Fairfield native and Green Valley Country Club member Jeff Wilson won the gold medal as the low amateur in the 39th U.S. Senior Open Championship, shooting rounds of 76-71-70-73 for a 10-over-par (290 total) and a T-31 finish at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Wilson, who won the Southern California Mid-Amateur earlier this spring, got off to a slow start, with a round of 76 in Thursday’s first round and three dropped shots in the first three holes of his second round on Friday.
From there, he played the remainder of the tournament at one-over-par, going two-under the rest of his second round to make the cut by one shot. Wilson then fired a solid even-par third round and a 73 to finish on Sunday.
As the low amateur, Wilson is now exempt into the U.S. Amateur this summer at Pebble Beach, as well as next year’s U.S. Senior Open which will be played at The Warren Course at Notre Dame in Indiana.
Wilson becomes the second player to earn the low amateur honor in both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open, joining Vinny Giles. Wilson was the low amateur at the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
A total of 24 amateurs started the championship on Thursday, but only three of them made the cut. In addition to Wilson, Mike Finster (St. Petersburg, FL) and Robert Funk (Canyon Lake, CA) made the weekend.
The U.S. Senior Open is one of 13 national championships conducted by the USGA, open to amateurs and professionals who have reached their 50th birthday as of the first day of the championship.
David Toms won the tournament with a four round score of three-under, draining two long putts coming in to earn the win.
Wilson earned entry into the Champions Tour event after carding a 70 at a U.S. Senior Open qualifying event at Diablo Country Club in May. He has played in over 30 USGA championships, this year being his fourth appearance at a U.S. Senior Open. At the 2014 U.S. Senior Open, Wilson was the low amateur over the first three rounds.
At the 2010 U.S. Amateur, at the age of 47, Wilson posted a course record 62 during stroke play qualifying on the 7,420-yard The Home Course in Washington on his way to earning medalist honors. It was the second lowest score in the 110-year history of the U.S. Amateur.
Other crowning USGA moments for Wilson include being the low amateur at the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links and being a three-time medalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.