2025 STL Spring Opener at Stonewolf Results

The St. Louis Chapter kicked off the spring 2025 campaign at Stonewolf Golf Club in Fairview Heights, IL.  136 players headlined a sold-out field that braved some crazy St. Louis spring weather, as temperatures dipped into the 30’s after a warm week.  Autohaus BMW and Mini of St. Louis were on hand to kick off the 2025 year, as players were excited to resume the Autohaus BMW St. Louis Player of the Year Race, where APT members are competing for a $1,000 USGA Max Prize Package in 5 open divisions, 5 senior divisions, and new for 2025 a Net Game open to all players.  Conditions were brutally tough, as the Friday storms softened the golf course and the winds whipped throughout the tree-lined course.

In Division 1, 2024 Player of the Year Ryan Eckelcamp got off to a great start with a solid performance, firing a 4-over par 76 to best Central Illinois’ Josh Anderson by 2-strokes.  3^rd place went to Michael Clark, Chad Crawford, and Tony Nolfo, who finished 5 shots off the pace with an 81.  Michael Clark took the top honors in the senior division with a round of 81.

In Division 2, Mike Leonard started off the year with a dominant performance, besting a crowded field by 6 shots with a solid 6-over par 78.  The dominant victory was Leonard’s first on the APT in his 3^rd season on tour.  Congrats on the great play Mike!  The runner-up honors were split by Eric Schaetty and Bill Stuart, who finished with 12-over par rounds of 84.  Joe Blandina finished in solo 4^th with a round of 85 on a brutally cold and difficult day, while Mike Mervis and Daniel Black rounded out the top-5 with rounds of 87.  Leonard completed the “double-dip” by winning the senior division, with Stuart 2^nd and Mervis 3^rd.

In Division 3, John Blackburn came back from Indianapolis to try and go back-to-back and Stonewolf, and that’s exactly what he did.  A clutch putt on the final hole earned him a one-shot victory with an 84 over Kevin Zawodniak, who finished in second place by himself with an 85.  David Baxmeyer started off his spring campaign with a solo 3^rd finish at 86, while Paul Wilson finished in solo 4^th at 89.  Mike Burch rounded out the top-5 with a 90.  On the senior side, Blackburn earned the win, followed by Baxmeyer and Paul Wilson.

In Division 4, Scott Clavenna earned his first trip to the Autohaus BMW Winners Circle with an impressive performance, shooting an 86 to earn a 6-shot victory over Mike Scalera.  Scalera has been one of the consistent players in D4 for several years, and took home solo 2^nd honors with 92.  Gerald Harsley had a good start to his APT career with a 93 that earned him 3^rd place honors, while Dolly Buenaventura, Dave Draucker, and Phillip Proffitt finished in a tie for 4^th place with rounds of 94.  On the senior side, Clavenna earned the victory followed by Scalera and Harsley.

In Division 5, Byron Whitlock earned the victory in his first start of the spring, firing a 97 to earn a 3-shot victory over Jesse Cook who finished with 100.  Mark Smith fired a 101 to take home solo 3^rd place honors, with Jim Seibertrounding out the money with a 102.  Mark Galentine finished in 5^th place with a 103.  Mark Smith won the senior division with Jim Seibert taking second place.

In the Net division, Dave Baxmeyer got off to a hot start with a 2-shot victory after firing a 3-over par net 75.  Bill Stuart came in 2^nd place with a 5-over par net 77, while Chad Crawford came in 3^rd position with a 6-over par 78.  Rick Johnson and Peter Allen rounded out the money with a 7-over par 79 in the net competition, which saw 27 players compete at Stonewolf.

The total prize pool for Stonewolf Golf Club was $4,125 paid out with the average division winner receiving $235.  Prize payouts are determined by the number of players in each division, with a minimum in 1 in 6 players finishing in the money.  Ties for 1^st are broken on the golf course (except for the Net) and points and money are split equally for ties for 2^nd and beyond.  An additional $2,880 was won in Division and Super Skins for the Spring Opener at Stonewolf bringing the total prizes paid out to a whopping $7,005 for the 123 players who started the event.  That’s $56.95 per player paid out!

From here, the APT moves west to Eureka, MO for its next event at the venerable Pevely Farms Golf Club on Sunday, March 30^th before crossing back across the river for the April 6^th event at Annbriar Golf Course.  Limited spots remain for the 2^nd and 3^rd stop of the spring season, so sign up today and pay a $30 deposit to secure your spot with the balance being withdrawn a week before the event.