OOLTEWAH, TENN. - Georgia and the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship have crossed paths quite a bit, especially in recent memory.
Georgians have captured three of the last 10 U.S. Senior Amateurs, including an all-Georgia final in 2022 at The Kittansett Club in Marion, Massachusetts between Doug Hanzel of Savannah and Rusty Strawn of McDonough. Strawn came out on top that day joining Hanzel (2013) and Bob Royak of Alpharetta (2019) as recent Peach State residents to capture the coveted trophy. Georgia Golf Hall of Famer Bill Ploeger also took home the trophy in 1999.
Along with the champions, recent success includes three Georgians in the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur (Hanzel, Royak and Strawn) and Royak making it to the semifinals in 2023 as well. At least one Georgian has made it to the quarterfinals in the last five U.S. Senior Amateurs.
Hanzel, Royak and Strawn will all be in the field for the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship that is set for Aug. 24-29 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, just outside of Chattanooga. Those three will be joined by 10 other Georgia residents, which also includes the reigning Georgia Senior Championship winner Jack Larkin, Sr. of Atlanta.
The GSGA caught up with Hanzel, Royak and Strawn quickly as the finished preparations for this year's U.S. Senior Amateur. You can check out what they had to say below! CLICK HERE to follow along with the U.S. Senior Amateur this weekend and next week.
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DOUG HANZEL
BOB ROYAK
RUSTY STRAWN
