Senior Amateur

From the NFL to Woodhall Spa | Stan Humphries impresses at Senior Amateur

The R&A

12 Jul 23

3 mins

Stan Humphries had no problem performing in front of packed stadiums during his 10-year NFL career. Teeing off in his first R&A Senior Amateur? Well, that’s just a wee bit different.

Humphries was backup quarterback when Washington secured a 37-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. Four years later he led the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, this time on the end of a 49-26 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.

First tee nerves

“I can throw a football in front of 90,000 people no problem, but put me on the first tee here in front of five people to watch me tee off and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ It makes me nervous.” Not too nervous to stop him getting into contention. The Louisiana native returned a 2-under-par 71 in the second round over Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin Course to go with an opening 73, 1-over, on the Bracken Course. He was sitting on 1-under total just three shots off the lead when he finished his second round. “This type of golf is something I’m obviously not used to. I played at St Andrews, Turnberry and Gleneagles in the UK when I retired from the NFL. That was kind of my retirement present. That was just a blast so this is just my second time over here, but first time playing competitively. It’s totally different to what I’m used to but it’s beautiful. It enables you to play the game differently to how we play in America where we hit everything in the air. I’m getting used to playing a lot of low shots.”

Stan Humphries - former NFL quarterback

Amateur pedigree

The 57-year-old Monroe, Louisiana resident is in the field thanks to a good debut performance in another senior amateur championship last year. “Last year I played in the US Senior Amateur at Kittansett and I made the match play rounds, which meant I was qualified to play in this championship and I jumped at the chance.” Aside from earning that Super Bowl Ring and finishing runner up on the NFL’s biggest stage, Humphries retired in 1998 with a 50-31 won/lost record, passed for 17,891 yards and threw 89 touchdowns. He’s fuelled his competitive instinct ever since by coaching high school basketball, but golf gives him another outlet. “My wife Connie played golf when she was younger and so when we first started dating and got married she got me into the sport. “I’ve been coaching girls high school basketball for 19 years, so between October and March I don’t play golf because I’m coaching. I have a short window between March to September and I try to get in as much golf as I can, about three-four times a week. “Golf gives me another way after the NFL to compete, to satisfy that competitiveness inside me. I missed that when I retired from the NFL. It’s a long way from the NFL to Woodhall Spa in England, but I love golf and I love just competing.”

American success

Americans have won 24 Senior Amateur Championships dating back to the inaugural 1969 tournament. No champion has ever lifted the trophy wearing a Super Bowl Ring. Live scoring can be found here and you can catch-up on round one’s action here.

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