Past RDGA Senior Champions

 

 

 

Tracing its origins back to 1938, the first "Senior Championship for Players 40 Years and Over" was hosted by Ridgemont Country Club. Three years later, the event was re-named the "Clint Patchen Memorial Senior Championship," honoring the long-time Durand Eastman Golf Club delegate and RDGA Board Member who had passed away in 1941. During these years, the RDGA Senior Championship was conducted as an 18-hole, flighted, medal play competition in four age groups: Class A (70 and over), Class B (60-69), Class C (50-59) and Class D (40-49). The overall champion was determined as the player with the low score from among the four age flights.

 

By the mid-1970s, the format for the present day RDGA Senior Championship was streamlined as a medal-play competition that was run concurrently with a small field during the RDGA District Championship - determining only one annual winner of the RDGA Senior Championship title. Later, as the number of entries into the RDGA Senior Championship continued to grow, the competition evolved into a stand-alone, three-day, 54-hole, medal play format, with the age requirements changed to players ages 55 and over.

 

In 1997, a Super Senior Division was added to the RDGA Senior Championship for competitors over the age of 65. In 2008, the format was expanded to include three age-based flights; Senior, Super Senior and Super-Super Senior - and in 2011 the format was expanded again to include four age-based divisions (as it continues to this day): Senior (ages 55-59), Super Senior (ages 60-64), Masters (ages 65-69) and Legends (ages 70 and over). Beginning in 2015, the RDGA Senior Championship was changed once more - shortening the competition from a three-day, 54-hole format to a two-day, 36-hole format. All other aspects of the competition remain the same.

 

Since 2008, the overall RDGA Senior Champion has been determined as the competitor with the lowest score from among the Senior and Super Senior Divisions (which both play from the Blue Tees). Additionally, winners of the Senior and Super Senior divisions earn an exemption into the following year's RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Memorial.

 

In 2019, the overall RDGA Senior Championship title was won by Kevin Webb of Mendon Golf Club. Webb - who played in the age 60-64 Super Senior Division - won a three-hole sudden-death playoff against Stuart Harris of Oak Hill Country Club to capture his first RDGA District Championship of any kind. Winning the Senior flight titles at the 2019 RDGA Senior Championship - in addition to the Super Senior flight itelf, won by Webb - were Harris (Senior), Larry Arliss (Masters) and Cosmo Contrino (Legends).

 

 

This year, the RDGA Senior Championship visits one of Rochester's top private facilities, Stafford Country Club, on August 20 and 21, for just the fourth time in the event's long history.

Now called the RDGA Wilson Fitch Senior Championship - honoring long-time RDGA Rules official and Board Member Wilson Fitch - the 36-hole, scratch stroke play competition will still take place over two days but there will be a slight format change this year. Beginning this year, the overall Championship will be determined as the low 36-hole scorer from among the Senior (ages 60-64), Super Senior (ages 55-59) and Masters (ages 65-69) divisions, which will all play from the RDGA Black Tees (approximately 6,300 yards), while the Legends division will play from the Stafford Green Tees (approximately 5,500 yards).

 

 

The information provided below is based on the best available records stored in the RDGA archives. Unfortunately, some information from the earlier years of this Championship are incomplete or are non-existant. If you have any records (trophies, plaques, photos, newspaper clippings, etc.) that indicate any missing information below, please call us at 585-292-5950, or email RDGA Communications Director Dave Eaton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

