In 2025, Craig Hornberger got married, changed jobs, and moved into a new house.
There wasn’t nearly as much time for golf as usual. Hornberger was named the Lanco Golf Association’s Golfer of the Year anyway.
Hornberger received the award, in a vote by the Lanco board of directors, for the fourth time in five years. In a year when no one dominated local golf, Hornberger mostly won the award by winning the Lanco Amateur, also for the fourth time in five years. He also finished third in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Mid-Amateur championship in May.
“(Time) factors in as you get older,” Hornberger said. “Responsibilities increase, both family and financially, and you have to pick and choose. I’m certainly going to play more next year than I did this year.”
It wasn’t just tournament play. In 2025 Hornberger simply didn’t play or practice as much.
“I find that when it’s going good, it’s about as good as ever,” he said. “But when it goes bad, it’s all over the place.”
The Amateur, at Overlook in June, was an example of the good stuff. Trey Rios, a Cocalico grad and Shepherd University golfer, birdied the par-3 sixth hole in Sunday’s final round to take a two-shot lead. Rios was rock-solid the rest of the way, not making a single bogey.
Hornberger played the last seven holes five under par, shot 67-65—132, and won by three shots.
Hornberger won the state high school title for Manheim Township in 2012, played NCAA Division I golf at Campbell University and briefly turned pro.
The game is still about more than recreation.
“I think I have a more relaxed view of competitiveness, coming from playing professionally,” he said at Overlook.
“But, that’s why I continue to play these events, because I love coming down to the wire, trying to outperform the guys you’re playing with and beat the golf course. That’s what I live for.”
2025 was something of a transitional year, with Hornberger marrying his longtime girlfriend, Stacey, who also played college golf at Campbell. He moved his financial planning business from Orrstown Bank to Morgan Stanley.
Stacy doesn’t play a lot of competitive golf, but has won the women’s club championship at Lancaster Country Club two of the last three years.
Hornberger’s plan for the new year includes not only all the Lanco events (the Amateur, Open, Better-Ball and Match Play) but more golf outside the area, including GAP, Pennsylvania Golf Association and even, maybe, a couple United States Golf Association events.
The Pennsylvania Amateur, for example, will be played in July at fabled Oakmont, the 2025 US Open venue. The U.S. Amateur is coming to equally fabled Merion, just down the road in suburban Philadelphia, in August.
“I normally sit down and so my schedule in like February, once everything’s released and you have somewhat of an idea of summer plans, trips etc.’’ Hornberger said.
The bigger events generally have qualifiers, and thus often occur later in the season.
“I wasn’t able to play in some of the bigger ones, for good reasons,” he said. “You only get married once. I mean, ideally. That is the goal.”
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