John Kennedy of England and Kathy Hartwiger from the United States emerged victorious at The R&A Senior Amateur and Women’s Senior Amateur Championships, held at Walton Heath Golf Club. Both players were making their debut appearances in the championships and delivered impressive performances to claim the coveted titles.
Kennedy sealed his win with a final-round score of 73, finishing 11-under-par for the tournament and seven shots ahead of his nearest challengers—Todd White, Danny Nelson, and Jody Fanagan. His steady performance throughout the event not only earned him the gold medal but also a place in the upcoming ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale.
Reflecting on the achievement, Kennedy described it as the highlight of his golfing life. He admitted the reality hadn’t sunk in yet, especially knowing he would now compete alongside players he had watched on television for decades. Balancing his job as a compliance manager at the Automobile Association, Kennedy said he would now seriously consider early retirement to focus more on golf. With recent wins at the Scottish Senior Amateur, the Durham County Championship, and his club championship at Consett & District Golf Club, this victory marked his fourth straight title.
In the women’s championship, Kathy Hartwiger finished at one-over-par to win by three shots over Ireland’s Tracy Eakin. Hartwiger, who led by four strokes going into the final round, extended her lead to six before encountering a rough patch on the back nine. She bogeyed four consecutive holes from the 11th but managed to compose herself and close out the win with calm determination. She credited deep breathing and personal reflection as tools that helped her regain focus under pressure.
Hartwiger, who won the 2002 US Women’s Mid-Amateur, said the experience was incredibly meaningful. Not only was it her first time playing competitive golf in the UK, but it was also a special anniversary trip with her husband. She expressed hope to return next year and play in more events across the British Isles. Her win also secured her a spot in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to be held in Virginia this September.
Among the other notable performances, Sue Wooster of Australia finished as the top player aged 60 or over, while former European Tour professional Andy Stubbs took the honors for best performer aged 65 or above.
The week at Walton Heath proved to be a celebration of passion, perseverance, and the enduring spirit of senior amateur golf—brought to life by two worthy champions on both sides of the Atlantic.
About the DP World Tour
The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf tour of the European Tour group.
As golf’s global tour, we showcase global talent in global destinations and use our platform to build, entertain and connect our global community.
GLOBAL TALENT: We provide pathways and a platform for the leading international talent, bringing together golfing icons, national heroes and emerging stars from around the world.
GLOBAL DESTINATIONS: We stage tournaments in iconic cities and locations around the world and each week we celebrate and showcase the rich diversity of the courses, cities and cultures we visit.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY: We build, entertain and connect communities through our commitment to innovation, creative content and having a positive social and environmental impact.
Our 2025 Global Schedule features 42 tournaments in 26 different countries and comprises three distinct phases: five ‘Global Swings’, the ‘Back 9’ and the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’. It features five Rolex Series events – the premium category of events on the DP World Tour – and four Major Championships, all of which count towards the Race to Dubai Rankings, the Tour’s season-long competition which concludes at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, has been the title partner of the DP World Tour since the start of the 2022 season, the Tour’s 50th season following its formation in 1972.
We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with DP World, Rolex, Aldar, BMW, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Emirates, Fortinet and Vestas as Official Partners.
About the European Tour group
The European Tour group administers the DP World Tour, the HotelPlanner Tour, the Legends Tour and the G4D Tour and, as the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe LLP, stages golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup, in partnership with the PGA of America.
The European Tour group has Strategic Partnerships with the PGA TOUR, the Sunshine Tour, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association (CGA), the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), and the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India. These partnerships provide global pathways for players from across the world to compete internationally on the DP World Tour, the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group which was established in 1972, as well as the HotelPlanner Tour.
