Herholtz Takes 24 Hole Marathon, Round of 64 Concludes

The Round of 64 is complete from the 102nd Arizona Amateur Championship at Tucson Country Club and Wednesday's match play action delivered.

Five matches required extra holes, including the longest battle of the day between Tucson Country Club member and club champion Brian Prouty and 2025 Colorado Amateur champion Thomas Herholtz. The pair needed six extra holes before Herholtz secured victory.

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"It was so back and forth, especially on that front side," Herholtz said. "(Prouty) made everything. He started off with an eagle on one. He just dripped in a 15-footer for eagle and I lost the hole with birdie."

Despite clutch birdies on holes 14 and 15, Herholtz found himself down one on the 18th tee. He delivered when he needed it most, hitting a 9-iron approach to the center of the green and making par to extend the match.

The two competitors traded blows through five extra holes before Herholtz's par on the sixth proved enough to earn the victory and a spot in the Round of 32.

"It gives you a little bit of confidence, especially knowing Brian is a club champion out here," Herholtz said. "Personally, I think these greens break a lot and are a little more difficult to read. I don't think anyone's really going to putt better than he did today. I just got a few holes that went my way."

After 24 holes of competition, Herholtz admitted rest is the immediate priority before returning for Thursday's matches. The Colorado native is no stranger to success in state amateur championships, having won the 2025 Colorado Amateur Championship.

"That gave me a bump to get some offers for some schools and be able to go play college golf again at a high level," Herholtz said.

This fall, Herholtz will be transferring to the University of Tulsa to play for the men’s golf team with two more years of NCAA eligibility.

Playoff Survivor Keeps Rolling

Before match play even began, 11 players battled in a four-hole playoff for the final eight spots in the match play bracket Wednesday morning. By the end of the Round of 64, only one of those eight remain — Mitchell Scrimgeour.

"All afternoon and evening yesterday I was thinking par would get through," Scrimgeour said of the playoff. "It was about hitting the fairway, hitting the green and two-putting. My lag putting today was as good as I've seen it in a long time, and I just lagged it up from the front collar to the back-right pin and tapped it in and the rest was history."

Scrimgeour faced an early challenge in his opening-round match against Finn Meister, who carded five birdies on the front nine and quickly built momentum. Scrimgeour stayed patient and steadily worked his way back into the match before overtaking Meister on the back nine.

The comeback was completed with a 1-up victory on the 18th hole.

"I'm pretty jacked," Scrimgeour said after the match. "I don't really have words for it, I'm pretty excited. The plan today was just to hit fairways and greens and make him make putts. He made a lot, he made five birdies on the front nine. He hits it like 385 yards off the tee almost every single time and I'm 80 yards behind him, but I just needed to hit greens and see what happens."

Of the 13 Tucson-area players to reach match play, three remain in contention for the title: 

• Jake Kellman
• Brasen Briones
• Jordan Tees
  

Several other standout competitors also punched their tickets to the Round of 32:

• Ethan Butters, the No. 1 seed and 17-year-old standout who tied the Tucson Country Club course record during the final round of stroke play.
• Nolan Wilson, the youngest player in the championship field at just 14 years old.
• Kristoffer Marshall, the only former Arizona Amateur champion in the field, having won the title in 2021 at Grayhawk Golf Club's Talon Course.

The championship continues Thursday morning with the Round of 32 beginning at 7 a.m. Players who advance will return later in the day for the Round of 16 as the pursuit of the 102nd Arizona Amateur Championship title continues.

Follow along throughout the week and stay up-to-date with all things Arizona Amateur by following us on Instagram: @azgolfassociation.

Notable

• Kristoffer Marshall is the lone golfer in the 130 player field to have won an Arizona Amateur Championship in the past. (97th Arizona Amateur at Grayhawk Golf Club's Talon Course in 2021). 

• The oldest competitor in this year's field was 62-year-old Brian Light.
• The youngest competitor in the field is 14-year-old Nolan Wilson, who advances to the round of 32.
• There were 21 competitors who have the City of Tucson listed as their hometown. Five of which are members of Tucson Country Club — Jim Anderson, Wesley Bass, Finn Meister, Brian Prouty and Eric Rustand. Only Bass remains of the club members.

Quotable

• “You go into the day wanting to play good golf and then as the match goes on, you might do a thing or two different but for the most part your mentality stays the same.” - Brody Leid after a dominant 6 & 5 victory in the round of 64.
• “Making the cut is all that matters unless you're number 64 and have to go up against Ethan Butters.” - Trey Moore right before Ethan Butters sunk his putt to tie the Tucson Country Club course record on Tuesday.
• "A week like this, its daunting if you look at it in totality of it, especially for an older guy like me, but really it was trying to put two rounds back to back that were solid. And seeding, it's not irrelevant, but doesnt matter as much when you're playing with a bunch of young kids, so you gotta show up ready to play." - Kale Waaso after securing the No. 2 seed in the round of 64 match play.
• "I thought it was very cool to be able to compete at the next level. I always enjoy being the youngest, it kind of motivates me." - Nolan Wilson, on competing in his first Arizona Amateur Championship at 14 years old. Wilson advanced to match play.

• "To get this Kachina, that would be the pinnacle of my golf career. I don’t take a whole lot more pressure than any other tournament, but I’m playing well and I always putt pretty decent. The thing is, I’m 43 and toward the end of the week I don’t know how I’m going to hold up." - Kurt Watkins, following his round one 67 (-5)

• "That course was playing hard. The pins were gnarly today." - Jake Walden, following his round one 75 (+3)
• “I made some long putts today. I don’t expect them to fall all week, but I just need to keep momentum up and see the ball roll where I’m aiming.” - Carson Little, following his round one 67 (-5)

About Tucson Country Club
Established in 1947, Tucson Country Club has been a cornerstone of golf and community in Southern Arizona for nearly eight decades. Originally designed by renowned architect Billy Bell, the course underwent a renovation in 2023 led by architect Mike Gogel. The redesign introduced new tee boxes, expanded green surrounds, and added approximately 500–600 yards to the championship tees.

Unlike the desert-style layouts commonly found in Arizona, Tucson Country Club offers a classic parkland-style experience, featuring tree-lined fairways, subtle green complexes, and a welcoming, flat layout.

Throughout its history, Tucson Country Club has hosted some of the game’s most prestigious amateur competitions, including 19 USGA Championship Qualifiers and nine Arizona Amateur Championships. The club is also closely associated with the legendary Dr. Ed Updegraff, one of the finest amateur golfers to come out of Tucson, who won 27 club championships, as well as four Arizona Amateur Championships, and is honored through the naming of the club’s back-tee markers.

Key holes include the demanding 217-yard par-3 17th, the scenic water-lined 2nd, and the risk-reward par-4s at 14 and 15 which showcase the course’s strategic character. Since 2022, Tucson Country Club has served as the home course for the University of Arizona golf programs, further strengthening its role in the future of golf in Arizona.

About AZ GOLF
Founded in 1923, AZ GOLF is a nonprofit dedicated to serving and advancing the game of golf in Arizona. We engage our community through championships and tournaments, player development, education, and outreach while providing official USGA Handicap Indexes to golfers statewide. With more than 550 member clubs and golfers of all ages and abilities, we are committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive golf community and ensuring the game’s long-term growth and sustainability.