Frostburg's Blank, Armstrong finish among nation's best golfers

Jan. 11—FROSTBURG — John Blank and John "Slug" Armstrong both finished 2022 in the top five of the final Senior Amateur golf rankings revealed by Golfweek last week.

Both men are from Frostburg.

Blank, 76, was the top golfer in the Grand Masters Division for golfers 75 and older. He dominated with 9,528 points, almost 4,000 (3,881) ahead of Prosect, Kentucky's Joe Pavoni, the second-place finisher with 5,647 points.

Blank, who plays out of Rocky Gap, won seven tournaments and finished second twice last season, both in California.

Blank won the Plantation Senior in Venice, Florida; the Heron Creek Senior in North Port, Florida; the Golfweek Senior National in Greensboro, North Carolina; the Golfweek U.S. Legends Championship in Alpharetta, Georgia; the Society of Seniors Jack Hesler tournament in Florence, Indiana; the Dave King Senior Invitational in Haymarket, Virginia, and the Golfweek Senior National Match Play Championship in Durham, North Carolina.

He was runner-up at the Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship and in the Society of Seniors Senior Masters in La Quinta and Indian Wells, California, respectively.

Armstrong, a Cumberland Country Club member, finished fourth nationally out of 274 competitors with 5,960 points. Armstrong still competes in the 65-69-year-old division even though he is 71.

He had two wins along with two second-place finishes last season.

The wins came at the Jones Cup Senior Invitational at Sea Island, Georgia, and the Moot Thomas Senior in Ocala, Florida.

He finished second at the Two Rivers Senior Invitational in Williamsburg, Virginia, and in the Society of Seniors Ralph Bogart tournament at West Palm Beach, Florida.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that he has been ranked in the top four of the Super Senior division. He was number one in 2018 and 2019.

Marc Fried of Solon, Ohio, repeated as the No. 1 Super Senior with 7,149 points.