Victory in the Valley: Scott Tibbitts wins the 88th Texas Senior Amateur
Scott Tibbitts of Huffman was crowned champion of the 88th Texas Senior Amateur after a thrilling finish at McAllen Country Club. Tibbitts carded a final-round 2-under 69 to post 2-under 211 for the tournament, winning by a single stroke.
“It’s amazing,” Tibbitts said after his victory. “I never thought this could happen. I first want to thank the people of McAllen Country Club—the course is in great shape. It was a grind out there. There are so many good players in this field, and I’m lucky to be on top.”
Tibbitts entered the final round in fifth place, needing a composed and consistent performance to climb the leaderboard.
He wasted no time making his move on the front nine, rolling in a birdie on No. 3 and following it up with an eagle on No. 6 to surge into contention. After a bogey on No. 8, he recovered with a birdie on No. 11 to regain momentum.
A bogey on No. 14 and a double bogey on No. 16 tightened the pressure, forcing Tibbitts to dig deep over the closing stretch.
He responded with a clutch birdie on No. 17 to move to 2-under on the day, then narrowly missed another birdie putt on No. 18 that would have brought him to 3-under. Though visibly frustrated, Tibbitts could only wait for the final group to finish to learn his fate.
Moments later, as the leaders failed to capitalize on their final chances, Tibbitts was officially crowned champion.
“I wasn’t watching the leaderboard until I got to No. 16,” Tibbitts said with a laugh. “I thought I was still two or three strokes back. The other guys had a tough time on that hole, which gave me a chance—and that’s when I birdied No. 17.”
With the victory, Tibbitts earns exemptions into the next five Texas Senior Amateurs, including the 89th Texas Senior Amateur presented by Republic Aviation at BraeBurn Country Club, the 117th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, and the 43rd Texas Mid-Amateur presented by Hytera US at Wichita Falls Country Club.
As the 88th Texas Senior Amateur is an official USGA Exemption Event, Tibbitts also secures a spot in the U.S. Senior Open Final Stage Qualifying next year.
Finishing in a four-way tie for second at 1-under 212 were 2024 Texas Shootout South Team Captain Andrew Hydorn of Houston, Greg Galasso of Dripping Springs, 83rd Texas Senior Amateur Champion John Derrick of Waco, and Mike Lohner of Dallas.
Greg Smith of Austin claimed solo sixth at even-par 213, followed by two-time Senior Amateur Champion Gary Durbin of Houston in seventh at 1-over 214.
Tray Tyner of Kerrville finished eighth at 2-over 215, while rounding out the top 10 were Trey Womack of Midland at 5-over 218 and David Leiss of Houston at 6-over 219.
The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere gratitude to the McAllen Country Club staff and membership for serving as exceptional hosts of the 88th Texas Senior Amateur. This marks the TGA’s first major championship in the Rio Grande Valley in more than 40 years, and the association looks forward to continuing its partnership with McAllen Country Club to grow the game of golf in South Texas.
Next on the Texas Golf Association’s men’s schedule is the 2025 Texas Shootout at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf Club.
To view results from the 88th Texas Senior Amateur, click here. To learn more about the 88th Texas Senior Amateur, click here.