2025 U.S. Senior Open Local Qualifying: Out Door

Thomas and Bishop co-medal

YORK, Pa. – If you’d meet Craig Thomas for the first time you wouldn’t help but notice his ties to the military. He may not scream it from the mountain tops but he gives subtle, yet, prideful hints.

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A United States Marine Corps yardage book bears Semper Fi as he walks the fairways. He carries a Veterans Golf Association bag. He is its reigning national champion. 

“As a teenager, my dad always told me that he thought everyone should serve their country,” Thomas, who served in the Marine Corps for six years, said. “He thought it would be good for them. I always thought that was a bunch of garbage. I wasn’t good enough to make the golf team at school. So I came home and messed around in the golf business cleaning clubs. My mom gave me a hard time about what I wanted to do. At the time, Marine barracks in Beirut were bombed and I had some high school friends who were there. I enlisted right then.”

Thomas, who now serves his community as the Head Golf Professional at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, N.Y., carded a 69 to share medalist honors in U.S. Senior Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Out Door Country Club (par 72, 6,787 yards).

Curley Bishop, a professional out of Westminster, Md., matched Thomas to share the honor.

The 45th U.S. Senior Open will take place at The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26-29.

The cut stopped at 75.

Professionals Scott Paris of Westfield, N.J., and Craig Hocknull of Australia as well as amateur Chris Lamond of Washington, D.C. advanced in a 5-for-3 playoff for the remaining qualifying spots.

New in 2025, the U.S. Senior Open will follow the multi-stage qualifying process seen for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open with local and final stages.

“This being the first year of the multi-stage qualifying there was a conflict with my local PGA Section’s match-play event,” Thomas, 62, of Rye Brook, N.Y., said. “This was one of the only dates that would work. I came down here for a practice round last week. I am glad I did. The greens are quite tricky. Out Door is a really great golf course. I never heard of it before this.”

If you’ve never heard of Thomas, you should type his name into Google. You won’t be surprised with what you find.

He’s played in four PGA Championships and four Senior PGA Championships. He played in the 2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club and made the cut. Those accomplishments aren’t remotely close to the most impactful.

Thomas stepped up to help a Metropolis member in need. Not with his golf game, but with his life. Thomas donated one of his kidneys to Stewart Albrect, a member who needed a new kidney to live. Thomas did it without hesitation more than eight years ago. It would ultimately extend Albrect’s life by four years. A modern-day Clark Kent.

Thomas didn’t need to save the day on the course. He was in control from the start.

Birdies on Nos. 1 (par 4, 439 yards) and 2 (par 3, 188 yards) eased any unsettling nerves. After making the turn in 3 under, he finished the second nine with two birdies and two bogeys to get to his magic number.

“In these type of events, I don’t want to embarrass myself,” Thomas said. “It’s funny to say as a golf professional not doing that is my only goal. But it is true. I try to hit one solid shot at a time and pile them up. You usually play a good round if that is the case.”

Bishop, in his 11th year as an instructor at The Island Green in Westminster, Md., has been waiting for his shot at redemption after shooting an 81 in last year’s qualifier.

“I had the worst taste in my mouth for the last 12 months,” Bishop, 57, of Westminster, Md., said. “I am a grinder and it tears me up when I struggle. I had my worst competitive year ever last year. It’s never good when you bring your C game to every tournament you play in a year.”

The odds of Bishop even making it to this qualifier were slim. He was the ninth alternate at Out Door.

“I am one of those guys who waits until the last possible minute to sign up for any golf event,” Bishop said. “I have missed more than my fair share of tournaments as a result.”

Five years ago, he walked off the golf course at the Maryland Senior Open. The golf gods didn’t forget about it.

“I’m blue collar,” Bishop said. “I come from tree climbing, bus driving and don’t have a trust fund. I dig deep for this game. If you don’t grind and put in the practice, the game won’t reward you. I was so embarrassed when I walked off the course. From that point on I promised myself I wouldn’t ever do that again. It took awhile for the golf gods to respect me again. I needed to earn it.”

Tuesday, he was rewarded. Bellowing at his golf ball and to his playing competitors whenever the opportunity arose, Bishop made the turn in 1 under. His back nine was loud. Similar to his personality. In a good way. 

He clanked the flag with a floaty flop on No. 13 (par 5, 507 yards) that led to birdie. His final four holes were colorful. Bookend bogeys on Nos. 15 (par 4, 388 yards) and 18 (par 4, 404 yards) were mixed with a pair of red figures. 

He made an eagle on No. 16 (par 5, 557 yards) after rifling a 5-iron from 201 yards in the trees to a foot. Bishop matched the “shot of his life” by walking in a 20-footer with his putter raised for a two at 17 (par 3, 156 yards).

Ironically enough as a kid, Bishop didn’t like golf at all. Now he’ll talk to anyone who will listen about the game. It is his whole life.

“I used to think golf was for sissies,” Bishop said. “My mom bought me a no frills golf membership for my 15th birthday that included her and my sister. I told her I hoped that wasn’t my birthday present. She said, ‘It is and you will like it.’ Ironically enough, after that I declared I would make the PGA TOUR one day.”

While Bishop said he’s more similar to Shemp Howard than Curly Howard from “The Three Stooges,” he chats you up eagerly and then lets his game talk.

“I’ve never shut up when anyone told me to,” Bishop said. “I am my own person and that is how it will always be. I put my head on the pillow and I pull it off in the morning. Why should I give a damn? I love golf and anyone who plays it. Golf and life run together for me. I am just going to keep being who I am. I don’t need to change my game to qualify for a USGA event.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 345 Member Clubs and 125,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.