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The Amateur Players Tour traveled west to the Sonoran Desert to Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson, AZ for the Sonoran Desert Classic last weekend. Besides being the first west coast major of the 2026 season, the Sonoran Desert Classic served as a great weekend to kick off the new Tucson Chapter of the Amateur Players Tour. Sewailo Golf Club was a worthy host, featuring stunning views, a challenging layout, and difficult undulating greens that would challenge the 96 players who made the trek.
In Division 1, Curt Bressner (Phoenix) got off to a hot start, firing an even-par 72 to set the early tone, chased by Matt Minder (Chapter Owners) who shot a 74 to sit just two shots back. The winds picked up significantly on Sunday, with gusts in the 20’s and it wreaked havoc on the players as they had to figure out the swirling crosswinds in the valley. Minder struggled at times, but righted the ship with timely birdies on the par-5’s on the front to build a lead that would not be overtaken. A second round 83 was enough to earn a 4-shot victory over Tucker Jensen (St. Louis) who finished in the runner up position at 17-over par.
In Division 2, Makay Nelson (Phoenix) set the early pace, firing a red hot 1-under par 71 to take a 2-shot lead going to Sunday’s final round over Michael Goulet (Phoenix). Sunday would belong to Denver’s Hendrik Orlowski, who used the long-ball to his advantage recovering from a 5-shot deficit with rounds of 76-75 to earn a 5-shot victory at 7-over par. 2nd place would go to Jody Barrett (Nashville), Bob Hanneken (SW Florida) and Makay Nelson (Phoenix)who each finished 5-shots off the pace at 12-over par. Rounding out the top-5 was Alec Rosales (Utah) who finished in solo 5th at +14.
In Division 3, things were tight at the top of the leaderboard as Blake Moorman (Southern California) and Michael Foster (Tulsa) were holding a slim lead over Pat Ryan (Myrtle Beach). When Ryan approached the 17th hole, he faced a 90-yard shot over water to a tucked pin after laying up with his second shot. The shot looked good right off the clubface, going into the hole for a timely birdie and taking the lead with just one to play. Ryan navigated the tricky 18th at Sewailo, the signature hole, securing a par and the victory at +21. Michael Foster and Blake Moorman finished just one shot off the pace at +22 in a tie for 2nd. Bill Debobes (Metro New York) finished in solo 4th at +24, while Bob Koch (Tucson) and Johnny Gastelum (Phoenix) rounded out the top-5 at +25.
In Division 4, Charles Vanbelle (Phoenix) had a weekend to remember. After struggling in his recent tournaments, Vanbelle caught fire shooting an opening round 78 to build a 9 shot lead. He wouldn’t stop there though, as he backed it up with another great round on Sunday and eventually ending up with an 84 and a double-digit win at +18. Dolly Buenaventura (St. Louis) had a solid performance, shooting rounds of 87-88 to finish in solo 2nd at +31, while John Moyle (Portland) finished at +33 to earn 3rd place honors. Martin Vermillion (Phoenix) and Dave Draucker (St. Louis) rounded out the top-5 in a tie for 4th place at +35.
In Division 5, Esther Flora (St. Louis) got off to a hot start, shooting a 94 to build a 6 shot lead heading into Day 2 over Lance Burbank (Las Vegas) and Joe Scheib (Phoenix). Day 2 would belong to Garye LaFevers (Phoenix) who shot a 97 to overcome a 7-shot deficit to earn the victory at +54. Esther Flora earned runner-up honors at +55, while Robert Martin (Phoenix) and Joe Scheib finished in a tie for 3rd place at +56. Dick Czeslawski (Phoenix) rounded out the top-5 at +59.
In the Mid-Am Net Division, Makay Nelson (Phoenix) utilized his exceptional round on Saturday, a net 64 to a 3-shot win finishing at 2-under par net for the weekend. Tucker Jensen (St. Louis) and Hendrik Orlowski (Denver) finished in a tie for 2nd place at 1 over, while Alec Rosales (Utah) and Blake Moorman (Southern California) rounded out the top-5 at +4.
In the Senior Net Division, Charles Vanbelle (Phoenix) capitalized on his 2 best rounds on the APT, cruising to a 10-under par net total and a 7 shot victory. Susan Barrow (Kentucky) took home the runner up honors with a 3-under par 2-day total, while Jody Barrett (Nashville) finished at event par to take home solo 3rd place. 4th place went to Pat Ryan (Myrtle Beach) and +1, while Brad Dirks (Phoenix) and Bob Koch (Tucson) finished in a tie for 5th at +3. Rounding out the money was Sean Whitfield (Chicago) and David Raffety (Southern California), who finished at +4 in a tie for 7th.
