Dave Bunker of Ontario, Canada, continued his dominant start to 2026, closing with a 2-under 70 to win the Golfweek Senior Player of the Year Classic by two shots at ChampionsGate Golf Resort (International Course) in Davenport, Florida.
Bunker finished at 3-under 213 after rounds of 68-75-70, pulling clear on a final day that began tightly packed. He started Sunday standing T-2 at 1-under alongside Tony Wise (Georgetown, KY), Michael McCoy (Norwalk, IA), and Chad Branton (Cartersville, GA), while John Wright (Fairhope, AL) held the 36-hole lead at 3-under.
RELATED: Bunker’s run continues with Heron Creek Senior Invitational victory
Away from golf, Bunker is a retired teacher who spent 30 years at Lawrence Heights Middle School in North York, Ontario, teaching a variety of subjects. Much of his career was in physical education, with a long-running focus on football and basketball.
The win marked Bunker’s third consecutive title in 18 days, following victories at the Plantation Senior Invitational and the Heron Creek Senior Invitational, and further extended his hold on No. 1 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings.
Wright, the 2020 champion, slipped back with a final-round 77 to finish fourth at 2-over, while defending champion Kevin VandenBerg ended T-8 at 7-over.
In the Super Senior division, Richard Kerper (Oldsmar, FL) successfully defended his title, edging the field by one shot at 4-over 220. The Legends division went to Greg Osborne (Lititz, PA), who won by four at 4-over.
| Pos. | Player | Total To Par | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total Gross | Purse | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☆ | 1 | Bunker, Dave Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada | -3 | 68 | 75 | 70 | 213 | $700.00 | 1200.00 |
| ☆ | T2 | Wise, Tony Georgetown, KY | -1 | 68 | 75 | 72 | 215 | $400.00 | 700.00 |
| ☆ | T2 | McCoy, Michael Norwalk, IA | -1 | 74 | 69 | 72 | 215 | $400.00 | 700.00 |
| ☆ | 4 | Wright, John Fairhope, AL | +2 | 69 | 72 | 77 | 218 | $325.00 | 540.00 |
| ☆ | 5 | Branton, Chad Cartersville, GA | +3 | 69 | 74 | 76 | 219 | $300.00 | 490.00 |
Don Donatoni (West Chester, PA), stepped up from the Legends Division last year into Super Legends and wasted no time making his mark. He fired rounds of 71-74-76 for a 5-over 221 total, claiming victory by a commanding five-shot margin.
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