When the Golfweek senior amateur circuit heads to Las Vegas this month, players will be welcomed by a seasoned major winner. Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and Open Championship, will be on hand to play a practice round and support the field at the Senior Desert Showdown.

The 54-hole event is scheduled for Nov. 3-5 at Boulder Creek (Nevada) Golf Club.  

O’Meara, 69, is the first in a string of Tour players scheduled to spend time at upcoming Golfweek senior amateur events. O’Meara, who won 16 times on the PGA Tour and later added three Champions Tour titles, will play a practice round Nov. 2 at Boulder Creek alongside the top-ranked players from each division.

Many of the usual contenders will tee it up in the desert, including three of the top four ranked senior players in the Golfweek National Senior Amateur Rankings: Kevin VandenBerg, Todd Doss and Chad Branton. Trent Gregory, No. 12 in the rankings, is also in the field.

VandenBerg, Branton and Gregory will start their week alongside O’Meara.

Jerry Gunthorpe, winner of last year’s Desert Showdown, is not in the field to defend, however, leaving room for a new champion.

John Osborne, last year’s Super Senior Player of the Year, highlights his division, and top-ranked Terry Tyson highlights the Legend division.

Tyson, along with Bill Engel and Greg Mokler– the top-ranked players in the Super Legend division – will also play nine holes with O’Meara.

More players like O’Meara are scheduled to attend future Golfweek senior events to talk about their experiences on tour and play a few holes with the top amateurs. Those players will be announced in the coming months.

As the calendar year winds down, only four more national ranking tournaments are left on the 2026 schedule for senior amateur golf, meaning every point is important in the short time left in the Player of the Year race.