The 46th U.S. Senior Open concludes Sunday at historic Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, with defending champion Padraig Harrington charging toward a successful title defense. But for our readers, the amateur story of the week is complete — and it belongs entirely to Haymes Snedeker.
This tracker followed all 18 amateurs who survived one of the most demanding qualifying paths in senior championship golf. In the end, one of them played all 72 holes.
Final amateur update: Snedeker has completed his fourth round. All amateur scores below are final; his overall position may shift slightly as the last groups finish Sunday.
Snedeker's Mulligan Goes the Distance
What a week for the comeback story of the championship. Snedeker — featured by the USGA for his return to competitive golf after a lengthy hiatus — was the only amateur to survive the 36-hole cut, which fell at 4 over par, after opening 73-68 to stand 1 over through two rounds. His Friday 68 was the low amateur round of the week by a wide margin.
He was no weekend passenger, either. Snedeker followed with an even-par 70 on Saturday and closed with a 73 on Sunday to finish at 4-over 284 — tied for 36th alongside two-time champion Jeff Maggert, and ahead of major champions including Colin Montgomerie, Stephen Ames and Vijay Singh on the final leaderboard. Low-amateur honors at the U.S. Senior Open are his.
Final Amateur Results
| Pos | Player | To Par | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T36 | Haymes Snedeker | +4 | 73 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 284 |
| Missed the Cut (+4) | |||||||
| MC | Chris Kamin | +6 | 76 | 70 | - | - | 146 |
| MC | Brian Guetz | +7 | 72 | 75 | - | - | 147 |
| MC | Mike Stamberger | +9 | 74 | 75 | - | - | 149 |
| MC | Doug Hanzel | +10 | 78 | 72 | - | - | 150 |
| MC | Brock Ehler | +10 | 78 | 72 | - | - | 150 |
| MC | Michael McCoy | +10 | 79 | 71 | - | - | 150 |
| MC | Michael Pearson | +10 | 77 | 73 | - | - | 150 |
| MC | Steve Nichols | +12 | 74 | 78 | - | - | 152 |
| MC | Steve Sear | +12 | 79 | 73 | - | - | 152 |
| MC | Chris Eassy | +13 | 75 | 78 | - | - | 153 |
| MC | Bradford Kuester | +15 | 75 | 80 | - | - | 155 |
| MC | John Kennedy | +17 | 80 | 77 | - | - | 157 |
| MC | Bob Royak | +17 | 78 | 79 | - | - | 157 |
| MC | Tucker Sampson | +20 | 79 | 81 | - | - | 160 |
| MC | Greg Sanders | +20 | 84 | 76 | - | - | 160 |
| MC | Jonathan Clark | +22 | 81 | 81 | - | - | 162 |
| MC | Artie Fink | +29 | 85 | 84 | - | - | 169 |
How the Amateur Week Unfolded
The near misses. Chris Kamin's Friday 70 — a strong response to his opening 76 in his U.S. Senior Open debut — left the California final-qualifying medalist two shots shy of the number at 6 over. Brian Guetz, who led all amateurs after an opening 72, finished three outside at 7 over after a Friday 75.
The champions' rallies came too late. Reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion Michael McCoy followed his opening 79 with a 1-over 71 — one of the best amateur rounds of the week — while 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion Doug Hanzel rebounded from 78 with a 72. Both finished at 10 over, six off the cut line.
Thursday's flash. Steve Nichols provided the early-week thrill, reaching even par through 10 holes in Round 1 and briefly holding a top-25 position before finishing 74-78.
The Road Here Was No Gimme
Every amateur in this field earned it the hard way. The USGA's two-stage qualifying system, in place for a second consecutive year, required players to advance through 18-hole local qualifying and then a pressure-packed final qualifier — unless already exempt into the final stage. The championship drew 2,780 entries for 156 spots, a format that rewards sustained performance over one hot round and makes this amateur contingent especially battle-tested.
Snedeker's weekend run now joins that lineage of amateurs proving they belong on this stage — the same tradition Mike McCoy established with his top finish at Del Paso Country Club in 2015, still the modern benchmark for an amateur going toe-to-toe with PGA Tour Champions stars over four rounds.
The stage made it all the sweeter. Scioto Country Club — the Donald Ross masterpiece where Jack Nicklaus learned the game under Jack Grout — hosted its third U.S. Senior Open and fifth USGA championship overall, in the same year it celebrates the centennial of the 1926 U.S. Open contested on its grounds. For 17 amateurs, the week ended Friday. For Haymes Snedeker, the mulligan lasted all 72 holes.
