SAUNTON, ENGLAND. -- Former Furman golfer Todd White won the R&A Men's Senior Amateur championship Friday at Saunton Golf Club in Saunton, England, to join a select group of only eight players who have won both the U.S. Senior Amateur and the R&A Men's Senior Amateur.

The reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion, White, who competed in the British tournament for the first time, topped defending champion Brent Paterson by just one shot with a 7-over 291.  He posted a 2-under 69 in the tournament's final round and was the only player in the field to card two sub-70 scores, having opened with a 68. 

White joins countrymen Dale Moray (1985), William Shean Jr (1999), Kemp Richardson (2001, 2004) Paul Simson (2008, 2010), Chip Lutz (2011, 2012, 2016), Patrick Tallent (2015), and Gene Elliott (2021) in a select group of players to have won the U.S. Senior and the R&A Senior Amateur championships.

"I have had a little experience back home playing courses like Chambers Bay where you often have to run the ball into greens, but nothing like this week," said White.  "Saunton is just a superb golf course.  Winning is obviously a thrill but, as I was telling my wife, whatever happened this week was always going to be a fabulous experience."

White will compete in the Senior Open presented by Rolex at Carnoustie in two weeks.

A high school history teacher who resides in Spartanburg, S.C., White won the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title in 2015 with 2013 USA Walker Cup teammate Nathan Smith at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.  A four-time All-Southern Conference selection, he competed on the Paladin team from 1987-90 and posted four career tournament victories.  His 73.85 career stroke average ranks ninth in the Furman record books.  White was inducted into Furman's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.