The 97th Southern Oregon Golf Championships moved closer to crowning its 2026 winners Saturday as competitors returned to Rogue Valley Country Club for another round of match play, continuing a Labor Day tradition that has brought generations of amateur golfers to Medford.
Improved weather greeted players Saturday after rain and cooler temperatures affected portions of qualifying and competition earlier in the week. With the opening field now substantially reduced, matches throughout the weekend are determining which golfers will advance to the championship rounds before the tournament concludes Monday.
The Southern Oregon Golf Championships began Aug. 31 and run through Labor Day, Sept. 7. The tournament accommodates as many as 416 amateur golfers competing across eight divisions, making championship week one of the largest annual golf events in the Rogue Valley.
Qualifying occupied the opening days of competition and concluded Wednesday under cool, rainy conditions. Those rounds established the brackets for match play, which began reducing the field later in the week. Approximately 300 golfers remained in competition Thursday, with that number continuing to fall as matches were completed Friday and Saturday.
The men’s championship bracket was disrupted when No. 32 seed Jack Tieman eliminated No. 1 seed Connor Calahan in Men’s Championship Region 1. Calahan entered match play at the top of the bracket after earning medalist honors during qualifying, but Tieman prevailed in their head-to-head match and advanced while the tournament’s top qualifier was eliminated from contention.
The tournament’s match-play format has long been one of the defining features of the Southern Oregon championship. Qualifying establishes the brackets before golfers compete directly against one another for advancement, allowing competitors from several divisions and age classifications to pursue championships throughout the week.
Among the returning golfers is Kevin Klabunde, who entered the 2026 tournament tied with George Mack for the most titles in Southern Oregon Golf Championships history. Klabunde has won 15 championships, leaving him one victory away from taking sole possession of the tournament record with a 16th title.
Competition in the women’s championship has also progressed into the later rounds. Quincy Beyrouty advanced into Saturday’s semifinal competition while pursuing her fourth consecutive women’s championship.
The tournament has become a familiar part of Labor Day week in Medford during nearly a century of competition. Rogue Valley Country Club describes the event as the largest amateur match-play tournament conducted on a single golf course in the United States, with its large field bringing golfers from Southern Oregon and other communities to Medford each year.
Rogue Valley Country Club provides 27 holes across more than 200 acres for the tournament, including its 18-hole Rogue Course and nine-hole Oaks Course. The size of the property allows several divisions and flights to move through qualifying and match play during the eight-day event.
For the Rogue Valley, championship week also brings families, returning players and spectators to the course. Admission for spectators is free, giving residents an opportunity to watch the remaining competition through the Labor Day finale.
Additional tournament activities have accompanied the championship rounds, including a putting competition offering a $2,000 grand prize. Golfers recording holes-in-one during qualifying earned opportunities to participate in Saturday night’s putting finale.
The Southern Oregon Golf Championships operate independently from the Oregon Golf Association’s adult championship schedule, although Rogue Valley Country Club regularly hosts competitive golf associated with the organization. The OGA held its Southern Oregon Junior Championship at the Medford course Aug. 17 and 18, shortly before the Southern Oregon Golf Championships began.
With qualifying completed and several rounds of match play now finished, the tournament enters Sunday with a much smaller field than the hundreds of golfers who opened competition last Monday.
The remaining matches will continue at Rogue Valley Country Club through Labor Day, when the 97th Southern Oregon Golf Championships conclude and the 2026 division champions are determined.