Tournament Champions
View Tournament Results
The Denver Amateur Players Tour enjoyed a picture-perfect afternoon Thursday at Pinehurst Country Club in Denver for The Pine Classic. Sixty players teed it up in beautiful, warm sunshine for the shotgun start, enjoying an afternoon filled with great golf, competition and plenty of drama before gathering afterward for a tasty dinner on the Bogies patio.
And there was certainly no shortage of drama.
Three of the five divisions finished regulation play tied for first place, including two divisions that produced three-way ties after 18 holes. Division 1 saw Philip Camillo, Liam Ren and Dale Syta finish at 74, while Division 3 ended with Evan Wilking, Braedyn Davis and Nathan Normand tied at 83. Division 4 added another tie when Steve Pickens and Richard McCoy both posted 88.
All three ties were settled the way golfers love to see them decided — on the course in sudden-death playoffs.
When the playoff drama was over, Camillo, Wilking and Pickens emerged as the respective Division 1, Division 3 and Division 4 champions.
Pinehurst Champions
- Division 1 – Philip Camillo, 74
- Division 2 – Brett Miller, 74
- Division 3 – Evan Wilking, 83
- Division 4 – Steve Pickens, 88
- Division 5 – Raymond Lopez, 91
- Mid-Am Net – Nathan Normand, 67 (-3)
- Senior Net – Eric Drucker, 69 (-1)
Brett Miller captured Division 2 by three shots over Gary Wayne, while Raymond Lopez took Division 5 with a six-shot victory.
Nathan Normand claimed the Mid-Am Net title with his 3-under-par 67, one shot ahead of Miller, while Eric Drucker earned the Senior Net championship with a 1-under-par 69.
The Eagle Streak Reaches TEN!
One of the most remarkable storylines of the Denver APT season continued at Pinehurst.
For the 10th consecutive Denver tournament, at least one eagle was recorded.
And this time, there were two.
Division 3 player Braedyn Davis provided one of the shots of the day on the par-4 second hole. From 155 yards out and over the lake, Davis pulled his 9-iron, struck a beautiful second shot and watched it disappear into the cup for an eagle 2.
Jason Burroughs added another spectacular eagle on the long par-5 fourth. His second shot carried up and over the trees and found the putting surface, setting up an eagle opportunity that he promptly converted.
Congratulations to Braedyn and Jason on two outstanding holes!
We also want to make an editorial correction from last week’s Willis Case recap. Our apologies to Scott Rowley, whose eagle on the 12th hole at Willis Case was inadvertently left out of the tournament recap. Scott absolutely deserves his place in Denver’s incredible run of eagle-making performances.
Birdies Everywhere
Pinehurst’s extremely fast and undulating greens made scoring anything but easy, but that did not stop the birdie parade.
All five divisions contributed birdies, with Philip Camillo and Trevor Glen leading the field with four apiece. Liam Ren, Brett Miller and Hendrik Orlowski each recorded three, while Dale Syta, Kevin Causey, Eric Drucker, Matt Gates and Mackenzie “Mac” Mitchell each contributed two.
Considering the difficulty of the Maxwell Course greens, that was some impressive scoring.
Inches Away From Making It Three in a Row
There were no hole-in-ones on Pinehurst’s difficult and lengthy par-3s, but the Denver APT came incredibly close to extending another remarkable streak.
Mac Mitchell nearly gave the Chapter an ace on No. 5 when his shot lipped out of the cup before coming to rest just 4 feet, 8 inches away. It was still good enough to win the Closest-to-the-Pin contest on the hole.
And just how close was that shot to making a little Denver APT history?
Had Mac’s ball dropped, it would have marked three consecutive Denver APT tournaments with a hole-in-one.
Sometimes the difference between making history and simply winning a Closest-to-the-Pin contest is measured in inches.
David Killinger began his round on the par-3 12th and immediately gave the entire field a number to chase, knocking his shot to 4 feet, 4 inches. Player after player took their shot throughout the afternoon, but no one could get closer.
Congratulations to Mac and David on winning the Pinehurst CTP contests.
Folds of Honor 50/50
Congratulations to Trevor Glen, winner of the Folds of Honor 50/50 raffle.
Trevor shared the $360 pot with Folds of Honor, the Amateur Players Tour’s National Charity Partner.
Thank you once again to everyone who participated and continues to help APT support this very worthwhile organization.
One More Stop — The Denver Local Finals
After an outstanding regular season, everything now leads to the 2026 Denver Local Finals at Fox Hollow Golf Course on Sunday, September 13.
The Finals will provide one last opportunity to finish the Denver season in championship fashion — but the competition on the course will be only part of what makes this day special.
Following the day’s competition, we will recognize and celebrate the 2026 Denver Players of the Year, honoring the players whose season-long performances earned them the top spot in their respective divisions.
It will be a fitting conclusion to an incredible 2026 Denver APT season.
Then the Race for 2027 Begins!
There will not be much of an offseason.
Just a few weeks after the Finals, the 2027 Denver Amateur Players Tour season gets underway with two terrific October events.
Saturday, October 3 – City Park Golf Course
The 2027 Season Opener brings APT back to one of the most sought-after golf experiences in Denver, right in the heart of the city with those spectacular skyline and mountain views.
Saturday, October 10 – Bella Ridge Golf Club
Week two takes us to Bella Ridge for an Elevated Event featuring double points, double prize pool and an additional $500 in bonus prize money.
That additional $500 prize pool contribution is being sponsored by “The Filter Guy,” owned by APT Denver member Mark Cortese. We greatly appreciate Mark’s support of the Denver Chapter and his commitment to making the Bella Ridge Elevated Event even more special for our players.
With double points and an enhanced prize pool on the line, Bella Ridge will provide an early opportunity to make a major move in the 2027 Player of the Year standings.
The road to the 2027 Player of the Year starts in October.
But first, we have some unfinished business.
Next Stop: Fox Hollow and the 2026 Denver Local Finals!
APT – Amateur Players Tour
By the Players, for the Players
Kirk & Brenda
Denver Amateur Players Tour
www.aptgolf.org
kirk@aptgolf.org
