, Texas

About the U.S. Senior Amateur

U.S. Senior Amateur tee times; groups to watch

The USGA Senior Amateur is open to those with a USGA Handicap Index of 5.4 or lower, who are 55 or older on or before the day the qualifying begins, usually in August. It is one of 15 national championships conducted annually by the USGA.

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