Tim Hogarth (Northridge, Calif.) shot a final-round 2-under 70 at Soule Park Golf Course to win the inaugural Ojai Senior Cup by four shots.
The former U.S. Public Links champion and 18-time winner of Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) events shot a 5-under 65 at the Ojai Valley Inn course on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into Sunday's round, and was never seriously threatened thereafter.
The Ojai Senior Cup aims to become one of the premier senior amateur tournaments of the West Coast and beyond, and for Hogarth, the chance to help put a promising new tournament on the map was too good to pass up.
“I’ve worked on a few projects with Keith over the years, and I know how hard it is to get a tournament off the ground, so I wanted to help in any way I could,” Hogarth said of playing in the inaugural event.
Robin Williams (Ojai, Calif.) shot a 3-under 69 to finish three under and solo second place. Robert Graham (Ojai, Calif.) also shot a 69 to finish third at even-par 142.
Warren Leary (Valencia, Calif.) shot the day's low round, a 4-under 68, to come in fourth at 1-over 143, tied with John Pate (Santa Barbara, Calif.) who closed with a 74.
In the Net Division, Dave Davidson carded net scores of 65-70 (135) for a four shot victory over Todd Henard who shot 70-69 (139). Interestingly, the top two scores in both divisions were exactly the same.
The main draw of the tournament is the two classic host courses: the Ojai Valley Inn and Soule Park Golf Course. Ojai Valley Inn is a George C. Thomas design that has a history as a host for the PGA Champions Tour. Soule Park is a gorgeous public facility designed by Billy Bell and remodeled by famed architect Gil Hanse. According to the popular podcast/website The Fried Egg, "Soule Park is in a class of its own. Only a handful of municipal facilities in the country can match its combination of affordability and superb architecture."
According to Tournament Director Keith Brown, the lure of the Ojai Valley and the pair of classic golf courses should be enough to build upon the momentum of the inaugural year.
Having one of Southern California's finest as the first champion doesn't hurt either.
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ABOUT THE
Ojai Senior Cup
Recognized as one of the West Coast’s premier Senior Amateur Championships. This prestigious tournament held at the renowned Soule Park Golf Course promises three days of elite competition.
The Cup features 54-holes with two divisions: the Senior Division for golfers aged 55 and above with a max index of 6.5, and the Super Senior Division for golfers aged 65 and above with a max index of 8.5. Past champions include an elite list of Senior Amateurs such as Tim Hogarth, Dan Sullivan, Craig Steinberg, and the 2023 Champion, Greg Sato.
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