LA QUINTA, Calif. -- The Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships were held at PGA West for 2015. Over 1,200 competitors, between the ages of 14 and 82, competed in the four-round event spanning four PGA West golf courses.
Thirty former national champions, including five defending champions in the senior division and four in the open division, entered this year. Twelve competitors in six flights - six from the senior division and six from the open division - were crowned national champions in official awards ceremonies immediately following the conclusion of their respective tournaments.
The course lineup in 2015 featured a collection of the top courses in the Palm Springs area:
- The Stadium Course at PGA West, designed by Pete Dye.
- The Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West
- The Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West
- The Greg Norman Resort Course at PGA West
The action has ended, and you can view the full list of winners, as well as other feature stories and photos, in the links below:
Golf Channel Am Tour Senior National Championhip
Results - DePinto wins a Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championship in his backyard: Vincent DePinto captured the Senior Sarazen flight (for handicaps 12-15.9) with steady play at the Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championships. Also, Al Smith shot back-to-back 71s to win the Senior Palmer flight (for handicaps between 4.0-7.9).
Results - Ferber goes low to secure a Golf Channel Am Tour Senior National Championship: Warren Ferber used a career-best 80 in the final round to run away with the Senior Jones flight (for handicaps of 16.0-19.9) at the Golf Channel Am Tour Senior National Championship at PGA West. Tim Kozlowski captures the Senior Hogan flight (for handicaps 8.0-11.9) in a playoff.
Results - Champions crowned in Championship, Snead flights: Alabama’s Joey Crook won the Senior Snead flight by a single shot Monday at the Golf Channel Am Tour Senior National Championships at PGA West, while David Ortego of Texas cruised to a six-shot win in the Senior Championship flight.
Round 3 - In photos: Check out photos from the action at PGA West during the Golf Channel Am Tour Senior National Championship.
Round 3 - Married to golf: Barbara McCormick and Bill Lewicki planned their June wedding in New Orleans around weekend tournaments on the Golf Channel Am Tour. They’re both competing at the Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championship together for the first time this weekend at PGA West in California.
Round 2 - Swapping courtrooms for courses: Eddie Stephens, a former prosecutor and judge in Cook County in Illinois, has traveled the country with the Golf Channel Am Tour, and even represented the United States at the 17th annual World Golfers Championship in South Africa in 2011.
Round 2 - Singh’led out: Vijay Singh is used to getting grief about his famous name from fellow golfers. Singh, an amateur from New York state, is competing at the Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championships at PGA West this week.
Round 1 - Christmas in La Quinta: Bryan Austin of Colorado is busy playing golf at the Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championships this week at PGA West, but come November and December, he’ll be too busy being Santa Claus to chase a little white ball around.
Round 1 - Life-saving game: Readus Smith III missed last year’s Golf Channel Am Tour senior national championships after a health scare. He credits his friends on the Am Tour for helping him recover from major complications with Crohn’s disease.
Opening night - Let the games begin: Several hundred golfers, ranging in age from 50 to 82, are ready to compete in the senior division of the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships at the Club at PGA West.
Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship
Results: 66 steals Championship Flight: It was an epic week in the Championship flight with multiple scoring records set. So perhaps it was little surprise that an improbable final round would shock PGA West. Also, it was a long-awaited victory for the Palmer flight champion.
Results: Moving up flights, and into the winner’s circle: Moving up a flight usually means a learning curve and some growing pains. But the winner of the Hogan flight this year shocked the field - and maybe himself - to win the title. Also, it was a two-horse race in the Sarazen flight.
Results: Playoff finish in the Jones flight: It came down to the wire in the Jones flight, as Michael Baker went to extra holes with Jayr Tonido. Also, it was a runaway - albeit bitterwsweet - victory in the Snead flight.
Round 3 - Erdman shoots tournament record 66: It was a wild day at PGA West for Round 3. Former champion Paul Erdman carded a tournament record to climb back into contention. There was an ace, Bighorn sheep galore and a bold prediction from one of Am Tour’s most decorated golfers.
Round 3 - Photos from PGA West: Check out this gallery from the courses at PGA West, which includes some familiar faces, hole-in-one celebrations and even bighorn sheep.
Round 2 - Muniz in the middle of Nationals action: Actor Frankie Muniz (the star of the sitcom Malcom in the middle), is enjoying his first year of competitive golf on Am Tour and finds himself in the top half of his flight’s leaderboard.
Round 2 - 14-year-old in the hunt: Vijay Jain, the youngest competitor at Nationals by six full years, is tied for third in the Sarazen flight halfway thru the event (which also saw it’s first hole-in-one of the week).
Round 1 - Military golfer leads Championship flight: Former pro golfer and Army Specialist Jordan Massey rediscovered his love for golf through military golf competition.
Round 1 - A busy year on tour: A handful of golfers competing in Nationals this week at PGA West had particularly busy campaigns, and hope their regular play under pressure pays off this week.
Feherty opens National Championships: On opening night, David Feherty took the opportunity to thank Am Tour members for their $116,000 contribution to Feherty’s Troops First Foundation, and also tell some tales from his broadcasting days.