Max Mitchell opened the final round of the 32nd Annual Coors Tournament of Champions not exactly looking like a house on fire with a bogey on No. 1.

But the 28-year-old Mitchell owns a unique golf philosophy that proved true.

“All great rounds start with a bogey,” Mitchell said.

And “great round” is exactly what Mitchell produced – along with the clutchest of clutch putts – Sunday winning the prestigious TOC on the first playoff hole over Drew Baccus on the Mustang Course at Ross Rogers Golf Complex.

On that same No. 1 hole Mitchell had bogeyed Sunday morning he turned things around on the first playoff hole in the afternoon sinking an 8-foot putt for birdie claiming his second TOC title. Mitchell also won in 2024 and becomes the seventh player owning more than one TOC title.

“I loved winning that first one, for sure,” Mitchell said. “And this one feels the same. It’s an honor to be here and a lot of good players play in the TOC. So it’s just awesome to be a part of.”

Baccus was also outstanding Sunday tying Mitchell with the low round of the tournament at 67 and tying Mitchell at three-over for the four-day event. His drive on the first playoff hole cost him dearly as it landed in the left rough and found dirt. His second shot was short of the green opening the door for Mitchell.

This marked the second time in four years Baccus finished runner-up in the TOC losing out on a playoff.

In third was Stetson Provence who shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday finishing five strokes back of Mitchell and Baccus at 8-over. Fourth went to Kent Neal at 10-over, fifth to three-time TOC champion 64-year-old Kyle Kelting at plus 11, 19-year-old Hunter Corman was in 6th at plus 15, then teenager Jenner King bounced back tying the low round of the 2026 TOC with a 67 Sunday finishing at plus 17.

Mitchell’s reward for winning the grueling four-day test over Amarillo Country Club, Tascosa Golf Club, Comanche Golf Club and Ross Rogers is a TOC jacket and automatically qualifying for next year’s TOC.

Grueling and grinding were the words of the 2026 TOC as this marks the first time in the 32-year history an over par total won the event. Strong winds, fast greens and 100-degree heat contributed to the higher-than-normal scores.

Sunday was by far the best weather day of the four rounds and the golfers responded with four rounds under par by Mitchell, Baccus, Provence and King.

“The first three days were about as hard as you are going to ever see those golf courses play,” Mitchell said. “It was just kind of hold and be patient and hope for a break in the weather and make as many birdies as you could.”

Sunday started with three golfers tied at the top at 8-over par in Mitchell, Baccus and Neal.

Despite the early bogey Sunday, Mitchell produced the first birdiefest of the tournament playing Nos. 2-6 in five-under par and snagging  a two-stroke lead.

Baccus was also on his game on the day firing off birdies at Nos. 2,4,10,14,15 and 18.

When Baccus birdied the par 4 No. 14 with a dart on his second shot leaving him a short putt, and Mitchell had hiccup bogey 5 at 14, it was game on for the rest of the round by the twosome as the pair walked to No. 15 tied at 5-over.

Baccus took the lead at No. 15 with a birdie, then it was Mitchell knotting it back up at No. 16 with a birdie after a sensational chip within 4-feet of the hole.

Both parred No. 17 and then it was anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better at the par 5 No. 18 producing the most drama of the day and tournament.

Baccus was five feet behind the green in two, while Mitchell had also gone long with his second shot and faced a dicey chip from behind/side of the green about 15 yards from the hole. Mitchell’s chip came up about 20-feet short, while Baccus’ chip was about five feet short.

Mitchell stepped up and made the putt of the tournament as his 20-footer dropped for a birdie. Baccus had to make his putt to send the tournament to a playoff. Baccus showed no fear and the lefty calmly made the putt.

“The final five holes was a lot of fun,” Mitchell said. “Drew was playing good and we both kind of had the putter rolling a little bit. Trading putts at 18 topped it off. That putt on 18 for me was big and something I will remember for a while. It was really fun to watch.”

Mitchell won the first playoff hole thanks to a better drive which left him in the rough grass and 90 yards away. Baccus’ drive was in the left rough and that portion of the course was pretty much all dirt.

Baccus came short on his second shot, then slipped by the hole to near the fringe on his third leaving a 12-15 foot comebacker. He had to go for the par and his putt missed.

That’s when Mitchell stepped up and made his six-foot birdie putt to claim his second TOC.

 “It was like 90 yards and I hit a little 60 degree (wedge),” Mitchell said of his second shot on the playoff hole. “It set up perfect out of the rough and into the wind. Ending with a birdie meant a lot. You always want to win playing good golf and you want everyone you are playing with to play good. Winning with a birdie definitely feels good.”

In adding multiple TOC wins to his resume, Mitchell joins a list of Who’s Who of golfers in Amarillo: Tom Doughtie (6 wins), Casey Weiss (6), Kyle Kelting (3), Ryan Palmer (2), Zack Norrell (2) and Will Doughtie (2).

David Hopper wins Senior Coors Tournament of Champions in five-hole playoff

Oh my, what a last day for the senior portion of the Tournament of Champions.

Like the TOC Open Division, the Senior Division went to a playoff. But one playoff hole wasn’t enough to decide the winner between David Hopper and Mark Guess.

It took five playoff holes before Hopper produced the win. Hopper had lit it up during the 18-hole round firing a 66, while Guess was no slouch shooting a 69. Those two efforts saw Hopper and Guess each finishing the two-day tourney at minus 1.

Defending senior champion Dario Garza finished in third a stroke back at even par for the two days, while Clint Deeds was fourth at 5-over. However, Deeds set TOC history on No. 12 using a 6-iron to ace the 171-yard hole. The hole in one was the first in the history of the TOC Senior or Open Division.

Rounding out the Senior Division was first-day leader Matt Robinson in fifth (8-over), Ralph Ellis in sixth (8-over), Bunky Preston was seventh (9-over) and Mike Montoya in eighth (11-over).

Check out the final results

For a look at the final results from the 32nd Coors Tournament of Champions, please visit https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12393673620566617992

Photo gallery by Roy Wheeler: