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GOLF TEACHING PRO%u00ae 17 WINTER 2O26the runner-up while Yi Zhou from Aliso Viejo, California, finished third.Kirk also almost won the title in 2022, and he took that as fuel to begin a dominant run that hasn%u2019t stopped yet. He opened the first round with a 3-under-par 69 that left him five shots clear of Owens and seven clear of Zhou. The only question for the second round is how much drama would there be, and there was some on the front nine. Owens started -1 after six holes while Junge was +1, leaving Junge only three shots ahead at that point. However, Junge birdied the seventh hole while Owens ran into difficulty on holes 8 and 9, going +3 in that span to effectively put the tournament away for Junge. He finished 69-72 %u2013 141, while Owens turned in a 74-74 %u2013 148 followed by Zhou at 76-74 %u2013 150.Super Senior DivisionThere has been no more prolific winner of USGTF events the past five years than Ron Cox from Nashville, Tennessee. Not only has Cox won the Super Senior division of the U.S. Cup on multiple occasions, he has won several USGTF region championships including the Southeast, Central and Southwest. You can now add a third Super Senior title in the last four years to his resume as Cox strode home to a fourshot victory over defending Super Senior champion Ron Platz from Windsor, Colorado. Although Platz did finish as the runner-up, unfortunately for him he was never in real contention after a first-round 80 that left him seven shots back, but he fired the round of the division with a second-day 72 to score his high finish. Perennial competitor Jim Perez %u2013 also one of the USGTF%u2019s longest-tenured members %u2013 finished third in his first appearance in the Super Senior division this decade. Cox finished with scores of 73-75 %u2013 148, while Platz came in at 80-72 %u2013 152. Perez was at 76-78 %u2013 154.Pro-Am DivisionThe Pro-Am division was introduced in 2019 as a way for USGTF members to share the experience of the U.S. Cup with a friend or relative. And this year there were six teams competing for honors. Marcus Delgadillo teamed with Lorenzo Delgadillo to win the division, shooting scores of 62-73 to easily win. Lorenzo made a number of net birdies the first round on their way to an eight-shot lead, leaving no suspense for the final round. USGTF member Archie Northcutt from Globe, Arizona, teamed with Christopher Birch to finish second.SummaryThe United States Golf Teachers Cup is the showcase event of the USGTF as it is the largest gathering of USGTF members annually. This national championship event has been played every year since 1996 except for the Covid year of 2020, and offers competitors from around the country and around the world (as it is open to all WGTF members) the opportunity to forge new friendships and partnerships, and to renew old acquaintances. There are competitors who return year after year because they know that this is one of the highlights of their golfing year and they wouldn%u2019t miss it for anything. To all USGTF and WGTF members, if you haven%u2019t played in this event or haven%u2019t played in a while, we invite all of you to come to the 2026 event and see for yourself what you can experience among your fellow federation members.In addition to great competition, you will experience a camaraderie that is second to none. Of course, everyone is trying their best to beat everyone, but beyond that are the friendships formed and the networking possibilities available. You can also meet members of the USGTF National Office staff and they are always available to answer any questions and concerns you may have, not only about the tournament but the operations of the federation, as well. RESULTS OF THE TOURNAMENT CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.2025USCUP.GOLFGENIUS.COM, OR YOU MAY USE THE QR CODE.TOURNAMENT - U.S. GOLF TEACHERS CUP