Mike Quinlan named Challenge Man of the Year for role in elevating U.S. Senior Challenge

USA Today

19-04-2025

Mike Quinlan named Challenge Man of the Year for role in elevating U.S. Senior Challenge
From the many chapters of Mike Quinlan's golfing life came this realization for Quinlan: The game has always endured within his family. As he was set to receive the Challenge Man of the Year award later this month, Quinlan relayed memories of his relationship with golf while looking at a photo of his father, standing together with his buddies on the golf course.
'The things that he gave to me now carried on,' Quinlan said, detailing how golf became the family game among his wife and children, too. ' … everybody at one time or another held a golf club in their hand and loved the game the same way I do.'
Quinlan, 72, has made contributions back to the game in many arenas, perhaps most notably serving as the current president of the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association as well as the President and Executive Director of the U.S. Senior Challenge organization, which annually runs a state team competition for senior amateurs with a college golf-like scoring component. That tournament will be played April 28-30 at Hobe Sound (Florida) Country Club.
Quinlan has been a part of the latter organization for nearly 15 years and has played a substantial role in infusing the event with some much-needed energy. Notably, Quinlan helped get the Sun Country Golf Association on board to run the events – a concept he had seen several Allied Golf Associations around the country putting into practice with national events run in their state. Quinlan also helped forge a partnership with Golfweek four years ago.
Despite his long association with the tournament, Quinlan still was taken aback when the U.S. Senior Challenge Board of Directors brought up his name for the Challenge Man of the Year award.
'I was humbled and really excited and a little bit embarrassed because I'm the executive director, so it seems like a rigged deal,' Quinlan joked.
Quinlan lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and plays out of Albuquerque Country Club (where earlier this month he made his eighth career hole-in-one). His beginning in the game, however, dates to his native Omaha, Nebraska, where his father coaxed him onto the golf course with Cokes and Snickers candy bars. After short stints as an arborist and a small-business owner, Quinlan returned to school and then moved to Albuquerque in 1981 for a job with Sandia National Laboratories.
Work and fatherhood forced Quinlan to put golf aside until his 40s, when he began to pursue it competitively.
'After consistently losing to a good friend for several years every weekend, my game improved significantly,' Quinlan said. 'After lots of local success, I qualified for the 2002 U.S. Senior Open – an amazing and humbling experience. I played in the group directly in front of Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller and Jim Thorpe. Thousands of fans on every hole was a different forum for sure.
'My three brothers were quick to comfort me by saying they were sure I would have played better a few groups back since no one would be watching.'
Quinlan's competitive career also included two U.S. Senior Amateurs and a U.S. Mid-Amateur. He qualified for the latter at the age of 56.
Now in his early 70s, Quinlan has turned over U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying to 'the youngsters' of the senior circuit but enjoys competing in the Legends division in national senior amateur events.
'The enjoyment is still every bit there and I love the competition and it's just been great – a big part of my life and I love passing it on to others," Quinlan said. "It's really helped every aspect of my life, I think, the game of golf and the principles and values associated with it.'