The Holy Grail returned to Sandy Creek Golf Club in Monroe on Saturday afternoon, and the defending champion made quick work of any notion that his 2025 title was a one-time miracle. Chris Dunmore stormed through the par-72 layout with 2 birdies and 3 eagles — including two on the back nine that effectively slammed the door on the field — finishing at net 66 (-6) to successfully defend his Mulligan Tour crown. Nobody said proving thyself worthy would be easy. Dunmore proved it anyway.
Rich Dunmore made it a family affair at the top of the leaderboard, converting a bloated handicap into a net 72 (E) and a $24 payday good enough for solo second —tied for his best finish of the season. Kelly Scheff was the most serious threat to Chris Dunmore all day, sitting within range as late as the middle of the back nine before a cluster of bogeys closed the door on what could have been a special round. She still finished third at net 73 (+1) and pocketed $16. Stewart Levine and Chris Stalo shared fourth at net 74 (+2) — Stalo shooting a tidy gross 83 to back his number up — with Levine, fresh off the heartbreak of the Harbour Pointe putt-off, continuing to stack finishes despite still searching for a 2026 win. Greg Fobare (net 75, +3) rounded out the top six in sixth, picking up $5 in another solid showing from the tour’s hottest player this season. Four players — Eric Birkle, Ryan Doak, Jeff Feikens, and Jeff Pasz — knotted up at net 76 (+4) and split the remaining prize money four ways at $2.50 apiece.
On the challenge holes, Elizabeth Jolliffe grabbed the big CTP on hole 14 for $20 in MT account credit, while Kelly Scheff drained the closest effort on hole 5 for $10 cash — a bright spot in what was otherwise a frustrating back nine for her. Tom W. Litzler and Chuck Withey both finished at net 78 (+6) — Withey quietly grinding out another mid-field result as the reigning money title holder navigates his 2026 campaign. Scott Wilsey, who came in among the form players of the spring, finished at net 80 on a day where his game didn’t translate the way it has elsewhere.
Chris Dunmore joins Don Ward as the only multi-time Holy Grail champions in the modern era, and his back-to-back defense cements his place in the tournament’s storied history. The Grail’s past champions roll back to 2004, a lineage that now has Dunmore’s name on it twice in a row. The season is building. The leaderboard is shifting. And somewhere in Monroe, a trophy is already polished and waiting to be defended again next year.