From left to right: Al Zerull (Silver 1st), Joe Massara (3rd), Jeff Lannen (World Champ), Andy Fox (2nd), Paul Luna (4th), Brandon Robinson (Silver 2nd)

Final Results | Championship Bracket | Silver Bracket | Bronze Bracket | Speedrun Bracket | Silver Strike Bowling Bracket

The 2026 Golden Tee World Championship once again delivered everything that makes Worlds the premier event in Golden Tee. The caliber of play, unforgettable moments, and passion from the community reached an all-time high. This year featured major upsets, new records, veteran players stepping back into the spotlight, and continued growth as more people from the golf community discovered the game. By the end of the weekend, new champions had been crowned across every event, including both newcomers and longtime veterans from around the country.

Across four days of competition and six events, seven champions were crowned. Every event showcased the skill, excitement, and passion that define Golden Tee. Several new additions joined the schedule this year, including the return of the Silver Strike Bowling Nationals, a three-course Last Chance Qualifier, the Bronze Bracket, and the first official Doubles Tournament featuring additional prize money and trophies. Those additions complemented fan favorites such as the Speedrun, Closest to the Pin Last Chance Qualifier, Silver Bracket Finals, and Championship Bracket Finals.

On Thursday, June 11, the tournament began with the first official World Championship Doubles event. While doubles competition has existed unofficially at Worlds for years, Golden Tee elevated it this year with a $7,000 prize pool. The event attracted 68 players, forming 34 teams that battled for a first-place prize of $1,250.

Skipper Horner and Matt Vanhoosier, both longtime members of the Golden Tee community with more than 20 years of experience each and even an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning in 2004, teamed up for this year's event. Their veteran knowledge and consistency proved to be the difference as they completed an undefeated run to the title.

The road was far from easy. Horner and Vanhoosier had to defeat multiple World Champions on their way to the top. They played steady, close to mistake-free Golden Tee throughout the tournament, defeating Paul Tayloe and Craig Franta to become King of the Hill before beating them once again in the Grand Finals to capture the championship.

Watch the Doubles Finals here

Friday, as usual, belonged to the players fighting for the final World Championship spots through the Last Chance Qualifiers.

This year introduced the new Three-Course Qualifier, an event designed to reward consistency. Players competed across three courses, with the top overall scores earning three coveted spots in the 2026 Golden Tee World Championship. Jeff Leaper (-80), Harry Lamason (-81), and Sammy Manaway (-89) all secured their places in Worlds through outstanding performances.

Later that evening, Andy Towers, Raf Tercero, Robert Fransen, and Rob Smith claimed the final four spots through the Closest to the Pin Last Chance Qualifier.

Watch the Last Chance Qualifiers here

Saturday is when the energy inside the venue rises, even as the room itself grows quieter. With a World Championship win on the line, players lock in and perform at their highest level. 

The standard five-course qualifier began Saturday morning with 112 players competing for the best cumulative score across five randomly selected courses: Kings Canyon, TPC Twin Cities, Elkhorn Ridge, Alaska Lakes, and Gunnison Gap. The draw created one of the tougher qualifying finishes in recent memory, as players had to navigate two of the most difficult 2026 courses, Alaska Lakes and Gunnison Gap, down the stretch.

Andy Haas, who many consider the current No. 1 player in the world, claimed the top qualifying position with an incredible -149 and 251,355 Great Shot Points. Just one stroke behind him was Burak Temel at -148 with 184,588 Great Shot Points.

The rest of the top five featured familiar names and World Champions. Paul Luna finished third at -146 with 174,884 GSP, followed by Paul Tayloe at -142 with 87,773 GSP. Andy Fox rounded out the top five with a -140 total and 218,001 Great Shot Points.

The cut line for the 32-player Championship Bracket came in at -130, with Justin Seeley securing the final qualifying spot thanks to 133,556 Great Shot Points.

Watch the 5 course qualifier here

After a qualifying session that left some players celebrating and others wishing they had taken just a little more time over a critical putt, attention shifted to the Silver Strike Bowling Nationals and the Speedrun.

The new Silver Strike League Night has generated significant excitement thanks to its beautiful graphics, realistic bowling physics, and signature vertical television display. While this year's Nationals were announced late, several dedicated Silver Strike players still made the trip to compete in the first national championship event in nearly 16 years.

Watch the full Silver Strike Bowling Nationals here

The finals featured eight qualifiers, led by Jason Loschiavo, who posted an impressive 710 across a three-game qualifying series. However, that momentum would be tested against veteran Silver Strike bowler Robert Baker, who traveled from Florida to compete.

The biggest storyline emerged from Golden Tee's own Chris Juszczyk, who had only started playing Silver Strike a few hours before qualifying began.

Juszczyk opened his first game with a perfect 300, becoming only the second player in history to accomplish the feat on Silver Strike League Night and the first player ever to do it on stream.

