There is only one way to earn your way into the Mulligan Tour’s Tournament of Champions: win something. Every name on the tee sheet at Tanglewood GC on October 4th had done exactly that — held a trophy, pocketed prize money, walked off a course as the best player of the day. Sixteen champions, one more round to play, and only one title that matters. On a crisp fall afternoon that felt like a season crowning should, Chase Keilitz reminded everyone why he was the right man to close out 2026.
Keilitz wasted no time asserting himself. Three birdies and an eagle on the front nine sent him to the turn at -4, four strokes clear of the field and in full control of his destiny. The back nine was a different story — three more birdies, yes, but also three bogeys and a double bogey that made things marginally interesting — yet when the dust settled, Keilitz’s net 70 (-2) was enough to claim the Tournament of Champions title by three strokes and put a bow on a great individual season for Keilitz.
Chuck Withey was the only player who could have made it interesting, and for a while it looked like he might. Withey was relentless in pursuit, refusing to concede the lead despite Keilitz’s front-nine surge. He even pulled off one of the most extraordinary shots of the season — an albatross on the par-5 9th hole — a hole-out that would have vaulted most players into contention. But this was one of those days when even an albatross wasn’t quite enough. Withey finished at net 73 (+1), a respectable second in a field of champions, but three shots shy of catching the man who simply would not be caught.
Scott Wilsey rounded out the podium at net 77 (+5), delivering another consistent finish that has defined his 2026 campaign. Noah Kline and Jamie Wilson, a fellow member of the remarkable 2026 rookie class, finished tied for fourth at net 79 (+7), a fitting reminder that this year’s newcomers showed up not just to participate but to compete at every level. Wilson earned his spot via the Crazy Brit. Kline punched his ticket through the Division Bell. Both made a statement that their victories were not accidents.
Greg Fobare had five individual wins and a team win at the Division Bell this season — the most of any player— and entered the Tournament of Champions as arguably the most decorated qualifier in the field. His invitation came courtesy of the Animal House, Harbour Pointe Open, Red Oaks Shootout, Big Dog Classic, Carrington Classic, and the Division Bell, an embarrassment of riches by any measure. But the Championship of Champions is a reset button. Fobare finished tied for ninth at net 83 (+11), a reminder that this game has no memory and no loyalty. The points are spent; the trophies are earned. Today belonged to someone else.
Keilitz arrived at this tournament having qualified through the Quad Tour — a fitting path for a player who has been one of the stars of the rookie class of 2026. His win here means the class of 2026 did not merely accumulate victories during the regular season; they showed up when the lights were brightest and took the biggest one of all. Chase Keilitz is the 2026 Tournament of Champions. He earned every stroke of it.