After winning the Georgia Mid-Amateur and National Senior Hall of Fame championships in a month’s span, the 59-year-old from Alpharetta, Ga. punched his ticket to the Senior Open Championship, to be held July 22-25 at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England.
Royak was one of five players to earn a spot in the field by virtue of his third-place finish in Monday’s 18-hole qualifier which was held at the Firestone Country Club (Fazio Course) in Akron, Ohio. Royak’s 3-under round of 67 included five birdies and just two bogeys, earning him the distinction of being the only amateur from Akron to earn a trip to Sunningdale next month.
Other amateurs in the field who fell short in their quest to join Royak in England were Bryan Hoops (E), Jerry Slagle (+1), Michael Kelly (+2), Charlie Blanchard (+4), T.J. Brudzinski (+5), Jeff Mallette (+6), Joe Shaktman (+6) and Damon Boyette (+8).
"I played a very solid round of golf on Monday in some trying weather conditions that led to two rain delays," said Royak.
Royak carried plenty of momentum with him into Akron, coming off a win at the National Senior Hall of Fame Championship last week in High Point, N.C. and the Georgia Mid-Amateur on May 24. He opened his season with a third place showing at the Timuquana Cup Senior Invitational in early May.
The winner of the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, Royak has a pair of top-10 finishes at the British Amateur Championship, tying for ninth in 2017 at Sunningdale and ’18 at Royal Porthcawl. "I really like the club (Sunningdale) and the golf course so that was my main reason to try the qualifier at Firestone," said Royak. "Hopefully the travel restrictions will loosen up to make it a go."