The Cookout by seniorgolfHQ Vol 3
The Cookout by seniorgolfHQ
April 2026
What we are cooking this month:
Welcome back to the third edition of The Cookout, where we break down everything happening at the highest levels of senior amateur golf. April is here, and the senior amateur season is already delivering compelling story lines, from weather-tested champions on the East Coast to battles renewed out West. At the Ed Tutwiler Four-Ball, difficult conditions only added to the challenge, but Stephen Fox and Dean Channell rose above the elements with a flawless, bogey-free performance to secure a wire-to-wire victory. Their consistency and timely birdie runs proved decisive in holding off a strong group of contenders and set an early benchmark for team play in 2026.
Meanwhile, attention shifts to Palm Desert, where the Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship is underway at the demanding Firecliff Course. With firm conditions and desert winds already influencing play, the opening round has reinforced just how critical patience and precision will be in the days ahead. Defending champion Bryan Hoops is back in the field, looking to build on last year’s momentum as players begin to separate themselves early in one of the season’s premier individual events.
With another marquee event, the Society of Seniors Senior Masters just around the corner, the spring calendar is quickly gaining momentum, offering no shortage of opportunities for players to make their mark. Let’s get cooking.
2026 March Major Senior-Am Tournament Results
Society of Seniors: Ed Tutwiler Four-Ball
March 16-18, 2026
The Reserve Golf Club
Champions: Stephen Fox & Dean Channell
Weather dominated the week at Pawleys Island, with storms halting play on Monday and unseasonably cold conditions testing players the rest of the tournament. Despite the elements, Stephen Fox and Dean Channell of Pinehurst, North Carolina, delivered a steady performance to capture the 41st Ed Tutwiler Four-Ball at The Reserve Golf Club. Their rounds of 64 and 67 secured a wire-to-wire victory at 13-under par.
The winning pair separated themselves from the field by avoiding mistakes, finishing as the only team without a bogey over two rounds. Channell accounted for eight birdies, while Fox contributed five, combining for a consistent and balanced attack on the Greg Norman-designed course.
Holding a two-shot advantage entering the final round, Fox and Channell quickly felt pressure from a surging leaderboard. Johnny Elam and Steve Sharpe made a strong push with a final-round 65, tying for the low round of the day and reaching 11-under overall. They were joined in second place by Jack Kearney and Pat Youngs, who posted rounds of 66 and 67.
As challengers posted scores ahead of them, the eventual champions responded late in the round. A stretch of three consecutive birdies on the back nine created separation and gave them control heading to the final hole. Kearney and Youngs also finished strong with birdies on their closing holes to secure a share of second place.
Leaderboard
-13 | Fox & Channell | 64-67=131-11 | Elam & Sharpe | 68-65=133-11 | Kearney + Youngs | 66-67=133Full Results
Playing Thru
Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship
March 31-April 2, 2026
Desert Willow GC - Firecliff Course
Defending Champion: Bryan Hoops
The 2026 Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship is underway at the Firecliff Course at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California, with players competing across multiple age divisions. As highlighted in the course profile released earlier this month, Firecliff presents a demanding test defined by firm fairways, strategic bunkering, and ever-present desert winds, requiring precision off the tee and disciplined iron play into quick, receptive greens. With no margin for error, yesterday’s first round set the tone for what is expected to be another tightly contested event at one of the premier early-season stops on the senior amateur calendar.
Defending champion Bryan Hoops is back in the field with an opening round 72, returning to the same course where he delivered a dominant performance in 2025 with three consecutive under-par rounds. His familiarity with Firecliff could prove valuable as the tournament progresses, particularly given the course’s emphasis on consistency and avoiding costly mistakes. Players will look to build momentum heading into the remaining rounds, knowing that strong play at Firecliff can provide an early-season boost and position them well for the busy months ahead on the senior circuit.
Leaderboard (Thru Round 1)
-4 | Thomas Brennan | 68-4 | Greg Sanders | 68Up Next
Society of Seniors: Senior Masters
April 9-11, 2026
Indian Wells Golf Resort
Defending Champion: Bryan Hoops
The 2026 Society of Senior Masters returns to Indian Wells Golf Resort on the Celebrity & Players Courses following a dramatic finish in 2025, when Bryan Hoops claimed victory in his Society of Seniors debut. Hoops secured the title at 6-under par, capping off a remarkable three-win stretch that included two victories the week prior at Desert Willow.
Last year’s championship was decided late on the back nine, with Hoops pulling ahead after a tightly contested duel with Trae Cassell of Rancho Santa Fe, California. The two were neck-and-neck entering the final stretch before Hoops created separation with a clutch birdie on the par-3 16th and held on through the closing holes.
Hoops showed resilience throughout the final round, overcoming a mid-round stumble on the front nine after an early surge. His ability to recover and produce timely birdies down the stretch proved to be the difference. Cassell, who recorded the low round of the tournament earlier in the week with a 7-under 65, battled back from a slow start in the final round to keep the pressure on but ultimately finished just one shot short.
With the Indian Wells Golf Resort once again set to host, players in the 2026 field will look to navigate the challenging layouts that produced a tightly contested leaderboard and late-round drama a year ago. The event is expected to draw another competitive field, with last year’s finish serving as a reminder that momentum can shift quickly and no lead is secure until the final putt drops.
2026 “Major” Senior-Am Events
Society of Seniors: Spring Classic - February 2026 - William Mallon
Gasparilla Invitational (Senior Division) - February 2026 - Jeff Frazier
Jones Cup Senior Invitational - February 2026 - Mike McCoy
Society of Seniors: Ed Tutwiler Four-Ball - March 2026 - Fox & Channell
Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship - March/April 2026
Society of Seniors: Senior Masters - April 2026
Trans-Mississippi Senior Championship - May 2026
John T. Lupton Memorial (Senior Division) - May 2026
Huddleston Cup (Senior Division) - May 2026
R&A Senior Amateur Championship - July 2026
North & South Senior Men’s Amateur Championship - August 2026
Sunnehanna Senior Amateur Championship - August 2026
Valentine Invitational - August 2026
Senior Porter Cup - September 2026
USGA Men’s Senior Amateur - August/September 2026
The Crump Cup (Senior Division) - September 2026
International Senior Individual Championship - October 2026
Ojai Senior Cup - October 2026
Reynolds Senior Invitational - October 2026
California Senior Amateur Championship - November 2026
East West Cup Matches - November 2026
Society of Seniors: Ralph Bogart - November 2026
East West Matches
Senior Standings
As of March 27, 2026
Bob Royak | 1,317.82
Bryan Hoops | West | 900.00
Gene Elliott | West | 887.70
Mike McCoy | West | 812.50
Doug Hanzel | East | 478.00
Robert Gerwin | East | 470.60
Danny Nelson | East | 470.00
Mike Lohner | 463.50
Jack Larkin | East | 459.00
Robert Funk | West | 433.00
Greg Sanders | West | 427.50
Miles McConnell | 367.50
Mike Sposa | East | 330.00
Jeff Knox | East | 300.00
Jim Lehman | 300.00
Jack Hall | East | 292.00
Kevin Vandenberg | East | 281.85
Todd White | 270.00
Big Niger | West | 255.00
Neal Barfield | 235.00
Shaw Pritchett | East | 219.82
Rusty Strawn | East | 214.00
Arnold Cutrell | East | 212.50
Gary Durbin | West | 197.25
Dave Ryan | East | 194.50
We love to feature our passionate senior-am golf community. If you have a story, achievement, or event you'd like to share, send us a DM on our Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) @seniorgolfHQ
Until next month…..