Year	Overall Champion	Senior Division (55-59)	Super Senior Division (60-64)	Masters Division (65-69)	Legends Division (70+)	Tournament Site
2020	Jim Scorse	Jim Scorse	Jim Johnson	Robert Zeman	Matt Haefele	Stafford CC
2019	Kevin Webb	Stuart Harris	Kevin Webb	Larry Arliss	Cosmo Contrino	Wayne Hills CC
2018	Steve Puccia	George Kavanagh	Steve Puccia	Matt Haefele	Jack Mahan	Irondequoit CC
2017	Stuart Harris	Stuart Harris	James Burns	Matt Haefele	William Robischon	CC of Rochester
2016	George Kavanagh	George Kavanagh	John August	Bill Shearer	Gary DiFlorio	Mendon GC
2015	Bob Chalanick	Bob Chalanick	Paul Parrone	Mark Walsh	James Cook	Webster GC
2014	Robert Zeman	Robert Brongo	Robert Zeman	Jack Mahan	Gary DiFlorio	Livingston CC
2013	Robert Zeman	Brian Ward	Robert Zeman	Ken Andrychuk	William Robischon	Sodus Bay Heights GC
2012	Bob Chalanick	Bob Chalanick	Bob Weston	Dale Dirk	William Robischon	Mendon GC
2011	Robert Zeman	Andrew Conway	Robert Zeman	Stephen Hinman	Gary DiFlorio	Stafford CC
Year	Overall Champion	Senior Division	Super Senior Division	Super/Super Sr. Division		Tournament Site
2010	Mark Battle	Mark Battle	Donivan Neal	James Cook		Clifton Springs CC
2009	James Burns	Weston/Burns/Zeman	Stephen Hinman	Renny Bowers		Blue Heron Hills GC
2008	Bob Weston	Bob Weston	Stephen Hinman	Renny Bowers		Blue Heron Hills GC
Year	Senior Champion	Super Senior Champion				Tournament Site
2007	James Dill	Donivan Neal				Mill Creek GC
2006	Ken Andrychuk	Jerry Stahl				Clifton Springs CC
2005	Dave Benedict	Ron Mack				Brook-Lea CC
2004	Alan Dirk	Norb Haefner				Penfield CC
2003	Ken Andrychuk	Don Allen				Caledonia CC
2002	Ken Andrychuk	Ron Mack				Deerfield CC
2001	Stephen Hinman	Ron Mack				Ridgemont CC
2000	Glenn French	Jack Wheeler				Ontario GC
1999	Don Allen	Jack Wheeler				Midvale CC
1998	Jack Wheeler	Bob Griswold				Clifton Springs CC
1997	Jim Infantino	Bud McLaughlin				Green Hills GC
1996	Chip Lillich					Deerfield CC
1995	Jim Infantino					Irondequoit CC
1994	Don Allen					Brook-Lea CC
1993	Ron Mack					Lake Shore CC
1992	Ron Mack					Locust Hill CC
1991	Bud McLaughlin					Blue Heron Hills CC
1990	Bud McLaughlin					CenterPointe CC
1989	Gerry Perkins					CC of Rochester
1988	Robert Hoff					Victor Hills CC
1987	Robert Hoff					Stafford CC
1986	Robert Hoff					Lake Shore CC
1985	Robert Hoff					Green Hills GC
1984	Jack Hoff					CC of Rochester
1983	Robert Hoff					Lake Shore CC
1982	Jerry Leibel					CC of Rochester
1981	Jerry Leibel					Brook-Lea CC
1980	Robert Hoff					Ontario GC
1979						Stafford CC
1978						Oak Hill CC
1977	Robert Hoff					Irondequoit CC
1976	Robert Hoff					Monroe GC
1975	Robert Hoff					Ridgemont CC
1974						Irondequoit CC
Year	Senior Champion	Class D (40-49)	Class C (50-59)	Class B (60-69)	Class A (70+)	Tournament Site
1968		J. Thornton/Dan Hurley	Mike Frontuto Sr.	Harold Christ	Noble Miller	Locust Hill CC
1967	Jack Thornton	Jack Thornton	Al Kaufman	Harold Christ	Noble Miller	Oak Hill CC
1966	Ray Moran	Ray Moran	Fred Grover	Jack Johnston	Noble Miller	Ridgemont CC
1965	Moran/Kling/Frontuto	Ray Moran	Bert Kling/Mike Frontuto Sr.	Jack Johnston	Noble Miller	Locust Hill CC
1964	Mike Frontuto Sr.	Ray Moran	Mike Frontuto Sr.	Jack Johnston	John Stroup	Brook-Lea CC
1963	Ed Olson	Sid Levinson/Lyle Klier	Ed Olson	Jack Johnston	John Stroup	CC of Rochester
1962	Dr. Fred Martin	Dr. Fred Martin	Robert Pequinot	Jack Johnston	Ed Longbine	Midvale CC
1961						Irondequoit CC
1960		Mike Frontuto Sr.	Enos Benedict	Noble Miller	Charlie Spencer	Monroe GC
1959	Bert Kling	Bert Kling/Ed Olson	Harold Christ	Noble Miller	Alex Elliott	Oak Hill CC
1958		R. Gleason	N. Oakes	C. Vogt	Alex Elliott	Ridgemont CC
1957						Locust Hill CC
1956						Brook-Lea CC
1955	Bert Kling	Bert Kling	Ed Randall	Noble Miller	L.B. Swift	CC of Rochester
1954		Dr. G. Trainor/M. Ruby	Noble Miller	H. Webber		Irondequoit CC
1953	Dr. George Trainor	Dr. George Trainor	Ed Randall	Jim Weldon	W. MacFarlane	Monroe GC
1952		Dr. George Trainor	Noble Miller/Ed Randall	Jim Weldon	W. MacFarlane	Oak Hill CC
1951	Noble Miller	J. O'Donoghue	Noble Miller	Jim Weldon	Joe Caldwell	Ridgemont CC
1950		O. Luckhurst/J. Tucker	Noble Miller	Andy Anderson	Roy Brown	Locust Hill CC
1949		Earnie Maurer	Noble Miller	Jim Weldon	Roy Brown	Monroe GC
1948						Brook-Lea CC
1947
1946						CC of Rochester
1945						CC of Rochester
1944	Jack Johnston					Irondequoit CC
1943	NO TOURNAMENT					NO TOURNAMENT
1942	Ed Randall					Oak Hill CC
1941	Noble Miller	Noble Miller	A. Sillitoe	W. MacFarlane		Brook-Lea CC
1940						Lakeshore CC
1939	Mike Hall	Mike Hall	Dr. W.A. Gray			Locust Hill CC
1938						Ridgemont CC