Bob Royak is not normally not equipment. On the other hand, when you win a US Golf Association Championship with a specific putter, it tends to have a special place in your heart. And yes, when Royak, the American senior amateur champion 2019, that knife placed back in the bag after the second round of the classic of the inaugural Golf Week pirate, the results were unmistakable.
“This thing just woke me up a bit, I have a little more power in my stroke,” said Royak, 62, who had used a hammerputter most of the past year. “I certainly kept more puts with it. It will probably go a little bit back in the bag. ‘
The championship-winning Putter (nice fact: Royak actually owns two of that exact model) made a huge difference for Royak, so that he had finished the title in TPC Tampa Bay even if it needed five extra holes against Bryan Hoops of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Royak had taken his big step in the second round of Tuesday, recurring from an opening 74 with a second round 68 that gave him a one-shot lead at night. A final round, 1-over 72 left him on 1 for the week, the same as hoops.
Royak and Hoops, who got to know each other for the first time while they competed for opposing teams in the prestigious East West matches last fall, both lost a small site at the end of the final round in TPC Tampa Bay – with Royak Bogeying Nr. 17 and Hoops Bogeying nrs. 17 and 18 – to force the play -off. So the two returned to the 10one Tee and at no. 13, a par 4, missed both Royak and Hoops Birdie Putts to win. On the par-5 15oneRoyak hit his wedge on 6 feet and made it for the victory.
Royak, who grew up just outside Albany, New York, and who now lives in Atlanta, has strong ties with tampa from the university. He registered at the University of Tampa in 1979 and checks a long list of memories of that are related to that area. There he met his wife, married and then lived for 10 years. His brother still lives in the area, just like his mother, so it feels like a second home.
Last week, as he normally does, Royak opened his season 2025 on the Gasparilla Senior Invitational on 13-15 February, ending in second place in Palma Ceia Golf Club.
“I really don’t play events November, December, January,” said Royak. “I play a little at home, I hit a few balls indoors, so it’s really the first wave of the year.”
Royak thought that his ball striking was strong in Palma Ceia, even if his well was ‘very average’.
After winning the classic of the pirates, he went back home before he returned to Sea Island (Georgia) Golfclub for the Jones Cup senior from 24-27 February. He has won that event twice before (2020 and 2023).
“I think it’s really more how I play,” said Royak about the confidence that the classic experience of his pirate entails. “If I had lost the play -off today, I would still feel good about my game. So the victory is very nice, but I probably take a lot of positives from the way my ball striking has been this week. In general, really hit the ball, probably didn’t score as low as I should have done. I have taken many good photos. “
The classic of the Golf Week Pirate contained a Mid-Master Division for players 40-55, and former Florida Mid-Amateur champion Thadgens made a short work. Hudgens, from Longwood, Florida, put rounds together from 67-70-70 to end at 6 below, prior to the second place Craig Forrest van Dallas, who was over 16.
Hudgens’ victory certainly marked the biggest runaway, but none of the other three divisions was such a dense game as the senior division.
Victor Leoni from Miami Shores, Florida, won the Super Senior Division with three shots with his 11 over total.
Greg Osborne van Lititz, Pennsylvania, was 4 in the Legends Division and five shots for Jeffrey Knox from Jupiter, Florida.
Frank Polizzi from Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, registered a double digit victory on Bill Engel by St. Augustine, Florida, in the Super Legend Division. Polizzi finished three rounds out of 6 while Engel was at the age of 17.
This article originally appeared on Golf Week: Bob Royak wins Golf Week Pirate’s Classic 2025 in Extra Holes
