Setting the Pace

Diaz opened the year the way he would finish it: by winning. On June 6 and 7, he took the 20th Bobby Bryant Stroke Play at PGA National’s Dye Course with rounds of 73 and 77 for a 150, then followed it with a runner-up finish at the Twin Palms Insurance Two-Man Classic in July. By the end of the summer he was a steady presence near the top of every Super Senior leaderboard: a T4 at the “Pricey” Stroke Play, another at the 30th Amateur Stroke Play, and a fourth at the Kepler Classic.

Those results built the foundation. The fall built the title.

A Fall for the Books

On September 10 and 11, Diaz won the Senior Amateur at Turtle Creek Club. His 143 was the only score under par in the Super Senior division. A week later, at the Palm Beach Stableford, he won again, this time in a format built to reward aggressive golf. The Super Senior division played 27 holes, with the second round shortened to nine, and Diaz took the title by two points over Andrew Hobbs and Eduardo Soffici.

Around those wins, he finished second at the Amateur Four Ball at Harbour Ridge with partner Brian Hill, at 11-under, and added a T4 at the Kibbey, Wagner & Blum FourBall. Few players in any division had a stretch like it.

Closing It Out at Mayacoo Lakes

The Tour Championship presented by Tiger Woods was the last event of the season, and the weather made it the hardest. Rain and wind followed the field all weekend, Saturday’s round ran over into Sunday, and some players had to play more than 22 holes on the final day to finish the 36 they needed.

Diaz opened with a 76, two shots behind Danny Getson, then shot 71 on Sunday, even par on a course playing well over par, to finish at 5-over 147 and win by a single stroke. His seven birdies were the most of any Super Senior in the field. It was the fourth win of his season and the one that made the title official.

Behind the Champion

Shawn Lindsley, who won the Kepler Classic and, with partner Richard Barrazotto, the Twin Palms Super Senior title and the Amateur Four Ball, finished second at 909.17. David Roschman, who reached the final of the Senior-Amateur Match Play Championship and won the Kibbey, Wagner & Blum FourBall with Mike Weeks, was third at 900.00, just over nine points behind. Eduardo Soffici was fourth at 677.50 and Danny Getson fifth at 655.00.

A Season Built Over a Season

A Player of the Year title is built over a season, not a weekend. Diaz played 12 events, finished in the top 10 in 10 of them, and won four of the biggest. His profile shows steady finishes near the top over the years, but 2026 is the season the wins arrived, and they arrived in clusters.