Tournament Champions
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The Birmingham Amateur Players Tour returned to competition on Saturday, October 31, 2026 at The Shoals – Schoolmaster in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for a premier amateur golf tournament. A field of 76 players competed across five divisions, with two net games running alongside, in one of the marquee Birmingham amateur golf tournaments of the fall. The Fairways to Fame Classic carried Elevated Event status and over $6,000 in prize money, and players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.
The event was scheduled for two rounds, but rain washed out day two — so the day one leaders became the champions, and every title was settled over 18 holes rather than 36.
Opened in 2005, the Schoolmaster is tree-lined throughout, with a mix of doglegs turning both directions that reward players who can work the ball either way. Its signature test is the 8th, a 406-yard par-4 dogleg left that demands a precise tee shot and a disciplined approach between water and bunkers. The scorecard’s teeth showed up early: the par-3 2nd gave up a single birdie all day and played better than a stroke over par.
In Division 1, Jose Garcia of Franklin, Tennessee posted a 2-under 70, the low round of the day. He turned in even-par 36, came home in 2-under 34, and signed for three birdies — at the 5th, the par-5 11th and the 17th — against a lone bogey. He needed all of it. Derek Nicholson of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama was level with him through six, through twelve and through fifteen, and only a closing stretch of 1-under over the last six separated them. Nicholson’s 1-under 71 included four birdies, at the 3rd, 9th, 12th and 13th, with a 1-under 35 going out and an even-par 36 coming back. Matt Mitchell of Burns, Tennessee took third at 3-over 75.
Division 2 was decided by a single stroke as well. Sonny Beachy of Hendersonville, Tennessee went out in even-par 36 and came home in 1-over 37 for a 1-over 73, picking up birdies at the 9th, the par-5 11th and the 13th. Justin Kreutzer of Columbus, Mississippi and Joseph Lacy of Hartselle, Alabama shared runner-up honors at 2-over 74, Kreutzer with three birdies and an even-par inward half, Lacy with birdies at the 1st, 7th and 11th. Four players finished within two of Beachy.
Division 3 belonged to Dana Moore of Owasso, Oklahoma, who was four shots adrift after six holes and then flipped the switch. Moore made the turn in 10-over 46 and played the back nine in 2-under 34, birdieing the 10th and the par-5 11th before eagling the par-4 17th. The 8-over 80 edged Tyler Byrd of Olive Branch, Mississippi by one; Byrd had led through fifteen before Moore answered where it mattered most. Bryan Harwell of Lewisburg, Tennessee was level with Moore with three to play and finished third at 10-over 82, closing with a birdie at the 18th.
Chris Woods of Thompson’s Station, Tennessee won Division 4 by a stroke, turning three down into a one-shot lead by playing the inward nine in 2-over 38 with birdies at the 8th and 10th. Philip Laye of Carbon Hill, Alabama took second at 11-over 83 with a birdie at the par-5 11th, and Chris Halcomb of Fayetteville, Tennessee third at 12-over 84 after coming home in 3-over 39 and playing the last six in even par.
Division 5 came down to the closing holes. James Pritchett of Moseley, Virginia held off Ricky Chappell of Dickson, Tennessee by one, 18-over 90 to 19-over 91, with Chappell a single stroke back with three to play. Johnathan Lovette of Thorsby, Alabama and Tim Harbin of Jasper, Alabama tied for third at 21-over 93.
Kreutzer made up for the Division 2 near-miss in the Mid-Am Net, where his net 5-under 67 won by three over Karl Jung of Chelsea, Alabama at net 2-under 70. Greyson Howard of Hartselle, Alabama was third at net 1-over 73.
Moore completed the double-dip in the Senior Net, his net 2-under 70 holding off a four-way logjam by one. Cary Anderson, James Pritchett, Stephen Geltch and William Frogge all signed for net 1-under 71, with five players inside two of the lead.
Next up in the Birmingham chapter — the Steel City Invitational at RTJ Oxmoor Valley on Saturday, November 14. Space is limited and registration closes November 9. The Gump Cup follows at RTJ Capitol Hill on December 5, with registration closing November 30.
