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Todd Doss has gone deep down the putting rabbit hole. It’s the part of golf he’s most into, and as fascinating as the science is behind it, the confidence that comes with the knowledge is also undeniable.
“I consider myself a very good putter,” said Doss before joking, “Maybe that’s just me trying to tell myself that so I believe it.”
Doss, 55, brought in an early 3-under 69 on Thursday in the first round of the Golfweek Player of the Year Classic at Omni Orlando (Florida) Resort at ChampionsGate. His day included five birdies, and he felt comfortable on greens that were rolling “so good.”
“They’re super pure so once the ball gets rolling it’s not bouncing offline at all,” he said.” So if you can read them – there’s a few little nuances out there – but if you read the greens well, you can make putts out there for sure.”
Scores: Golfweek Player of the Year Classic
Doss certainly gets the nuances after his work with friend and top Dallas teacher Cory Gladstone, an AimPoint certified instructor who is gaining a following as a putting coach.
“We delve into all kinds of things like acceleration rates and all kinds of scientific stuff that I think really helps,” Doss said.
Doss will start the second round of the POY Classic a stroke behind Kevin VandenBerg, who won Golfweek’s Senior Player of the Year honors in 2024. To end last year, Doss, a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, finished runner-up in the senior division of the Golfweek Tournament of Champions.
This is all new territory for Doss, who just aged into senior competition months ago. You never know where he’ll turn up, but he’s seemingly up for any golf game, anywhere. For example, Doss recently traveled to Australia and while there, competed in the Australian Senior Open, teeing it up with legends like Peter Lonard, Peter Senior and Scott Barr. He was one of only two amateurs to make the cut in that event.
He also happened to meet James Lavender, the Aussie who is one of the top-ranked senior players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. From Lavender, Doss learned much about this whole senior circuit.
“I’m all in – I’ll definitely try for the U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Senior Am,” he said. “I tried to qualify for the British Senior Open a couple times too. I’m definitely going to do that stuff. It’s fun to compete, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
While Doss calls Louisiana home for now, he spent much of his working life in Southern Californian as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. But Doss, who retired in 2020 shortly before COVID hit, also did a six-year tour in Thailand and finished his career in San Francisco. When his wife retired from her career in law enforcement, the couple moved to Mandeville, a suburb of New Orleans, to be near Doss’ former work partner. When he won the Louisiana Senior Amateur in May, there was a bit of a “who is this guy” effect considering Doss came in as a little-known talent.
It was his first Louisiana Golf Association event and when asked how the win fit into his golf highlight reel, Doss put it this way: “I’ve won nothing.”
In fact, Doss actually played collegiate tennis at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. He picked up golf much later in life and has played competitive amateur golf largely in Northern California and during his work stint in Asia.
This spring he’ll tee it up at the storied San Francisco City Championship (in the senior division) and then play the Northern California Golf Association Senior Four-Ball at Poppy Hills with a friend.
“I’m better now than I was when I worked all the time and didn’t really golf,” he said.
Behind VandenBerg at 4 under and Doss at 3 under in the Senior division, seven more players are at even par or better.
In the Super Senior division, four players at even par share the first-round lead. That includes defending champion Stephen Sharpe, Richard Kerper, Emile Vaughan and Gary Durban.
Don Donatoni, who made a run at Legends Player of the Year honors last season, jumped out to an early lead at the POY Classic with an even-par round, as well. He’s one shot ahead of David Crocker in that division.
Frank Polizzi leads the Super Legends division at 2 over, but a group of three men tied at 5 over includes well-known mental coach Bob Rotella, being honored this week as the 2024 Yancey Ford Award winner, and Bill Engel, a retired Army general.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Kevin VandenBerg leads 2025 Golfweek Player of the Year Classic
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