Four Days at Big Cedar.

A National Championship to Remember.

35 teams. 70 golfers. Three Championship courses. Four Masters badges.

October 2026

Some golf experiences are difficult to put into words. The 2026 AGT Series National Championship at Big Cedar Lodge was one of them.

For four days, 70 golfers came together in the Missouri Ozarks to compete, reconnect, make new friends, and experience one of the most remarkable golf destinations in the country.

We had spectacular weather. We had outstanding competition. We had a hole-in-one, clutch putts, unforgettable views, and more than a few moments that reminded us how fortunate we are to play this game.

And when the final scores were posted, four players had earned something pretty special: a trip to the 2027 Masters Tournament.

But as we’ll remember, Championship week was about much more than the final leaderboard.

Big Cedar: You Have to See It to Believe It

We’ve all seen the photos of Payne’s Valley, Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge, and Cliffhangers.

They’re impressive. But they don’t come close to capturing what it’s like to stand there.

There’s a scale to what has been built at Big Cedar that’s hard to appreciate until you experience it firsthand. The dramatic elevation changes, the rock formations, the incredible attention to detail — everywhere you look, there’s something that makes you stop and take it in.

Watching our players experience that for the first time was one of the highlights of the week.

Cliffhangers and Payne’s Valley, in particular, produced some priceless reactions. You could see the amazement on players’ faces.

And the weather? Big Cedar couldn’t have given us a better week.

Clear skies and beautiful fall conditions provided the perfect backdrop for four days of golf.

It was the kind of setting that makes you wish you could bottle up the experience and share it with every golfer you know.

A Perfect Start at Cliffhangers

Championship week kicked off Sunday with Skins & Pins at Cliffhangers, and it’s difficult to imagine a better introduction to Big Cedar.

The course is a spectacle in itself. Add a group of competitive golfers, a little money on the line, and the excitement of Championship week ahead, and you have the ingredients for a memorable afternoon.

For one player, it became particularly memorable.

Ryan Eckelkamp made a hole-in-one at Cliffhangers.

An ace is special anywhere. Making one at a place like Cliffhangers, during National Championship week, is another level entirely.

And as it turned out, Ryan was just getting started.

Three Courses. Two Divisions. Four National Champions.

The Championship itself unfolded over three rounds at Ozarks National, Payne’s Valley, and Buffalo Ridge.

Thirty-five two-player teams competed across Gross and Net divisions, with the top five teams in each division earning prizes.

These weren’t professional golfers. They were competitive amateurs who love the game, came prepared to play, and understood what was on the line.

Because beyond the National Championship titles, the winning teams in both divisions would each receive two badges to the 2027 Masters Tournament — four badges in total.

Interestingly, the Masters badges weren’t something players talked about much during the week.

But you could tell they were on everyone’s mind.

Every stroke mattered. Every putt counted. And there was no shortage of determination as teams worked their way through three very different golf courses.

2026 Gross National Champions: Tony Gumper & Ryan Eckelkamp

Winning Score: 19-under par

Tony Gumper and Ryan Eckelkamp put together a terrific Championship performance, finishing at 19-under par to claim the Gross National Championship.

They finished five strokes ahead of Dellon Baker and Keith Beaman, who posted an impressive 14-under.

Floyd Thomas and Buddy Allen rounded out the top three at 8-under.

For Ryan, the victory capped an extraordinary week that had already included his hole-in-one at Cliffhangers.

A hole-in-one and a National Championship in the same trip?

That’s going to be a difficult golf week to top.

2026 Net National Champions: Ryan Arnold & Jeff Williams

Winning Score: 16-under par

In the Net division, Ryan Arnold and Jeff Williams claimed the National Championship at 16-under par.

Eric Arnold and Jennifer Young finished second at 11-under, while Jeff Mathews and Brett Neumann took third at 10-under.

The win earned Ryan and Jeff the National Championship title and their tickets to one of golf’s most coveted experiences.

Afterward, Ryan Arnold summed up the moment with a simple comment:

“It hasn’t sunken in yet.”

We can only imagine how that feeling will change when they walk through the gates at Augusta National next April.

Congratulations to both Championship teams and to every player who competed.

The Putting Green at Golden Hour

If you asked us to pick one scene that captured the spirit of Championship week, the Club Champion Putting Championship would be near the top of the list.

Picture the Tom Watson Putting Course as the sun begins to set.

Music playing. Drinks flowing. Players gathered around the green, watching their fellow competitors try to make one more putt.

Some made the big ones. Others watched theirs slide agonizingly past the hole.

There was cheering, laughter, friendly competition, and a little pressure mixed in.

And all of it took place against a golden-hour backdrop that was nothing short of spectacular.

