Rick Stewart erased a two-shot deficit on the final day to win the 75th North & South Senior Amateur Championship at Pinehurst No. 4 on Wednesday, Aug. 12, bringing a prestigious national golf title home to Park Ridge.

Stewart, a Northern Illinois University graduate who has lived in Park Ridge for years, shot a final-round 71 to finish 3 under par for the 54-hole tournament, edging the field by a single stroke, according to tournament results posted by AmateurGolf.com. The victory vaulted him to No. 40 in the site's Senior Men national ranking among 729 players.

The North & South Senior Amateur is one of the oldest senior amateur events in the country, with a winners list stretching back to 1952. This year's 75th edition was played Aug. 10–12 across three Pinehurst Resort courses: No. 4, No. 5 and No. 8. Competitors had to be at least 55 years old and carry a handicap index of 8.0 or lower.

Stewart's comeback mirrors a pattern. After turning 55 in September 2024, he entered the 38th Illinois State Senior Amateur at Itasca Country Club and won by two shots over John Wright of Oswego, carding rounds of 71, 72 and 69, according to the Chicago District Golf Association. He told the CDGA after that September 2024 victory: "I feel great. It was an excellent experience. I had great playing partners for all three days and am really glad to finally get a win; I've had a couple close events, but this feels great."

That breakthrough at Itasca signaled what was coming.

In less than two years of senior competition, the Park Ridge golfer has now captured both a state and a national title. Pinehurst Resort, the storied North Carolina property that hosted the 2024 U.S. Open on its No. 2 course, provided the stage for Stewart's latest win on No. 4.

Rick Cloninger, who won the North & South Senior title in 2012, returned to claim the Super Senior division this year with consecutive rounds in the 60s, according to AmateurGolf.com.

Stewart's next ranked event has not been announced. His 900 ranking points and one win in the past 52 weeks position him among the top senior amateurs in the country heading into fall tournament season.