Tournament Champions
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The New York Metro Amateur Players Tour returned to Pine Hills Country Club on Sunday, October 25, 2026 in Manorville, New York for the Fall Classic, a premier stop on the chapter’s calendar of New York amateur golf tournaments. A field of 50 players competed across five divisions, with the Mid-Am Net and Senior Net games running alongside them. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.
Daylight had the final say. Division 3 was decided over 17 holes, Division 4 over 15, and Division 5, the Mid-Am Net and the Senior Net over 14, after the sun beat the field to the house.
The greens at Pine Hills were in great shape, the pin placements drew appreciation from the field, and every player had access to pin sheets before heading out. The par-3 14th was the toughest assignment on the property, surrendering just three birdies in 50 plays and averaging more than a stroke over par.
The day did not start on time. An hour-and-a-half frost delay pushed everything back, and the starter did a terrific job getting groups away in tournament mode and asking for expedient play. The sky was clear, the sun was bright and it warmed to 66 degrees. However, as the day progressed and the sun set, it was clear that many groups would not be able to complete their rounds. Scorecards were read by cell phone flashlight, and as the last players and their mini flashlights headed for the parking lot, clean-up was finished under the radiance of a nearly full moon. All-in-all, it was a nice day of golf on Long Island.
The shot of the day belonged to Robert Alcabes, who made a hole-in-one at the par-3 3rd — in only his second tournament with the APT. Unfortunately, Alcabes is not a member of the Hole-in-One Club, and the collective sigh around the scoring table said everything.
In Division 1, Peter Zielinski of Levittown, NY took medalist honors with a 4-over 77, the low round of the day, and he earned every bit of it. Zielinski turned in even-par 37 with birdies at the par-5 2nd and the par-5 8th — the most generous hole on the course, which gave up eight birdies on the day — and came home in 4-over 40 with another birdie at the 16th. Joseph Arnold Jr. of Bayshore, NY made it a genuine duel. Two behind after six holes, he had drawn level by twelve, birdied the par-4 13th and the 16th and stood just a stroke back with three to play, but Zielinski answered where it mattered most and held on for a one-shot win. Arnold Jr. signed for 5-over 78 and runner-up honors. Steven Sullivan of Massapequa, NY finished third at 7-over 80 on the back of a strong inward nine: six adrift at the sixth, Sullivan went out in 6-over 43, then came home in 1-over 37 with birdies at the par-5 15th and the par-3 17th to play the closing six holes in 1-under.
Division 2 went to Joseph Arnold of Bay Shore, NY, who posted 5-over 78 for a three-shot win with an eagle 3 at the par-5 2nd. Arnold made the turn in 3-over 40, birdied the 10th and came home in 2-over 38, playing the last six in 1-over. He had to chase to do it. PJ Vizzio of Whitestone, NY was two clear of him after six holes and three clear after twelve, going out in 1-over 38 with birdies at the 4th and the par-5 8th and adding two more at the 10th and the par-5 12th. The lead was gone by the 15th, and Vizzio’s 7-over 43 inward nine left him at 8-over 81, tied for second with Timothy Devine of Massapequa, NY, who made four birdies of his own. Five players finished within seven shots of Arnold’s winning number.
Division 3 was a logjam, with six players inside two shots and three of them locked together at 9-over thru 17. Carl Elliston of Manhasset, NY went out in 4-over 41 and birdied the 9th and the par-3 14th. Tom Davenport of Brooklyn, NY matched him stride for stride, level after six and level after twelve, turning in 6-over 43 with a birdie at the par-5 12th. Sal Ditta of Howard Beach, NY did the hard running, three back at twelve and three back with two to play before birdies at the 9th and the par-5 15th hauled him level. The title was settled in sudden death after the round.
Division 4 belonged to Raymond Kenchik of Bellmore, NY, who led from the front and never gave it back, going out in 4-over 41 on his way to 10-over thru 15 and a four-shot win. Syed Fazil Ali of Queens Village, NY was six behind after six holes and still five back at twelve, then played the closing stretch in 3-over to take runner-up honors at 14-over thru 15. Thomas Steinmann of Windham, NY had been within three early and finished third at 16-over thru 15.
Tony Maciaszek of Selden, NY won Division 5 by four with 15-over thru 14, and he did it from behind. Alcabes was four clear of him after six holes on the back of the ace at the 3rd, and Luis Vilella of Lake Ronkonkoma, NY was one in front at the same point. Maciaszek birdied the par-5 8th and had the lead by twelve. Alcabes took runner-up honors at 19-over thru 14, with Vilella third at 20-over thru 14.
The Mid-Am Net was won from behind. Tom Davenport won with net 1-over thru 14, three clear, after trailing Vizzio by three through six holes and by four through twelve. Davenport reeled him in over the closing stretch to add the net title to his share of the top of Division 3 and complete the double-dip. Vizzio settled for second at net 4-over thru 14, a runner-up finish to pair with his share of second in Division 2. Trevor Pieh of Somerville, NJ, in from the New Jersey/Philadelphia chapter, took third at net 7-over thru 14.
The Senior Net was bunched tight, with ten players finishing within two shots of the lead. Timothy Devine won it by a single stroke at net even-par thru 14, backing up his runner-up finish in Division 2 for a double-dip of his own. He had to withstand plenty: Bryan O’Donnell of Oakdale, NY and Joseph Arnold both got two in front of him through twelve holes before Devine moved back ahead over the last three. O’Donnell shared second at net 1-over thru 14 with Arnold, Sal Ditta, Scott Kata of Huntington, NY, Thomas Antonopoulos of Roslyn Heights, NY, Tony Maciaszek and Thomas Steinmann, to round out the money positions.
Next up in the New York Metro chapter — a trip to Hamlet Wind Watch Golf Course on Sunday, November 1st. Space is limited and registration closes October 27th.
