Jack Larkin Sr. continued his impressive 2024 season at the 2024 Reynolds Senior Invitational at Reynolds Lake Oconee, the Great Waters course, in Eatonton, Ga.
Larkin shot rounds of 67-72-75 to finish 2-under and secure the wire-to-wire win after opening up with a 5-under 67, recording six birdies and one bogey.
"It was an exercise in patience," Larkin said. "I kept hitting really nice shots and putts, but they just didn't go in. So I just kept at it, and all of a sudden, on the back (nine), I was able to get a couple of putts to go in."
Larkin added, "My score felt better than it was, but it turned out pretty good in the end."
The former Georgia Bulldog and Atlanta native has put together a stellar 2024, winning the Jones Cup Senior, making match play at the U.S. Senior Amateur, and finishing in the top 10 four times.
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Larkin was in a final group with Rusty Strawn and Greg Kennedy, two familiar faces.
"Overall, it is just great camaraderie," Larkin said. "Everyone is out there to enjoy themselves but also be competitive. It is that fine line between having fun and being competitive."
In the final round, Larkin was forced to recover from an 8 that he made on the difficult par-4 No. 9.
"I was super proud of myself," Larkin said about the bounce back. The change in the winds made nine a different hole, and Larkin hit the ball in the water on his approach shot and from the drop zone to make an eight.
Larkin added, "I could live it because I didn't set up the shot mentally; I just misjudged, which a lot of people did all day."
He entered the final round tied at 5-under with Strawn, but a final round 5-over 77 saw Strawn finish T2 at even par with Kevin Vandenberg. Jack Hall finished T4 with Mike Lohner at 1-over to round out the top five.
Vandenberg is currently ranked No. 2 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings and leads the 2024 Senior Player of the Year race.
In the Super Senior Division, Mark Burden finished 1-under to win by five shots over the field. Burden carded rounds of 70-73-72 to be the lone golfer under par in the Super Senior Division.
Burden is ranked No. 59 in the AmateurGolf.com Super Senior Rankings.
Stevie Cannady finished in solo second place at 4-over, while Gay McMichael, Chris Hall, and Keith Holmes finished T3 at 5-over.
In the Legends Division, David Crocker won by four shots at 3-over with rounds of 71-75-73 and in the Grand Master Division, Frank Polizzi dominated, winning by 15 shots and finishing 4-under with rounds of 68-68-76.
