Low scores plentiful in day 1 of Arizona Amateur Championship

GILBERT, Arizona (Aug. 18, 2025) — Even par just won’t cut it when up against Arizona’s best. 

On Monday, 144 golfers ranging from age 15-65 took to Seville Golf & Country Club in Gilbert for the 101st playing of the Arizona Amateur Championship. More than half the field (73 golfers) submitted a round-one scorecard with a red number.

RESULTS | PHOTOS

The tournament takes part across six days — 36-holes of individual stroke play where the top-64 golfers advance to a four day match play bracket. 

Seville, a Gary Panks design, is a par 72 course playing at 6,969 yards on Monday. The par 5 18th proved the easiest in round one with five eagles and 74 birdies for a scoring average of 4.49.

The biggest challenge of the day came at holes 8 and 9 with just eight and nine birdies, respectively, forcing 38 and 40 bogeys-or-worse. The course’s signature island-green par 3, No. 17, swallowed six double-bogeys and 17 birdies.

Seville Golf & Country Club's iconic 17th island green. (Photo by: Corey Cavanaugh)

Tucson’s Jorge Parada sits as the stroke play leader through day one with a 9-under round (63) on 11 birdies and two bogeys. 

The 2025 Arizona Stroke Play champion fell behind early with a square on his scorecard on the first hole. Not shaken, Parada fired off five birdies across the next six holes. His birdie frenzy continued at the turn with five straight from holes 10-14. 

Wyatt Chapman, a 20 year old student at Marquette University, is one stroke short of the tournament lead. His 8-under round of 64 includes an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey to close out the day. 

Chapman trains out of Power Ranch Golf Club, but as a Gilbert resident he has had a number of opportunities to test his game at Seville — a leverage point he was hoping to exploit this week. 

“I think the greens can be a little grainy with chipping,” Chapman said. “Knowing that was a little to my advantage and knowing what shots stop faster than others. The green-reading out here can be tricky at times. That helped me out a bit.”

Beginning his round off the back-nine, Chapman opened with a pair of pars and came out with the day’s lone eagle on No. 12, a 575 yard par 5 — the longest hole on the course. 

“The pin was in the back and I hit a good drive,” Chapman said. “I had 270 (yards) in on a sidehill lie. I hit a pretty good 3-wood up there, it landed and just rolled over the back. It was a pretty tough chip, but I hit it in the bank and it popped up perfectly and drifted in over the front edge. It was a good start to the round for sure.”

What’s Next
The Arizona Amateur Championship continues Tuesday morning with the final 18-holes of stroke play. The top-64 golfers will then advance to match play. 

The winner of the championship will receive an automatic exemption into the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. Semi-finalists will earn an exemption through local U.S. Amateur qualifying.

Follow @azgolfassociation on Instagram and Facebook for live updates and images from the tournament all week.