Richard Kerper, Kevin VandenBerg in familiar position at Golfweek POY Classic

Richard Kerper is making a run at a second Super Senior title for the year, despite the fact that we are just days into it. On Jan. 5, Kerper won the Plantation Senior Invitational in Venice, Florida. Now he leads the Golfweek Player of the Year Classic’s Super Senior division by five shots.

Kerper, a resident of Oldsmar, Florida, brought in the best round of the day Friday at Omni Orlando (Florida) Resort at ChampionsGate. His 3-under 69 included four birdies. It came on the heels of an opening 72 and now, Kerper has a large cushion on John Thomas of Knoxville, Tennessee, in second.

Close behind that, however, are two players who have a strong track record in the Super Senior division. Marcus Beck, winner of the Golfweek Tournament of Champions last month, and Stephen Sharpe, defending champion in this event, are both at 3 over.

Scores: Golfweek Player of the Year Classic

Like Kerper, Senior division leader Kevin VandenBerg is chasing his second victory of the year, too. He also won his division at the Plantation Senior. This is just what VandenBerg does. The 58-year-old has won Golfweek’s Senior Player of the Year race each of the past two years by teeing it up, and playing well, in a mind-blowing number of tournaments.

VandenBerg, of Pulaski, New York, opened the POY Classic with a 4-under 68 and came back with even par on Friday.

In reflecting on his past year after securing POY honors for 2024, VandenBerg said he wanted to get more comfortable playing with a lead. He has made progress on that front already, noting that on his way to winning the Plantation, his lead evaporated early and his situation only got worse with a quadruple bogey on the eighth hole.

“I think I was two or three behind going to the back nine,” he said, “and then just continued to dig deep and I ended up winning by four shots.”

More: Golfweek Senior Nation

VandenBerg will get another test on Saturday when he starts the final round two shots ahead of Neal Barfield of Dallas, Jim Doing of Verona, Wisconsin, and Todd Doss of Mandeville, Louisiana. All three men are 2 under for the tournament.

Competition continues to space out in the Legends division as the rounds go by. Don Donatoni of West Chester, Pennsylvania, maintained his first-round lead after posting a second consecutive round of 72. He is now four shots ahead of fellow Pennsylvania resident Greg Osborne.

Two men, however, are tied for the lead in the Super Legends division. Frank Polizzi, also of West Chester, Pennsylvania, is at 7 over along with Bill Engel of St. Augustine, Florida.

Bob Rotella, the well-known sports psychologist who has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books on the topic of golf and performance, is third on the Super Legends leaderboard at 10 over. Rotella was presented with Golfweek’s Yancey Ford Award this week for significant contributions to senior amateur golf.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Richard Kerper, Kevin VandenBerg in familiar position at Golfweek POY Classic