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For the better part of three years, Kevin VandenBerg has been secure in his post atop Golfweek’s National Senior Amateur Rankings. VandenBerg, from Pulaski, New York, won Golfweek’s Player of the Year award the past three seasons. Two weeks ago, however, a different player took over the top spot.
Unsurprisingly, Bryan Hoops of Tempe, Arizona, became the new No. 1 in Golfweek’s rankings as he took his summer winning streak overseas and added the British Senior Amateur title at Frilford Heath in England to his resume on July 10. Hoops finished at 10 under, which was six shots better than runners-up John Kemp of England and Richard Heath of Australia.
“This is the best win of my career,” Hoops told the R&A after his victory. “I’ve won tournaments in the United States and internationally but to win a national championship like this is my best.”
For many senior amateurs, earning a place in the Golfweek Senior Amateur Rankings is a significant achievement because it reflects success against the strongest fields on premier venues over the course of an entire season.
Leading up to the British Senior Amateur, Hoops won the Golfweek Senior National Championship – also by 10 shots – followed by the George Thomas Senior Invitational (played at the prestigious Los Angeles Country Club).
Hoops now tops Golfweek’s rankings with 7,724 points while Kevin VandenBerg checks in second with 6,976 points. Todd Doss, who won the Senior Invitational at the Golfweek Super Senior, Legend and Super Legend National Championship on July 9, is roughly 1,000 points behind VandenBerg.
Hoops is not only the leading senior in Golfweek’s rankings, but at No. 282 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, he is also the top-ranked player age 55 and over. On his British Senior Amateur victory, Hoops added, “I played so well all week. I missed a little two-foot putt on 18 yesterday and that was the only three-putt I had, so I didn’t have a lot of stress over the four days.
“It is tough to adapt to playing over here with the conditions, the weather and the grasses so this validates the travelling, working hard and winning in the United States. To put my name on this trophy with names like Mike McCoy, Gene Elliott, Paul Simson and other great players I know from the US makes me very proud. I will treasure this win for a long time.”
At the midway point of the year, Terry Tyson is retaining his perch at the top of the Legend division rankings with a nearly 3,000-point lead. But the two other divisions remain close. Bob Beck is only narrowly ahead of Scott Ray in the Super Senior rankings – fewer than 100 points separates the two men. John Osborne, the defending Golfweek Player of the Year, is the top-ranked player in the Super Legends division but he has only a 683-point edge on fellow former Virginia Tech player Sam Robinson.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: New man on top: Bryan Hoops’ meteoric summer reflected in Golfweek Senior rankings rise