Watch Chris Juszczyk's 300 game here

After defeating another veteran player, Michael Camacho, in the opening round, Juszczyk looked like a clear favorite. But Gary Sheldon quietly built a championship run of his own, defeating veteran Silver Strike player Norman Crawford before knocking off Golden Tee World Champion Paul Tayloe to advance to the finals against Mr. 300 himself.

The championship match delivered.

The second game went into overtime after both players rolled a 258. Juszczyk claimed the match, forcing a winner-take-all showdown.

Sheldon continued his steady play while Juszczyk struggled to recapture the perfection that fueled his earlier run. When the final frame was complete, Gary Sheldon stood alone as the new Silver Strike Bowling National Champion.

Wacth the Silver Strike Bowling finals here

The Speedrun has become a fan favorite because of its nonstop excitement, unique strategy, and complete departure from traditional 18-hole Golden Tee play.

In this event, players still compete over 18 holes, but the score itself means nothing. The objective is simple: finish the course as quickly as possible. That simple concept completely changes how Golden Tee is played.

Strategies, club selections, bags, and shot approaches are all dramatically different. Players want to complete each hole as fast as possible, but they also need to avoid playing too well. Hole-in-ones, hole-outs, and Great Shots trigger replay animations that cost valuable time. Instead of trying to make every shot, players often attempt to leave the ball as close to the hole as possible without holing out or earning Great Shot Points, something that goes against everything players normally try to do in Golden Tee.

Competitors also customize their bags with different wedges and specialty clubs that help maximize speed. Every decision is made with one goal in mind: saving time.

This year's Speedrun featured one of the event's all-time greats in Paul Tayloe, who mastered this style of competition early in its history. It also welcomed back Chris Juszczyk, the world record holder for the fastest 18-hole game ever played.

Juszczyk set the record during the 2025 World Championship and then broke his own mark during qualifying for the 2026 Speedrun.

It was clear Juszczyk had his sights set on a second consecutive World Championship Speedrun title, especially after finishing runner-up in the Silver Strike Bowling Nationals just an hour earlier. He kept that dream alive by defeating Tayloe and advancing to the finals.

While Juszczyk was making another impressive run, 2025 World Championship Speedrun qualifier and rising Golden Tee star Connor Franta was quietly working his way through the bracket. Franta's path may have come with less fanfare than Juszczyk's, but his skill was undeniable.

In the final match, Franta continued to execute his unique Speedrun strategy without making any major mistakes. Juszczyk stayed right with him through much of the round, but a critical moment shifted the momentum when his chipper failed to get a shot out of the rough. The mishap cost him multiple swings and, more importantly, valuable seconds on the clock.

Once that opening appeared, Franta took full advantage. Rather than forcing risky shots, he focused on maintaining his pace and avoiding unnecessary mistakes. With the lead firmly in hand, Franta stayed composed the rest of the way and raced to victory, capturing the Speedrun World Championship title.

By the time the finals arrived, the event had once again showcased why the Speedrun has become one of the most entertaining competitions of the weekend. With Juszczyk continuing to dominate and Franta emerging into the Speedrun finals and winning, there is a very good chance fans will see another showdown between these two at the 2027 Golden Tee World Championship Speedrun.

Watch the Speedrun finals here

After a good night's rest on Saturday night, for some, Championship Sunday began at 11 a.m. with the Silver and Bronze Brackets.

The Bronze Bracket featured a different format than the Silver and Championship Brackets. Fourteen players competed in a single-elimination structure where every match was do-or-die.

Brittany Casper and Jason Matkovich demonstrated that consistent play and avoiding mistakes can carry a player a long way. Matkovich continued his steady run in the championship match, making almost no errors and proving too much for Casper to overcome.

Matkovich, who has been playing Golden Tee for more than 25 years, finally earned a prize that did not exist when he first started his Golden Tee journey.

Wacth the Bronze Bracket final here

While the Silver Bracket is technically the second division, many players would argue it can be just as difficult, if not more difficult, to win than the Championship Bracket.

Although the top qualifiers advance to the Championship Bracket, the Silver Bracket is filled with talented players who simply had a difficult qualifying session. The field also includes 64 players compared to the Championship Bracket's 32, creating a longer road and a wider range of opponents.

Al Zerull, whom many view as a Championship-level player, embraced the challenge.

He won five straight matches to become King of the Hill, but none of them came easily. Every victory was decided by one to three strokes, and his path included victories over several elite competitors, including eventual third-place finisher Mike Greene-Walsh.

On the other side of the bracket, Brandon Robinson battled through the loser's side. His road included wins over several strong opponents, including Seth Harris and Mike Greene-Walsh. By the time he reached the finals against longtime friend Al Zerull, Robinson had already played 10 matches.

