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Tournament Recap — The Links at Northfork
The Minneapolis chapter of the Amateur Players Tour returned to The Links at Northfork on Saturday for a picture-perfect day of competition featuring sunshine, temperatures in the mid-80s, fast greens, and
swirling winds that made club selection a challenge throughout the round. With holes often playing two or three clubs different depending on direction, surviving the conditions
became just as important as making birdies.
Division 1 produced the drama of the day as Brett Mathiowetz defeated Leo Stepan in a sudden-death
playoff after both players finished tied at 82 (+10). Mathiowetz opened with an even-par front nine before surviving a difficult back side to earn the victory and valuable Player of the Year points.
In Division 2, Chris Van Spankeren posted one of the steadiest rounds of the tournament, carding a 78
(+6) to win by four shots. His consistency throughout the windy conditions proved to be the difference on a day where avoiding big numbers was critical.
Division 3 saw Donald Scott continue his strong APT career with an 83 (+11), narrowly holding off Mike
Van Spankeren by one shot. Scott did his damage by stabilizing the round on the back nine, posting a 39
coming home after a tough opening nine. Van Spankeren kept the pressure on late and birdied the 18th to finish one shot back at 84 (+12), but Scott’s steady closing stretch was enough to secure the Division 3 title.
In Division 4, Greg Gopal handled the difficult setup best, posting an 87 (+15) to secure the win through
steady, composed golf from start to finish.
The Senior Net division featured some of the lowest scoring of the day, as Scott fired an even-par net 72
thanks to a closing stretch that included birdies on 12, 16, 17, and 18. Mike Dalton finished just one shot
behind at 73 (+1) net after his own impressive back-nine charge.
The Mid-Am Net division turned into an absolute battle, ending in a four-way tie at 73 (+1) net between
Mike Van Spankeren, Derek Cormier, Mathiowetz, and Chris Van Spankeren. Mike Van Spankeren
ultimately claimed the victory via scorecard playoff after eagling the par-4 18th hole. The division featured fireworks throughout the day, including a hole-in-one by Cormier on the par-3 17th.
Another outstanding day of competition for the Minneapolis chapter, with Northfork once again proving to be one of the most challenging and rewarding tests on the schedule
