Hanzel back in form, wins fourth Jones Cup Senior

Doug Hanzel (Savannah, Ga.) is back on top, winning the Jones Cup Senior Invitational at Sea Island for the fourth time after a birdie-birdie finish that put him one stroke ahead of 2018 champion Gene Elliott (W. Des Moines, Iowa) and Jack Larkin (Atlanta, Ga.). Hanzel, a four-time AmateurGolf.com Senior Player of the Year, is now a four-time Jones Cup Senior champion, having previously lifted the trophy in 2012, 2014 and 2019. It was a return to form for the 64-year-old former U.S. Senior champion, who won seven national senior events in 2019 but reduced his competitive schedule last year. He did win a couple of team events -- the National Father-Son in Pinehurst and the Georgia Senior Four-Ball with Bob Royak, both successful title defenses -- but went winless individually on the national stage for the first time as a senior. Hanzel carried a three-shot lead into the final round over three players -- Elliott, Larkin, and Frank Vana (Boxford, Mass.). Playing in the group ahead of Hanzel, Elliott pulled into a tie with five holes left after birdies at 12 and 13, and Larkin making it a threesome at 3 under par with a birdie of his own at 13. Larkin would bogey the next hole, and when Hanzel went bogey-bogey and 15 and 16, it looked Elliott's tournament to win. But a bogey at 17 proved costly, and when Hanzel rebounded with two birdies to finish, he snatched the tournament away. Hanzel's winning score was 3-under 213 after closing with a 73. Elliott and Larkin each shot 71 to finish 2 under. Elliott and Hanzel are now 1-2 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Ranking. Steve Harwell (Mooresville, N.C.) and Peter DeTemple (Callaway, Md.) tied for fourth at even par. Royak, the defending champion this week, finished tied for 17th at 9 over. In the Super Senior division, there were no such dramatics, thanks to the dominance of Jack Kearney (Peachtree City, Ga.). The 65-year-old shot the low round in each of the three rounds, with scores of 68-70-70 giving him an 8-under-par total and an amazing 14-shot win over Marc Fried (Solon, Ohio). Kearney played only four of his 54 holes over par, while racking up 14 birdies.