The state’s foremost amateur golfers ages 55 and older will gather at The Nelson Golf & Sports Club in Irving for the 87th Texas Senior Amateur, which will be contested on the club’s iconic TPC Las Colinas Course from Sept. 27-29.

This will be the first TGA major championship to be held at The Nelson Golf & Sports Club, which is perhaps best known as the host venue for the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Classic from 1983-2017.

“We could not be more excited to bring one of our oldest and most prestigious championships to such a world-class facility as The Nelson Golf & Sports Club,” said Adam Schulte, TGA Tournament Director. “The TPC Las Colinas Course has a rich tradition and storied history and is sure to provide a supreme test for the players.”

Opened in 1982, the TPC Las Colinas Course was originally designed by Jay Morrish with Byron Nelson and Ben Crenshaw serving as player consultants. In 2008, D.A. Weibring and Steve Wolfard oversaw an extensive course renovation that included the addition of new water features, moving nearly 200 trees to frame landing areas, and reshaping and relocating tees, bunkers, and greens. The numerous upgrades significantly enhanced and fortified the strategic features of the demanding par-70 layout.

“The TPC Las Colinas Course is challenging, well-conditioned and requires players to hit a variety of shots to score well,” Schulte said. “It really builds to a crescendo coming down the stretch, with 17 and 18 poised to provide plenty of drama. I think it’s a great layout and the perfect setting for an exciting championship.”

Seven champions, including three-time winner and defending champion Gary Durbin of Houston, are among the 68 players who were fully exempt from having to qualify for the 87th Texas Senior Amateur.

Durbin, the 2019 and 2021 titleholder, captured last year’s Texas Senior Amateur with a 54-hole total of 3-under-par 210 at Amarillo Country Club and will try to become the first back-to-back winner since Don Addington accomplished the feat in 1997-98.

Joining Durbin at The Nelson Golf & Sports Club will be fellow Texas Senior Amateur champions Sandy Pierce of Houston (2022), John Derrick of Waco (2020), Mike Booker of Houston (2015), Mike Peck of Irving (2013), John Grace of Fort Worth (2010), and David Pocknall of San Marcos (2009).

Among the other exempt players are 2024 North and South Regional Senior champions Randall Conn of Trophy Club and Bobby Baugh of San Antonio, respectively, 2024 West Texas Amateur Senior Division champion Trevor Hyde of Kerrville, as well as Texas Super Senior champions Hollis Sullivan of Westworth Village (2024), Chuck Gardner of Texarkana (2022-23) and Wayne Wright of Aledo (2017, ’21).

Top finishers from the 2023 championship are also among the group of exempt players and include Tray Tyner of Kerrville (T5), Terrence Miskell of New Braunfels (T5), Kyle Kelting of Amarillo (T7), John Dowdall of Fulshear (T10), and Trip Long of Wichita Falls (T10).

The remaining 76 spots in the 144-player starting field will be filled with the players who successfully advanced out of the 18-hole qualifiers conducted Aug. 1-Sept. 18 at eight sites statewide.

The format for the championship is 54 holes of individual stroke play. All contestants play 18 holes on both Sept. 27-28. After 36 holes the field will be cut to the low 54 scorers and ties heading into the final round.

Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds will be posted on the TGA website no later than Sept. 23. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from The Nelson Golf & Sports Club.

First held in 1937, the Texas Senior Amateur is one of the four TGA men’s major amateur championships conducted each year, along with the Texas Amateur, Texas Mid-Amateur, and Texas Four-Ball. The Texas Senior Amateur has produced a distinguished list of champions over nearly nine decades, including Texas Golf Hall of Fame members George Rotan (1993 Class of Inductees), Addington (2011 Class), Grace (2012 Class), and Booker (2019 Class).

For more on the 87th Texas Senior Amateur, click here.