Golfweek Senior Division national championship up for grabs at Desert Willow Golf Resort

Some of the best senior amateurs will tee it up March 27-29 at the Firecliff Course at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California.

The Firecliff Course made the Golfweek Top 20 list of the best courses you can play in California.

The 2022 installment will feature yet another who’s who in the senior amateur game. The usual suspects will be there: Jerry Gunthorpe, Billy Mitchell, Rich Bucker, etc. But the 1,200 Golfweek Player of the Year points that are up for grabs have brought players from every corner of the United States to fill out the rest of the 84-man field. This tournament is certified by the USGA and R&A as a WAGR counting tournament with the top-25 in the WAGR ranking receiving exemptions into the U.S. Senior Amateur to be held at the Kittansett Club in Marion, Mass.

With the limited field, just one age division is in play this week. The 55-plus-year-old field will navigate its way through the challenging but fair Firecliff Course native areas, water features, and over 100 waste bunkers.

Kevin VandenBerg looks to extend his points lead over Rusty Strawn who is not in the field this week. Seventh-ranked Richard Kerper is the next top-10 player in the field who can make a big jump in the Golfweek Senior Amateur Rankings.

A winner will be crowned on the 29th with 1,200 points accompanying their name as the first quarter of the Senior Player of the Year race comes to a close in April.