Defending Champion Justin Hicks (-14) Leads by Two Through Three Rounds of Senior PGA Professional Championship

Justin Hicks knew that competing in Arizona would be an adjustment, with the desert landscape of Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club presenting a starkly different test compared to the South Florida courses he is accustomed to.

Hicks (Boca Raton, Fla.) seemed to be fully acclimated on Saturday at the 2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship, shooting 6-under-par 66 to seize a two-shot lead at 14-under-par 202 through 54 holes.

“I'm kind of slowly trying to get a little bit more used to this golf coming from Florida,” said Hicks. “It's just not something that we see overseeded fairways so just trying to little by little get used to it all. To me there's a lot going on here, a lot of calculations for me coming from Florida.”

Todd Ormsby (Newnan, Ga.), Kyle Dobbs (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and Warren Pineo (Reno, Nev.) are T-2, two shots back at 12-under-par 204. Chris Moody (Provo, Utah), Jason Schmuhl (Windsor, Calif) and Stuart Smith (Reno, Nev.) are T-5, four shots back at 10-under-par 206.

Hicks, a PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla., registered a spotless 3-under 33 on the front-nine, highlighted by birdies at the par-5 2nd, par-3 4th and par-5 4th.

The South Florida PGA Member’s first back-nine birdie came at the par-5 10th. He bogeyed the par-4 12th, but vaulted to the top of the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies on holes 13-14. Hicks extended his lead to two when he “read the break perfectly” on a 25-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th.

“I made some really good putts coming down the stretch,” Hicks said. “I had to make a couple of putts where chips got just outside of the comfort zone or the first putt was just outside of the comfort zone coming in. Odyssey got me a new putter a couple of months ago and I've been really enjoying that and it just seems like I'm having a good time with it and hopefully we can keep it going tomorrow.”

Hicks, who captured a one-stroke victory in the 2025 Senior PPC at PGA Golf Club, is focused on posting yet another low score on Sunday.

“I'm just trying to go out there and shoot a low one every day,” said Hicks. “If somebody hauls off and shoots a lower one and beats me, then I'll gladly shake their hand and applaud their efforts. I'm just trying each day to go out and play a good round of golf. The main thing for me is getting to play with my driver and hitting it well off the tee. Then it kind of sets up everything else from there.”

Ormsby, a PGA Teaching Professional at Sumner Grove Golf Club in Newnan, Ga., jumped out to a quick start with birdies at Lost Gold’s par-5 2nd and two in a row on holes 5-6. His lone bogey of the day came at the par-3 8th, but he rebounded quickly with a birdie at the par-4 9th to make the turn at 3-under 33. The Georgia PGA Member birdied the par-5 10th before logging eight consecutive pars to finish at 4-under-par 68.

“Today was the day that I didn't feel good over it,” said Ormsby. “I managed to get by. I took advantage of some holes when I had the chance and made a few birdies. I got through the hard holes making pars, had a few really good ups and downs.”

Dobbs, PGA Assistant Professional at Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y., registered a front-nine 2-under-par 34 that included four straight birdies on holes 2-5 as well as a double bogey at the par-4 9th. The Metropolitan PGA Member tallied his fifth and final birdie at the par-4 12th to post 3-under-par 69.

“Today was great, perfect conditions, the golf course is amazing,” said Dobbs. “I had a double bogey, got caught in the lip of a bunker out there. I missed a couple of opportunities coming down with some short putts, but it was a great day.”

Pineo, a PGA Teaching Professional at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev., collected four front-nine birdies against a single bogey at the par-4 3rd. The Northern California PGA Member went birdie-bogey on holes 10-11 and recorded another birdie at the par-5 14th to finish at 4-under-par 68.

Moody, PGA Head Golf Professional at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah, shot 4-under-par 68.

Schmuhl, PGA Head Golf Professional at Windsor Golf Club in Windsor, Calif., and Smith, PGA Director of Instruction at Somersett Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev., both shot even-par 72.

The 2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship, supported by GOLF Channel and PXG, concludes Sunday on Superstition Mountain’s Lost Gold course following today’s final cut to the low 70 scorers and ties: 75 players made the 54-hole cut at 2-over-par. Saturday’s third round was halted at 3:07 p.m. when play was suspended due to weather. Play resumed at 3:55 p.m.

In addition to the Leo Fraser Trophy, named after the 16th president of the PGA of America, players are competing for a $425,000 purse with a winner’s share of $37,800. The top eight finishers, including ties, will automatically qualify for the 2027 Senior PGA Professional Championship to be held at PGA Golf Club, October 21-24.

The top 35 finishers will earn a spot in the field as members of the Corebridge Financial Team in the 2027 Senior PGA Championship, scheduled for April 15-18 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.

For more about the Senior PGA Professional Championship, visit here.