Around the Green

Texas Super Senior Amateur Set for April 24-26

White Bluff Resort in Whitney will be the host site for this year’s Texas Super Senior Amateur. Conducted by the Texas Golf Association (TGA), the championship will be played on the New Course from April 24-26.

The 8th Texas Super Senior Amateur, the foremost event for male amateur golfers ages 65 and older, will be the inaugural TGA championship held at White Bluff Resort, and the first of two the club will host in 2023. In late July, 240 of the top-ranked young golfers from across the state will assemble at White Bluff for the 97th Texas Junior Amateur.

“We are thrilled to welcome White Bluff Resort as a TGA championship host club,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “It is a wonderful venue, and we know the players in the Texas Super Senior are looking forward to competing on this terrific course for the first time.”

Nestled along the shores of Lake Whitney, about 15 miles west of Hillsboro, White Bluff Resort features two 18-hole courses – the Old and the New – both of which were designed by 13-time PGA Tour winner Bruce Lietzke. Named after the two most famous courses at St Andrews Links in Scotland, the Old Course was the first to open in 1992, followed by the New Course in 1998. Both courses recently underwent major renovation projects, which included rebuilding and resurfacing all greens and bunkers, as well as upgrading drainage and irrigation systems to improve playing conditions.

The New Course, where the Texas Super Senior will be contested, features tree-lined fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and undulating green complexes. With many holes bending around strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, the par-72 layout, which measures just over 6,300 yards from the middle set of tees, provides plenty of risk-reward opportunities that will test the players’ shot-making and course management skills.

First conducted in 2015, the Texas Super Senior features two age divisions: 65 and older (Super Senior) and 75 and older (Legends). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play and have an up-to-date WHS Handicap Index® not exceeding 12.4 (16.4 for Legends) issued through a member club of the TGA.

The starting field of 84 players (60 Super Seniors, 24 Legends) will play 54 holes of individual stroke play over three days with no cut. Each age division will compete from different tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized. Players who are 75 and older can opt to compete in the Super Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted. The top three finishers and ties in the Super Senior Division, regardless of age, and the winner of the Legends Division will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur to be held Sept. 8-10 at Amarillo Country Club. In addition to the overall Super Senior and Legends champions, awards will also be given to the lowest net scores in each division.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than April 20. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from White Bluff Resort.

At the 2021 Texas Super Senior Amateur, Chuck Gardner of Texarkana captured the title with rounds of 72-71-68 on the Trent/Jones Courses at Sugar Creek Country Club in Sugar Land. His 5-under-par 211 total was good for a six-shot margin of victory over two-time Texas Senior Amateur champion Gary Durbin of Houston. Wayne Franklin of Abilene finished at 16-over 232 to win the Legends Division by five strokes over Bill Holstead of Wichita Falls. Gardner and Franklin also won low net honors in their respective divisions.