Bob Royak defeated fellow Georgian Jeff Knox in a sudden-death playoff to capture the Jones Cup Senior Invitational title on Thursday at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
A year ago, the Jones Cup Senior earned the second-best field strength of any senior amateur tournament. The field was just as deep this year as the top senior amateurs congregated for 54 holes of windy, difficult golf on the par-70 Seaside Course that hosts the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic each fall. It felt like a major championship given that no player finished under par. The 84 competitors combined for just 10 rounds in red figures over the three days.
“This is easily one of the top one or two tournaments for strength of field,” Royak told reporters after the round. “If you can win this, it’s a good feeling.”
Royak, of Alpharetta, Georgia, started with two rounds of 1-over 71, which put him three strokes behind co-leaders Billy Mitchell and Gary Robinson. Mitchell (73) and Robinson (77) would go backward during the final round while Royak assembled a steady 1-under 69 including four birdies and three bogeys. The final round was capped by a 15-foot par putt falling on the 18th hole.
Playing two groups ahead of Knox and three groups ahead of the final threesome, Royak had to wait to see what would happen among the clustered leaderboard. Knox, of Augusta, made par on his last 10 holes to finish in a tie with Royak, and Mitchell, Mike McCoy and Steve Harwell came up one stroke shy of a playoff. McCoy and Harwell posted late bogeys that sank their chances. Mitchell couldn’t overcome a disastrous start, his back nine 2-under 33 rally coming up a shot short.
Knox, the Augusta National member long known for being the weekend non-competing marker during the Masters, flew the green on the first playoff hole and found himself in a precarious position. Royak also went long and had a moment of worry walking up to the green – until he found himself in a much better spot than Knox.
“I hit a really good shot, an 8-iron from about 164,” Royak said. “The wind was straight across, so I tried to hit a little cut 8-iron in there, and hit it really flush. I was holding my breath walking up there. I thought mine was farthest away, but when I saw where Jeff was, I knew that was not a good spot to be. That was a tough shot.”
Knox could manage only a bogey, giving Royak the chance to make a 6-foot par putt for the win.
“It was a healthy 6 or 7 feet,” Royak said. “I didn’t play enough break (on the first putt.) That ball really went hard left to right there.”
This was Royak’s second Jones Cup Senior title, the first one coming in 2020 just before the COVID-19 shutdown. He has played some phenomenal golf in his senior amateur career. Royak has been featured on the first team for Global Golf Post’s All-Amateur team for the past three editions.
Royak now has won the U.S. Senior Amateur, Jones Cup Senior (twice), Coleman Invitational Senior and National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame.
RESULTS
Sean Fairholm