Mike McCoy made history Thursday.
The 62-year-old from Iowa topped Greg Sanders, 3 and 2, in the championship final of the 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, Texas. In doing so, he became the first player ever to win a U.S. Senior Amateur and a U.S. Mid-Amateur. The latter he captured in 2013.
It’s the latest in a long line of USGA achievements for McCoy, who captained the 2023 Walker Cup team to victory at St. Andrews. He also participated in the 2015 competition after his Mid-Am victory.
“I got off to a great start, and I’ve really been in good form,” McCoy said. “I didn’t think I’d beat myself today. I figured someone was going to have to play really good to beat me. I just played solid. I feel great. I feel great. I’m so honored to win a USGA championship. I love the USGA. A lot of my whole golfing history has sort of been build upon their championships and trying to get to them and advance and some day win one, and I finally did, and of course I never dreamed I’d win another one, and I got a chance to captain the Walker Cup team and play on a Walker Cup team, so it’s been a dream come true. I love the USGA and everything it stands for and the people that work there.
“I’m just really honored to be the champion.”
Both McCoy and Sanders receive exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club.
In the semifinals, McCoy defeated Mike Sposa, who regained his amateur status in January after a career on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
In the championship match, McCoy won the first three holes and was 5 up after eight holes. Sanders attempted to claw back, winning No. 9 and 12 to be 3 down with six holes to go. However, the duo tied the next four holes, and McCoy had another USGA title to his name.
“I definitely will go back and see my name for sure,” he said of seeing his name from his first title 12 years ago. “Anytime you do something for the first time, I guess, it’s pretty special. I think it’ll get done again. There’s some good mid-ams coming behind, so somebody is going to do it. But it’s good to be first, and I never really gave it much thought until this week. Pretty happy about it.”
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