2026 Senior Amateur Preview

Frazier, Groff and Stimmel Head Stellar Field at 67^th Senior Am

Jeff Frazier’s comfort level stacked on top of recent success at the venue may not provide comfort for the rest of the field when the 67th Pennsylvania Senior Amateur Championship begins on Monday. The event, set for Monday and Tuesday, August 3-4, is at Reading’s Berkshire Country Club and includes most of the state’s top senior amateur competitors. The Pennsylvania Golf Association tournament is presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Last season Frazier turned in a record-setting performance at Berkshire to capture the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s (GAP) Senior Amateur Championship. The Carlisle Country Club performer shot 68-66 for an eight-under total which was the lowest 36-hole score to date in the GAP Senior Amateur. Frazier has already captured two GAP titles in 2026 winning the Warner Cup and the Chapman Cup.

Frazier was the Pennsylvania Senior Amateur champion in 2024 at Llanerch Country Club and finished second to Brian Groff (Lancaster Country Club) a year ago in the tournament at Williamsport Country Club. He has earned GAP Player of the Year honors in three of the last four years.   

The defending champion, Groff, is also in the field after grabbing his first senior amateur crown a year ago. He took the lead with an opening-day six-under 65 and never relinquished the top spot registering a 68 on day two to finish -9.

Three-time reigning Pennsylvania Golf Player of the Year, Rick Stimmel (Connoquenessing Country Club), will be among a group of other decorated players vying for the championship. Stimmel, who won the Senior Amateur in 2023 at The Club at Nevillewood, is also a former Amateur champion. He has a victory already this season winning the first event of the year at Outdoor Country Club in the George Dressler Memorial Championship. In addition to the state player of the year honors, Stimmel also owns the last three top senior player honors in the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association.

Recent USGA Senior Amateur qualifier Chris Fieger, Sr. (Heidelberg Country Club) will look for his second title after winning in 2020. Fieger added to his impressive national resume last week when he qualified for the country’s senior amateur field for an amazing sixth time in the last seven seasons, including the last four. He also has won four GAP Senior Amateur titles.

Headlining the hunt for the Super-Senior Amateur Championship will be three-time winner Don Donatoni (Hershey’s Mill Golf Club). Donatoni has a treasure trove of victories in both Pennsylvania Golf and GAP and is a nine-time GAP Super Senior Player of the Year. Brian Rothaus (Five Ponds Golf Club) has arguably the best record in the division over the last five years winning the title in 2023 and four runner-up finishes.

The 2025 Pennsylvania Golf Super Senior Player of the Year and a past Senior Amateur winner, Glenn Smeraglio (LuLu Country Club), along with Greg Osborne (Overlook Golf Club), GAP’s 2022 and 2024 Player of the Year, should make their presence known in the final standings of the 36-hole event. Duke Delcher (Sandy Run Country Club), the 2021 and 2022 Super Senior winner, and Oscar Mestre (Overbrook Golf Club), the reigning Gap Player of the Year, further deepen a very solid group of contenders.

NOTE: This is the second time Heidelberg will serve as host the Senior Amateur with the other time being 53 years ago in 1973.