MARION, Mass. — Rusty Strawn won five of the opening six holes and never trailed Thursday in a 3-and-2 victory over Doug Hanzel in the U.S. Senior Amateur final at The Kittansett Club.
In a battle of Georgia residents, the 59-year-old Strawn won his first USGA title.
Hanzel, who 10 years ago became the only player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and the U.S. Senior Amateur, had four bogeys in five holes at the start and never recovered.
Strawn was 5 up at the turn in the 18-hole match and 3 up with five holes to play when Hanzel went over the green and Strawn won the 14th with a par.
Hanzel won the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2013.
The victory gets Strawn into the U.S. Senior Open next year at SentryWorld in Wisconsin, where he will in the same group with Senior Open champion Padraig Harrington and Senior British Open champion Darren Clarke.