Arizona Senior: Brian Miller embraces the weather to secure wire-to-wire victory
8/15/2024 | by Arizona Golf Association
see also: View results for Arizona Senior Amateur, Tonto Verde Golf Club - Peaks Course
Miller won by three shots and in the legends division, John Schaller stayed consistent to shoot even par and win by one shot
The 51-player Arizona Senior Amateur Championship field faced a gauntlet of weather conditions throughout the 54-hole stroke play tournament, including temperatures of over 100 degrees each day and a lightning delay during the second round.
Despite that, Brian Miller finished 8-under and completed a dominant, wire-to-wire victory to capture the Senior Division crown, while John Schaller’s steady, even par performance earned him the Legends Division title at TPC Scottsdale - Champions Course.
Miller set the pace by carding back-to-back rounds of 67- the lowest single-round score posted by any player in the tournament. Despite a roller-coaster third round, Miller’s lead never dropped below three strokes.
Miller said that his Senior Amateur run was the best golf he had played in several months, attributing the performance to swing and putting changes that both seemed to work at the same time.
Although Miller’s victory was decisive, he admitted that it was not as easy as it looked due to the challenges of the Champions Course.
“This is a tough course. It’s challenging, you have to make shots, you can't make mistakes, and I made very few mistakes out here,” Miller said.
On the Legends Division side, Schaller faced an uphill battle to capture his title. Three strokes out of the lead after the opening round, Schaller made a run in round two by carding a 69- tied with Terry Ruzzo for the best single-round performance in the Legends Division.
“I played really steady,” Schaller said. “I started off bad yesterday with three bogeys in a row, but I hung in there, stayed positive, made five birdies, and stayed two-under, so I was really proud of myself.”
Ruzzo and Tom Beach finished just one stroke behind Schaller, who birdied the 15th hole to secure his win. A 20-year veteran of AZ GOLF events, Schaller’s victory was particularly meaningful. 18 months ago, he battled leukemia and underwent chemotherapy.
After narrowly missing out on last year’s Arizona Senior Amateur title, Schaller called his triumph this year “a real blessing.”
About the Arizona Senior Amateur
54-holes of individual stroke play at gross within age divisions. All players must have an active membership with an AGA Member Club to participate. Individuals must carry an up-to-date handicap index not exceeding 8.0 under the Rules of Handicapping...
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