Michael McCoy etched his name into the USGA history books on Thursday with a 3-and-2 victory over Greg Sanders in the championship match of the 70th U.S. Senior Amateur at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio. With the win, the 62-year-old Iowan becomes the first golfer to capture both the U.S. Mid-Amateur (2013) and U.S. Senior Amateur titles — a historic double no player had achieved before.
McCoy, a veteran of more than 60 USGA championships, stormed out of the gates with birdies on each of the first three holes, building a commanding 3-up advantage that set the tone early. Sanders, the 61-year-old Arizona resident and 11-time Alaska State Amateur champion, fought back with a birdie at No. 9 and a gritty par win at 12, but McCoy’s consistency never wavered. After matching pars over 13–15, McCoy sealed the win on the 16th green with two steady putts for par.
History made. 🏆
— AmateurGolf.com (@amateurgolfcom) August 28, 2025
Mike McCoy wins the 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur at Oak Hills, becoming the first player ever to win both the #USMidAm and #USSeniorAm titles.
62 years old. Still elite. Still making history.
➡️ Full recap: https://t.co/YcXN9NbQTq#AmateurGolf | #GolfHistory |… pic.twitter.com/EDZaZ2U4C6
“I’ve played in over 60 USGA events,” said McCoy. “To finally win this one — and to make history doing it — is beyond anything I could have hoped for. I love the USGA and everything it stands for.”
Decades of Dominance
McCoy’s resume is among the most decorated in amateur golf. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, and an insurance executive by trade, he has won the Iowa Golf Association’s Player of the Year award a record 11 times and has six Iowa Amateur titles to his name. He was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
On the national stage, McCoy owns titles at the British Senior Amateur (2022), Crump Cup (4 wins), Trans-Mississippi Amateur (2 wins), and has been low amateur at the U.S. Senior Open twice. He also played on the 2015 U.S. Walker Cup team and captained the 2023 team to victory at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
This win marked his 7th U.S. Senior Amateur appearance and now adds a final missing piece to his post-collegiate amateur career. He has now triumphed at the Mid-Am, Senior Am, and many of the most prestigious invitationals in amateur golf.
Final Match Recap
- Final Result: McCoy def. Greg Sanders, 3 and 2
- Key Moments: Birdies on Holes 1, 2, and 3 for early lead; match closed on Hole 16
- McCoy’s Stroke Play: 69–73 (Even par, Seeded No. 12)
- Match Play Path: Mike Lohner (R64), Matt Sughrue (R32), Rusty Strawn (R16), Michael Anderson (QF), Mike Sposa (SF)
His grandfather, Joe Kenneally, was a golf professional in Wisconsin and Iowa who competed in the inaugural Iowa Open in 1927. McCoy would go on to win that same event in 1994, adding another layer of family legacy to this storybook career.
With this latest triumph, McCoy secures exemptions into multiple future USGA events, including:
- 10 future U.S. Senior Amateurs
- 2026 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club
- 2025 & 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateurs
- 2026 & 2027 U.S. Amateurs
- Local qualifying exemption for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills
He becomes the only player in USGA history to earn both Mid-Am and Senior Amateur titles, forever securing his legacy as one of the greats in American amateur golf.
