Bryan Hoops (Golfweek Photo)

As soon as Bryan Hoops learned that no player before this week had won both the Golfweek Senior Division National Championship and the Golfweek Senior Amateur – played in back-to-back weeks at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California – in the same year, the chance to be the first had his attention.

“A good challenge,” said Hoops, a 56-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona. “It kept me focused a little more.”

But Hoops, who is little more than a year into this senior circuit after aging in last February, was also, frankly, shocked that no player had done it before.

“The good golf courses, I just think you can really take it low with the firm conditions and they’re kind of TPC style, meaning they’re kind of built higher on the sides on most of the holes,” Hoops said. “If you hit it offline, as long as you’re not hitting it high in the air, the ball rolls back into the center of the fairway and you’re always hitting a shorter iron into these things.”

Barely more than 24 hours after winning his first title at Desert Willow, Hoops came out of the gate in the Golfweek Senior Amateur with a round of 6-under 66. He made five birdies and two eagles – including one at the par-4 10th when he holed out from 62 yards. His eagle at the par-5 18th was a product of a 40-foot putt.

The next day, he made another eagle on the 18th, this time off a 90-foot putt, and finished with a round of 71. His final-round 69 left him 10 under for the week on Desert Willow’s Firecliff Course and eight shots ahead of John Wright of Oswego, Illinois, and Randy Haag of Orinda, California.

Hoops lives a competitive lifestyle that differs from many of his peers at this level. He is a member of Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he tees it up frequently with the many professionals who play there. They are generous with their information, Hoops said earlier in the week, and the level of competition is always high.

Length is also a big advantage for Hoops, and at the Firecliff Course, having less club into firm greens (what Hoops described as “championship-quality”) helped him score.

Two titles in, Hoops couldn’t pinpoint anything out of the ordinary with his game.

“I’m used to playing a lot longer golf courses and the firm conditions are normal for me, but I didn’t play better this week than I have last week or the month before or even last year,” Hoops said. “Kind of just been playing good for a while – here just being a little shorter and somewhat generous off the tee and definitely large greens.

“Nothing elaborate sticks out, as far as, ‘Hey, I did this really well this week.’ I didn’t do anything great. Maybe being off the tee, I was never in trouble off the tee, so that keeps you in play, and you’re always trying to score then.”

After asking several senior players about the best tournaments to play, this desert stretch kept coming up again and again. There are maximum points on offer, and the fields are deep. So, from here, Hoops will move on to a third consecutive tournament—the Society of Seniors Senior Masters, which starts April 8.

Super Senior Division
In the Super Senior Division, Mark Morgan of Shingle Springs, California, won on the first hole of a playoff with Greg Goode of Salina, Kansas. Both players finished 54 holes at even par.

Legends Division
David Ujihara of Brea, California, finished off a four-shot victory in the Legends division with a closing, bogey-free round of 69 on Sunday. Ujihara authored a remarkable comeback from his opening 81 with back-to-back rounds of 69 to finish the tournament.

Mickey Jones of Odessa, Texas, was second.

Super Legends Division
Gaylord Davis of Portland, Oregon, narrowly won the Super Legends division, finishing the week at 5 over and edging Jack Marin of Durham, North Carolina, by a single shot.