Vodkade stepped up in a big way, providing complimentary drinks that helped make the afternoon feel as much like a celebration as a competition.

Club Champion supported the contest with prizing, adding another reason for players to take their putting seriously.

But the real highlight was the atmosphere.

It was one of those moments where you looked around and realized that everyone was exactly where they wanted to be.

Roland Keller: The King of the Side Games

Every Championship seems to produce a few stories you couldn’t have scripted.

Roland Keller gave us one of them.

Not content with winning the Club Champion Putting Championship, Roland also took home the Closest to the Pin title in the 19th Hole Challenge.

Two competitions. Two victories.

The week’s unofficial side-game champion.

The 19th Hole Challenge was another highlight, with Club Champion bringing a portable TrackMan to create a tour-like experience as players took their shots at an iconic golf hole.

It’s one thing to compete on a great golf course. It’s another to step up to a TrackMan with your fellow players watching, knowing there’s a prize on the line.

Roland clearly enjoyed the pressure.

Congratulations, Roland. We’ll be watching you closely at the next one.

Nearly $30,000 in Payouts and Prizes — Plus Four Masters Badges

The AGT Series has always been about combining meaningful competition with a great golf experience.

At Big Cedar, we were able to deliver both.

Across Championship week, players competed for and received:

• $15,000 in Skins & Pins payouts
• $10,000 in Championship gift cards
• Approximately $5,000 in partner prizes
• Four badges to the 2027 Masters Tournament, awarded to our Gross and Net National Champions

That’s approximately $30,000 in payouts, gift cards, and partner prizes, in addition to the Masters badges.

With prizes awarded to the top five teams in each Championship division, there was plenty to compete for throughout the field.

The rewards were meaningful. But so was the opportunity to spend four days competing alongside other golfers who share the same passion for the game.

The Partners Who Helped Make It Happen

An event like this doesn’t come together through great golf courses alone.

One of our goals was to create a National Championship experience that felt special from the moment players arrived until the final putt dropped.

Our Championship partners helped us deliver on that goal.

Club Champion deserves special recognition for the impact they made throughout the week.

Their Mobile Fitting Studio brought a professional fitting experience to Big Cedar, giving players access to an experience they wouldn’t typically find at an amateur golf event.

Their portable TrackMan elevated the 19th Hole Challenge, and their support of the Putting Championship helped create one of our favorite moments of the entire week.

They weren’t simply present at the Championship. They helped make it better.

Our Championship Gifting Partners — Pins & Aces, Shady Rays, and Branded Bills — also played an important role.

A great player gift package is part of what makes Championship week feel different from an ordinary tournament. These brands helped us put together a collection of gifts that reflected the occasion, with Pins & Aces making a particularly strong impression.

And when it came to the atmosphere, Vodkade and Famous Dave’s helped bring the experience together.

Good food, cold drinks, music, and time spent together after the golf — those things matter. They create the moments players talk about long after they’ve forgotten an individual shot.

Arccos also supported the Championship with prizing for the 19th Hole Challenge.

To all our partners, thank you for being part of the 2026 AGT Series National Championship.

We appreciate the role you played in making the week memorable for our players.

What We’ll Remember Most

It’s easy to look back on a golf tournament and focus on the scores. And there were plenty of great scores at Big Cedar.

But when we think about the 2026 National Championship, our minds go to other moments, too.

• The look on a player’s face when they first saw the grandeur of Payne’s Valley.
• The excitement of Ryan Eckelkamp’s hole-in-one at Cliffhangers.
• The music, the laughter, and the putts dropping as the sun set over the Tom Watson Putting Course.
• Roland Keller finding a way to win not one, but two side-game competitions.
• The determination of 35 teams battling for a National Championship.
• And Ryan Arnold, fresh off winning a trip to the Masters, admitting that the reality of what he’d accomplished hadn’t quite sunk in.

Those are the moments that stay with us.

Big Cedar gave us an incredible setting. Our players brought the competition, energy, and camaraderie. Our partners helped us build an experience around it all.

And together, we created a Championship that we’ll be talking about for a long time.

To the 70 players who joined us: thank you. Special shoutout to Aaron Clark for his effort with the camera. When the event photos are ready - we will be sure to share his work with you all!

Thank you for making the trip, competing hard, embracing everything the week had to offer, and being part of the AGT Series.

Congratulations again to Tony Gumper, Ryan Eckelkamp, Ryan Arnold, and Jeff Williams — our 2026 National Champions.

We hope everyone left Big Cedar with some great memories, a few new friendships, and stories they’ll be telling for years.

Until next year....mark your calendars: October 24-27, 2027

— The AGT Team