SMCC Men’s Golf Continues Stellar Performances During Summer
The South Mountain Community College men's golf team recorded some outstanding performances at the 2020 Arizona Open and the 2020 Arizona Amateur Championship. At the 77th Arizona Open, former Cougar Branden Meyer won the low amateur title while head coach Aaron Puetz defeated two individuals in match play at the 96th Arizona Amateur Championship.
The Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club hosted the 2020 Arizona Open from August 3-5. The Southwest PGA administers the event, which dates back to 1937.
Former Cougar and current Nebraska Cornhusker Meyer won the tournament's low amateur title. He tied for 11th overall at the event with a scored of 12-under 204. Meyer posted an eight-under 64 in the second round and a pair of two-under 70 performances. He produced 17 birdies during the tournament.
An incoming Cougar student-athlete, Damon Vilkauskas, tied for 22nd at the event with a nine-under 207. He posted three-straight rounds of three-under 69 and had 12 birdies for the tournament.
Johnathan Walters, a member of the 2019 and 2020 squads, tied for 26th at the event, posting a three-day score of eight-under 208. He started with a five-under 67 on the first day and posted a one-under 71 and two-under 72 over the final two rounds. Walters recorded 16 birdies over his three rounds of action.
Incoming transfer Nick Hedman, who played one year at Grand Canyon University, finished under par in all three rounds and tied for 32nd. He opened with a five-under 67 and then posted consecutive rounds of 71 to finish at seven-under 209. He posted 16 birdies in the event.
Former NJCAA National Champion and current USC Trojan Leon D'Souza tied for 42nd at the tournament. He carded two rounds of 70 sandwiched around a one-under 71 in the second round. He had 15 birdies over the three days.
The 96th Arizona Amateur Championship was played at the Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Ariz., from July 27-Aug. 1. Several current and former Cougars performed admirably at the event, qualifying for the tournament's match-play portion.
Walters lost a heartbreaker in the round of 64. He and Tucker Clark battled for 23 holes before Clark finally prevailed. Walters will continue his intercollegiate career at UNLV.
Ryan Macpherson, who will return to the team in 2021, also fell in sudden death in the round of 64. He and Max Schwarz battled for 19 holes before Schwarz won the match.
Another Cougar from the 2020 squad, Caden Weber, lost in the round of 64. He fell 3&2 to Garrett Olson and will continue his intercollegiate career at Utah Valley University, an NCAA Division I institution.
Vilkauskas also competed at the tournament. He fell in the round of 64 to Jarrett Foote, who won the match 3&2. Meyer participated in the event as well, falling 2&1 to Tyler Wooldridge in the round of 64.
Not to be outdone, SMCC head coach Aaron Puetz posted a pair of wins at the event. He defeated Christopher Laughlin 1-up in the round of 64 and then scored a victory over Jimmy Kozikowski in a sudden-death 19th hole. Kozikowski was a member of the 2012 SMCC men's golf team that won the NJCAA Division II National Championship.
Puetz ultimately lost 1-up to Joseph Lloyd in his bracket's round of 16.