Tournament Champions
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The Memphis Amateur Players Tour opened its 2027 season on Saturday, October 17 at Cherokee Valley Golf Club in Olive Branch, Mississippi, one of the first Memphis amateur golf tournaments on the new calendar. A field of 31 players competed across four divisions, with two net games running alongside them. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.
Cherokee Valley played to a par of 72, and the day arrived behind a cold front — cool, breezy and mostly clear to partly cloudy, with temperatures in the 60s that felt cooler still in the wind. The breeze did the defending. The par-3 16th, playing about 195 yards into a gusting wind, surrendered exactly one birdie all day and played nearly a full shot over par. At the other end, the par-5 1st was the one hole that gave something back, yielding six birdies and an eagle and playing less than a third of a shot over par.
In Division 1, Eric Webb of Germantown, Tennessee turned in even-par 36 and came home in 4-over 40 for a 4-over 76, the low round of the day and a one-shot win. Webb’s birdies all came at the par 5s — the 1st, the 8th and the 10th — and he never trailed, leading by four at the six-hole mark and still by four through twelve. Edward McDugle of Memphis made the closing stretch interesting, playing the inward nine in even-par 36 with birdies at the par-5 10th, the par-4 12th and the par-4 13th to go with one at the par-5 8th. McDugle cut the margin to two with three to play before signing for a 5-over 77 and second place. Chris Bolam was next at 78, his round punctuated by an eagle 3 at the par-5 10th.
Division 2 went to extra holes, and Aaron Beck of the Arkansas chapter won it with a par on the first playoff hole. Beck, who lives in Jonesboro, Arkansas, had already supplied the shot of the division in regulation with an eagle 3 at the par-5 1st, and he built from there, making the turn in even-par 36 before a 6-over 42 on the way in left him at 6-over 78. Fidel Diaz of Memphis matched him. Diaz was a shot in front of Beck after six holes, fell two back by the twelfth and had it to within one with three to play, going out in 1-over 37 with birdies at the par-5 1st, the par-4 5th and the par-5 10th before closing in 5-over 41. Five players finished within two shots of the lead, and the playoff settled it.
Division 3 also needed a playoff, and Kenny Swann of Collierville, Tennessee came through it in one hole. Three players signed for 11-over 83. Swann went out in 3-over 39 and had opened as much as four clear of Jim Atkinson through twelve holes before a 8-over 44 on the inward nine brought the field back; by the fifteenth his edge was down to a single stroke. Atkinson, of Lakeland, Tennessee, put together nine pars and played the last six holes in 2 over to force his way into the tie, and Ken Grisham of Olive Branch, Mississippi did the same, matching Atkinson shot for shot over the closing three holes. The two shared second place at 83. Four players finished within two of the lead in the division.
Steven Walkley of Cordova, Tennessee took Division 4 by two, posting a 15-over 87 and finishing with the best three holes anyone in the division managed — even par over the 16th, 17th and 18th, including the only birdie the par-3 16th gave up all day. Walkley led at the six-hole mark and never gave the lead back. Three players tied for second at 17-over 89. Cesar Andrade Cardozo of Arlington, Tennessee was two ahead of Walkley through twelve before an 11-over 47 on the inward nine; Dandy Barawid of Lakeland, Tennessee and Vince Vaghela of Southaven, Mississippi were both still inside the lead with three to play. Eight of the nine players in the division finished within five shots of one another.
The Mid-Am Net went to Kyle Kucharski of Memphis, who posted a net 1-over 73 to win by a single stroke. Walkley made it a two-trophy afternoon’s work in all but name, backing up his Division 4 title with a net 2-over 74 for second in the Mid-Am Net.
Grisham, who had tied for second in Division 3, did claim a second result of the day, winning the Senior Net with a net 2-over 74 and holding off a crowded chase by one. Three players shared second at net 3-over 75: Jody Barrett of the Chapter Owners chapter, who lives in Dickson, Tennessee and who was actually three clear of Grisham at the twelve-hole mark; Rob Luter of the Arkansas chapter, from Hot Springs; and Timothy Kelley of Bartlett, Tennessee, to round out the money positions.
The closest-to-the-pin prizes were well spread. Edward McDugle stuck his tee shot to 13 feet at the par-3 16th, the hardest of the day’s one-shotters, playing roughly 195 yards into a gusting wind. Fidel Diaz hit it to 12 feet up the hill at the par-3 4th, and Tyler Byrd put his to 14 feet at the par-3 7th. In the Division 4 and Division 5 closest-to-the-pin at the par-3 11th, Timothy Kelley took the honors from 60 feet.
Next up in the Memphis chapter — the Fall Classic on Saturday, November 7th. Space is limited and registration closes November 2nd. The Winter Open follows on Saturday, December 5th, with registration closing November 30th.
