Grant Roscich Wins Sunnehanna Amateur with Birdie on Final Hole
The opening event of the 2026 Men's Elite Amateur Golf Series delivered drama until the final putt.
Grant Roscich rolled in a birdie putt on the 54th and final hole of the Sunnehanna Amateur to secure a one-shot victory over Gabriel Palacios and Jake Birdwell, who tied for runner-up honors at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The championship was shortened to 54 holes after Thursday's second round was wiped out by extreme weather. Wind gusts approaching 50 miles per hour made the course virtually unplayable, with golf balls reportedly moving on greens, forcing tournament officials to cancel the round.
When play resumed, the tournament became a sprint to the finish.
Roscich entered the final round with a three-shot lead after opening with rounds of 65 and 66. But while he was trying to protect his advantage, Palacios was mounting one of the most impressive charges of the week.
Starting the day at even par, Palacios fired a bogey-free 8-under 63, the lowest final round among the contenders. The highlight was a breathtaking 29 on the back nine, where he poured in birdie after birdie to erase what had once been a sizable deficit.
Palacios played his final nine holes in 7-under par, posting birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, and 17 before adding another on the closing hole. By the time he signed for 63, he had posted 9-under-par for the championship and forced the leaders to finish the job.
Birdwell also made a run at the title. The Texas A&M standout matched Palacios at 9-under after rounds of 69, 63, and 69, remaining in contention throughout the final day.
That set the stage for Roscich.
Despite the pressure of seeing both challengers reach 9-under, Roscich answered when it mattered most. His birdie putt on the 18th green found the bottom of the cup, moving him to 10-under-par and eliminating the need for a playoff.
The victory capped a remarkably consistent week for the winner, who posted rounds of 65, 66, and 69 to finish at 200 and claim one of amateur golf's most prestigious titles.
Matt Vogt, Jake Albert, and Peter Kim shared fourth place at 6-under 204.
As the first event of the Men's Elite Amateur Golf Series, the Sunnehanna Amateur also carries added significance in the season-long Elite Amateur Cup race. Roscich's victory gives him the early lead heading into next week's Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island, where the series continues with another elite field competing for points and one of amateur golf's most coveted season-long honors.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
The 85th Sunnehanna Amateur has reached its midpoint at Sunnehanna Country Club, and after 36 holes of stroke play, Grant Roscich sits alone atop the leaderboard at 9-under par. Rounds of 65-66—131 give him a one-shot cushion, but the chase pack is closing fast in one of the deepest fields in amateur golf.
The story of the day belonged to Jake Birdwell, who fired a tournament-low 7-under 63 to surge into solo second at 8-under, just a single stroke back. It was the best round of the championship to date and vaulted him from the pack directly into title contention heading into the weekend.
Peter Kim sits third at 7-under after a 6-under 64 (69-64—133), one of several players who took advantage of the gettable scoring conditions. Three players share fourth at 6-under: Wyatt Provence, who matched Birdwell's 64, along with Kaleb Wilson (66) and JP Odland (67), both of whom have remained near the top since the opening round.
With Friday's third round looming and the cut to the low 60 and ties in play, the projected cut line sits at 3-over par. Several notable names remain in the hunt just outside the leaders, including Ben Gregg, Rylan Shim, and Ryan Ford, all at 2-under with rounds still to complete.
📋 Through 36 Holes — Leaderboard
PositionPlayerTo ParR1R2Total1Grant Roscich−965661312Jake Birdwell−8—63—3Peter Kim−76964133T4Wyatt Provence−6—64—T4Kaleb Wilson−66866—T4JP Odland−667——
🔥 What to Watch in Round 3
Can Roscich convert a 36-hole lead into separation, or does Birdwell's red-hot putter carry over? With the cut looming and a logjam of contenders within striking distance, Friday's third round will reshape the leaderboard before the field is trimmed to the low 60 and ties for the final 18.
📜 A Championship Steeped in History
Championship golf has been part of Sunnehanna's DNA since 1936 with the original Sunnehanna Invitational. Arnold Palmer, Julius Boros, and Art Wall headlined early champions before the tournament paused in 1951. Revived in 1954, the event introduced a novel 72-hole stroke-play format—the first of its kind for club-sponsored amateur events in the U.S.
In 1956, a 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus dazzled with prodigious length en route to a T5 finish. Future stars like Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods followed. While not all would win, their early performances at Sunnehanna are etched in lore. Watts now joins a champions list that includes Nicklaus, Crenshaw, and Scott Simpson.
📚 25+ Years of AmateurGolf.com Coverage
Since 1999, AmateurGolf.com has covered the tournament's defining moments. We've witnessed careers bloom from tee times at Sunnehanna to Sunday victories on the PGA TOUR. With exclusive interviews, round tracking, and live reporting, our coverage is a trusted companion to players, fans, and families—and we'll be on the ground in Johnstown all week.
📊 Scoring Trends (Recent Champions)
YearWinnerScore2025Tyler Watts−19 (261) — tournament record2024Ben Warian−13 (267)2023Jackson Van Paris−11 (269)
Live scoring, round-by-round tracking, and final results from the 85th Sunnehanna Amateur will be available all week at AmateurGolf.com.
🏆 Part of the Elite Amateur Golf Series
The Sunnehanna Amateur is one of seven championships in the Men's Series of the Elite Amateur Golf Series—a collective of the game's premier amateur events whose season-long points race crowns the Elite Amateur Cup. Often called the “majors of amateur golf,” these championships have a proven track record of preparing elite players for the toughest competitive tests.
The Men's Series (7 championships): Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North & South Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Southern Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur, and Western Amateur.
The Women's Series (5 championships): Sea Island Women's Amateur, Southwestern Women's Amateur, Women's North & South Amateur, Women's Western Amateur, and LNGA Amateur Championship.