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GOLF TEACHING PRO%u00ae 16 WINTER 2O26TOURNAMENT - U.S. GOLF TEACHERS CUP When you have one of the greatest cities in the world hosting a national championship golf event on a great course, great things are bound to happen. And that%u2019s exactly what took place during the 29th playing of the United States Golf Teachers Cup.Held at Stallion Mountain Golf Club in September 2025, the tournament was repleat with new and old storylines. First, the golf course. Stallion Mountain proved to be a fun but challenging test of golf that brought out the best in the field. The fairways and greens were in good condition and the weather%u2026well, what can we say about Las Vegas weather? It%u2019s usually perfect year-round as it was for the tournament itself, although it did rain pretty heavily a few days prior to the event, a rare occasion in this desert environment.And speaking of the desert environment, the city of Las Vegas once again proved its mettle as the host of the event. Most competitors also stayed at The Luxor, a staple on the Las Vegas Strip, providing competitors a convenient resting and entertainment place before and after their rounds.Getting back the old and new, let%u2019s start with the old first. The Senior and Super Senior divisions saw familiar faces once again dominate, while the Open and Pro-Am divisions saw new winners.Open DivisionThe Open division this past year saw a resurgence in participation, and hopefully this bodes well for the future. It is important for more young people to get involved in the USGTF, as per the desire and initiative of president and CEO Brandon Lee, and this is reflected in the increased numbers at the U.S. Cup.A new face emerged as the champion of the Open division. Mitchell Chang from Redwood City, California, not only won, he won in record fashion, romping home to an 11-stroke victory over runner-up Jake Cramer from Hillsdale, New Jersey. Chang opened the 36-hole competition with a 1-over-par 73 that left him three shots clear of Yuxin Yang from Trabuco Canyon, California. Cramer was another three shots back at 79, as was Meng Wu from Edison, New Jersey.Chang began the second round with a string of seven straight pars, leaving his competitors with little room to make up the deficit. Yang couldn%u2019t get anything going and shot a final-round 85, while Cramer and Wu played steady golf, but it wasn%u2019t enough. Chang finished with 73-73 %u2013 146. Cramer came in at 79-78 %u2013 157 while Wu finished 79-79 %u2013 158.Senior DivisionThere%u2019s an old saying that what goes around comes around, but in the Senior division of the U.S. Cup, there hasn%u2019t been much of that lately. Kirk Junge from West Palm Beach, Florida, successfully made it a three-peat when he defended his title he won in 2023 and 2024. Deron Owens from Douglasville, Georgia, finished as FIVE CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT U.S. CUP