PGA Super 60s – enter our relaxed but competitive pairs event and you could win like Daryl and Colin

05/08/2025

Last year’s champions reflect on their win at Formby Hall and why they can’t wait to defend their title

In 2024, Daryl St John-Jones and his partner Colin Walkden captured the PGA Super 60s Championship in a dramatic, if drizzly, finish at Formby Hall. The pair amassed 84 points over the two days of competition in a 36-hole betterball format which is open to PGA Pros and an amateur partner aged 60 or over.

The first day reaped a first-round score of 47 points before the heavens opened, and 37 was enough for a one-shot win.

The competition dates back to 1994 and it first came to light in response to the increasing popularity of seniors’ golf across the game. Previous winners include Lionel Platts, Bernard Hunt, Brian Waites, Bill Ferguson and Maurice Bembridge and this year the tournament will be held at Cardona in Peebles on August 13 and 14.

This is what last year’s winners have to say about the event and their experiences.

…on the format

Pro Daryl St John-Jones: It's really good. For over-60 Professionals, it's the only event where there's almost a level playing field. I still compete in the Nottinghamshire Pro-Ams and a few Midland events but the reality is I'm playing against youngsters and I could play quite well and maybe get in the top five. All of a sudden we've got half a chance, which makes it really enjoyable. The field's been really big the last couple of years and the Pros like the format.

I've been a pro for 45 years so all the assistants I was playing against when I began are all now eligible for this event. We look forward to seeing each other because it is a very social event and we generally all eat at the hotel together.

Plus it takes the pressure off playing a Stableford. If you have a disaster, you've only dropped two shots, whereas in stroke play you can have a disaster.

...on their pairing

Daryl: I chose Colin as a partner because he's a member of my golf club, Oakmere in Nottinghamshire, where I worked for 28 years. He's a good friend and he plays in all my pro-ams and he doesn't work any more so he's able to take trips as and when required.

Amateur Colin Walkden: Our first attempt at the Super 60s was down at Tewkesbury Park where Daryl had started his playing career off. We ended up finishing 10th. Driving back we were a bit disappointed as we knew that we'd left a few points out there. He asked me again the following year at Matfen Hall and again we finished in 10th, then everything clicked at Formby Hall.

His iron shots are so steady and effortless. He's such a joy to play with and he’s such a calming influence as well. I played with him in a pro-am recently at Ramsdale. He eagled the 1st and he was six-under after seven so he can certainly still play.

…on Day 1

Daryl: We had an unbelievable first day. We just combined so well. Sometimes you can both play really well and have the same score but if he was out of the hole I would be in and vice versa. I played quite steadily all the way around and he just kept on picking up nett birdies. Then at the 11th, which was probably one of the toughest holes…

Colin: Daryl gave me the line off the tee and I managed to draw the ball around the corner of the dogleg. There was a big tree on the right-hand side of the green and a pond on the left so Daryl went first and said that if he could hit the green then I could go for it and not worry too much about the hazards. He landed his ball on the back edge and then he decided he needed a comfort break. I took a 9-iron and punched it into the mouth of the green and it bounced once and dropped in. The other pro was jumping up and down, as was his amateur partner. Daryl shouted over and I told him that he could pick his ball up. The Pro said that he had never put five points on a card before.

…on Day 2

Colin: We knew it was going to be close on the second day and the heavens opened which made the conditions a lot worse. I didn't want to let Daryl down because he's a great, great golfer. He's been in the game 40-plus years so the nerves were jangling a bit. But Daryl was always there, trying to encourage me. Coming to the last Daryl said that we needed to get a par or better so it was pretty nerve-wracking. 

Daryl:  We were one point ahead of the pair we were playing with. If they beat us by one shot on the 18th, they would have won with a better score in the second round. Luckily I knocked it on the par-5 green in two and then I three-putted, but they'd already missed their birdie putt. We ended up winning by one shot.

The bizarre thing is, the older you get, the more nervous you get. When you're young and you've got no money and you're playing for your next meal, you're not nervous.

…on the 2025 event

Colin: I've watched various players playing Cardrona online and had a look at some of the flyovers of the course. It looks really good with some interesting holes and the greens looked in great condition. We'll travel up early on the Tuesday, have a practice round in the afternoon and then we'll be straight into it the following day.

• The PGA Super 60s Championship takes place on August 13-14 at Cardrona with a 36-hole betterball format. Learn more here (link to: https://www.pga.info/about-the-pga/tournaments/pga-super-60s/)