2026 Senior Four-Ball Preview

Senior 4-Balls in shadow of Beaver Stadium

Football season at Penn State is almost here. But first things first, just across I-99 a couple of state golf championships must be decided before at nearby Toftrees Golf Resort. The Pennsylvania Golf Association will host the 2026 state championship senior four-ball competition for men and women at Toftrees, August 31 & Sept. 1. The event contested over 36 holes in the two-day affair is presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Small, but strong fields, in all three competitions should provide a spirited two days as championships in the men’s senior and super senior along with women’s senior divisions will end with state titles for a trio of teams.

The team of Bob Crnjarich (Allegheny Country Club) and Rob Stoops (Butler Country Club) will defend the senior title they won a year ago at Bellewood Country Club. The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association pair crossed the state to post an eight-under 134 over two rounds to win by a shot. A sparkling 64, sharing the low round recorded in the event, on the second day lifted them to the win over Bill Davis (Aronimink Golf Club) and Jason Barkley (Moselem Springs Golf Club). Davis and Barkley are also entered in the 2026 tournament.

The Colonial Golf and Tennis Club team of Todd Mostoller and Doug Hallman, the 2024 state titlists, will also be in the field. Also entered is half of the 2023 winning team, Dave Blichar, who this season will team with his Olde Homestead Golf Club mate Jeff Hudson, to chase the title.

As strong as this year’s senior division field is it makes the super senior bracket look downright dangerous. Again, past championship teams and multiple winners of other state crowns litter the field. Indiana Country Club’s Don Erickson and partner Joe Corsi (Ligonier Country Club) won last year and will defend. They also had a spectacular seven-under 64 on the second day to pull away from most of the field with a two-day total of 133. Valley Green Golf Course’s Bill Chase and George Troutman had an opening day 64 only to be passed in the final round by Erickson and Corsi. The two front-running teams were five shots in front of the rest of the draw.

Two other past winning teams will vie for the crown again with the Hannastown Golf Club duo of Bob Allshouse and Vince Zachetti and J.R. Cattoni (Williamsport Country Club) and Ben Cook (Bucknell Golf Club), looking to hold the trophy again. Allshouse and Zachetti were the 2020 winners, while Cattoni and Cook won in 2024. Former senior division winners Craig Kliewer (Lebanon Country Club) and Mike Vassil (Country Club of Scranton) will be teamed with new partners in the super senior competition this year.

The women’s draw is headlined by two-time champion Karen Siegel (Commonwealth National Golf Club). The 2021 winner with Lisa McGill (Sunnybrook Golf Club) and 2024 champion with Alexandra Frazier (Gulph Mills Golf Club) will team with Frazier again seeking to win for a third time. Among others chasing that pair with be 2020 titlists Liz Haines (Merion Golf Club) and Barb Pagana (Huntsville Golf Club) and the Honeybrook Golf Club team of Lisa day and Allison Long who finished as runners-up a year ago.

The original Toftrees Golf Resort design was by Edmund Ault. It first opened in 1969 with nine holes and the final nine was completed in 1971. The 18-hole, par 72 layout wandering through the trees and low hills west of State College can stretch from its tips to 7107 yards.

Tournament Notes:

• The last back-to-back winners in the men’s senior division were the team of Paul Schlacter (The Club at Nevillewood) and Joe Cordaro (The Longue Vue Club) in 2007 and 2008.
• While four different teams have won the senior title twice since the tournament’s inception in 1993, the most titles belong to Fred Tyler (Reading Country Club) and William Whitman (Berkshire Country Club) who won five times – 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 & 1999.
• In the Super Senior event history, two teams have won three times: King Knox (Lancaster Country Club) and James Sherratt (Old York Road Country Club) in 2008, 2010 & 2011 and Mike McGuire (Hannastown Golf Club) and Joe Ruby (Nemacolin Woodlands Golf Club). They won in 2014, 2015 & 2016 and are the last team to win back-to-back super senior championships.
• The team of Mostoller and Hallman posted a 130 to tie for the second lowest score two-day score in the senior event history. Their score at Ligonier Country Club in 2024 matched the winning total for Schlacter and Cordaro in 2008 which ironically came at Toftrees.
• The record two-day score was also posted by Schlacter with then partner Bill Kunsman when the Nevillewood team shot 129 at Huntsville Golf Club.
• Erickson and Corsi’s 133 to win the 2025 super senior tied for the second lowest score ever only bettered by McGuire and Ruby’s 129 in their first win in 2014 at Nemacolin Woodlands.
• The Siegel-McGill win in 2021 provided the women’s record score at 135 at St. David’s Country Club.