Bob Royak (Golfweek Photo)

Bob Royak is not normally an equipment tinkerer. Then again, when you win a U.S. Golf Association championship with a specific putter, it tends to hold a special place in your heart. And sure enough, when Royak, the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, put that blade back in the bag after the first round of the inaugural Golfweek Pirate’s Classic, the results were undeniable.

“This thing just kind of woke me up a little bit. I have a little more flow in my stroke,” said Royak, 62, who had been using a mallet putter for most of the past year. “I definitely holed more putts with it. It will probably go back in the bag for a little bit.”

The championship-winning putter (fun fact: Royak actually owns two of that exact model) made a huge difference for Royak, helping him win the title at TPC Tampa Bay—even if it did require five extra holes against Bryan Hoops of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Royak had made his big move in Tuesday’s second round, rebounding from an opening 74 with a second-round 68 that gave him a one-shot overnight lead. A final-round, 1-over 72 left him at 1-over for the week, the same as Hoops.

Royak is currently ranked No. 2 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings.

Royak and Hoops, who first got to know each other while competing for opposite teams in last fall’s prestigious East-West Matches, both lost a little ground at the end of the final round at TPC Tampa Bay – with Royak bogeying No. 17 and Hoops bogeying Nos. 17 and 18 – to force the playoff. So the two returned to the 10th tee, and at No. 13, a par 4, both Royak and Hoops missed birdie putts to win. On the par-5 15th, Royak hit his wedge to 6 feet and made it for the win.

Royak, who grew up just outside Albany, New York, and who now lives in Atlanta, has strong ties to Tampa from college. He enrolled at the University of Tampa in 1979 and ticks off a long list of memories related to that area. It’s where he met his wife, got married, and then resided for 10 years. His brother still lives in the area, as does his mom, so it feels like a second home.

Last week, as he normally does, Royak opened his 2025 season at the Gasparilla Senior Invitational on Feb. 13-15, finishing tied for second at Palma Ceia Golf Club.

“I really don’t play any events in November, December, January,” Royak said. “I play a little bit at home. I hit a few balls indoors, so it’s really the first golf of the year.”

Royak felt that his ball-striking was strong at Palma Ceia even if his putting was “very average.”

After winning the Pirate’s Classic, he was headed back home before returning to Sea Island (Georgia) Golf Club for the Jones Cup Senior from Feb. 24-27. He has won that event twice before (2020 and 2023).

“I think really it’s more how I’m playing,” Royak said of the confidence his Pirate’s Classic experience brings. “If I had lost the playoff today, I’d still feel good about my game. So the win is very nice but I probably take a lot of positives from the way my ballstriking has been this week. Really hit the ball pretty good overall, didn’t probably score as low as I probably should have. I hit a lot of good shots.”

The Golfweek Pirate’s Classic featured a Mid-Master division for players 40-55, and former Florida Mid-Amateur champ Thad Hudgens made short work of it. Hudgens, of Longwood, Florida, put together rounds of 67-70-70 to finish at 6 under, ahead of runner-up Craig Forrest of Dallas who was 16 over.

Hudgens’ victory certainly marked the largest runaway, but none of the other three divisions were as close a contest as the Senior Division was.

Victor Leoni of Miami Shores, Florida, won the Super Senior Division by three shots with his 11 over total.

Greg Osborne of Lititz, Pennsylvania, was 4 over in the Legends Division and five shots ahead of Jeffrey Knox of Jupiter, Florida.

Frank Polizzi of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, logged a double-digit victory over Bill Engel of St. Augustine, Florida, in the Super Legend Division. Polizzi finished three rounds at 6 over while Engel was at 17 over.