Zerull was determined to keep his unbeaten run intact, while Robinson hoped to continue one of the most impressive comeback stories of the day.

The championship match featured outstanding golf from both players. Only one mistake was made between them, and it ultimately decided the outcome.

Robinson faced a lengthy putt on Hole 5 and pushed it just high of the cup. Zerull capitalized and never looked back, closing out a -30 to -29 victory on Desert Valley.

Robinson added another World Championship trophy to accompany his fourth-place Championship Bracket finish from 2025, while Zerull secured one of the biggest Silver Bracket victories of his Golden Tee career.

Watch the Silver Bracket final here

While the Silver and Bronze Brackets were producing champions, the Championship Bracket was delivering upsets, breakout performances, and familiar faces making another run at history.

Within the Golden Tee community, qualifying first has long carried the reputation of being a curse. This year, Andy Haas found himself facing it.

The tournament favorite suffered a stunning overtime loss to Justin Seeley in his opening match, sending him to the loser's bracket and forcing a long climb back toward the finals.

Haas kept his championship hopes alive with a two-stroke victory over Kevin O'Connor before facing one of the game's biggest rising stars, Burak Temel.

The contrast in styles was impossible to miss. Haas plays at a rapid pace, while Temel carefully analyzes every single shot.

Both players were nearly flawless until Hole 17, where trouble found Haas. A costly mistake so late in the round proved impossible to overcome, ending his quest for a third World Championship earlier than expected.

Jeff Lannen, better known as Lemon on the Golden Tee leaderboards, arrived Sunday ready to remind everyone why he has remained one of the game's elite players for two decades.

Lannen powered his way to the King of the Hill match with victories over Burak Temel, Johnny Daher, and eventual fifth/sixth-place finisher Chris Juszczyk.

Meanwhile, Andy Fox was putting together a remarkable run of his own.

Fox defeated two World Champions, Paul Tayloe and Clint Grover, on his path to the King of the Hill match. After falling to Lannen and settling into the loser's bracket, Fox immediately went back to work.

He stayed focused and defeated third-place finisher Joseph Massara to earn another shot at Lannen and a chance to compete for a World Championship.

Jeff Lannen and Andy Fox have each spent more than 20 years in the Golden Tee community and have accumulated plenty of National Golden Tee Tournament victories.

This time felt different.

For the first time, both players believed the World Championship stage was theirs to conquer.

The friendship between them was obvious during their earlier King of the Hill matchup, where they laughed, joked, and enjoyed the moment together. That demeanor disappeared once the Grand Finals began.

Now, it was all business.

Outside of the occasional fist bump or "good shot" acknowledgment, both players remained locked in on the task at hand.

In the Grand Finals, Andy Fox needed to win two matches, while Jeff Lannen required only one victory to claim the $30,000 top prize.

Fox responded to his earlier loss with a statement win on Gunnison Gap, defeating Lannen -28 to -26 and forcing a decisive final match.

The pressure shifted immediately.

The players initially spun a course that neither felt was the right fit and spun again, landing on Gunnison Gap for a second time. Both players seemed thrilled, and but the sounds from the crowd said different.

With one of the toughest courses in the 2026 lineup selected for the championship-deciding match, the stage was set for a dramatic finish.

Both players performed brilliantly through all 18 holes. Neither made a significant mistake, and the tension inside the venue grew with every shot.

When they reached the 18th hole, both players laid up in the fairway. Most spectators assumed overtime was coming.

Lannen had other plans.

Shooting first, he lined up his approach with backspin engaged and delivered a perfectly executed shot. The ball landed just above the cup before rolling back and dropping into the hole.

The crowd erupted.

Lannen pumped his fist and bounced around the stage in celebration while Fox was left with one final opportunity.

Fox carefully studied the replay, examining Lannen's line and searching for a way to replicate it.

His attempt was excellent.

It just was not enough.

The ball stayed out, and with it, the 2026 Golden Tee World Championship came to an end.

Watch the Championship Bracket final here

Once again, the World Championship Finals delivered a breathtaking finish and lived up to everything Worlds represents.

Jeff Lannen was crowned the 2026 Golden Tee World Champion and awarded the $30,000 first-place prize, complete with the famous "Happy Gilmore" style check.

As confetti filled the air and the moment was sinking in, Lannen's name was added to the list of Golden Tee's greatest World Champions. The Illinois native from a small town proved that patience, consistency, and elite skill can still carry a player to the top of the game's biggest stage.

The 2026 Golden Tee World Championship showcased everything that continues to make this community special. New champions emerged, longtime veterans added to their legacies, and unforgettable moments unfolded across every event. From the debut of the official Doubles Championship and the return of Silver Strike Nationals to a World Championship decided by a hole-out on the final hole, the weekend delivered storylines that will be talked about for years to come. As the confetti settled in Las Vegas, one thing was clear: the future of Golden Tee has never looked brighter!