2025 Patriot 1st Round Results

 

 

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Arizona State University standout Connor Williams and the duo of 2023 Patriot All-America Champion Tillie Claggett of Vanderbilt University and Kansas University’s Amy DeKock raced out to first-round leads in their respective divisions after the first round of the 15^th annual Patriot All -America Invitational. Williams made seven birdies on the 7,123-yard, Par 70 Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course, en route to a -6 (64). Claggett shot a back-nine 29 during her -5 (65) first round on the Blue Course, while DeKock made eight birdies on her 22^nd birthday to match Claggett with a -5 (65) of her own. View the entire 2025 Patriot All-America leaderboard here.

 

“It was great – obviously I scored really well, read the greens well and made a lot of putts,” said Williams, a junior from Escondido, Calif. “Iron play was good, not as great with driver but still found my way around and put up a really good score.”

 

“[I wasn’t] really thinking about the score, not really thinking about anything other than just what a great opportunity it is to be out here,” said Claggett, whose back-nine 29 included two eagles and a bogey. “[I am] just trying to take it one shot at a time and keep my head held high Quote.”

 

“It was surreal, just super special – I had my sister on the bag so we were out there laughing a lot and just enjoying the moment,” said DeKock, a senior from Palm Desert, Calif. “Especially just the opportunity to be here again, for my second year here.”

 

Eight miles northwest of The Wigwam at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, the trio of UNLV’s Mason Snyder, Notre Dame’s Nate Stevens and Oregon State’s Collin Hodgkinson share the first round lead at The Thunderbolt after firing -2 (69) rounds, respectively. Utah Tech’s David Liechty and New Mexico’s Thayer Plewe round out the top five one shot back of the leaders, each at -1 (70). View the entire 2025 Thunderbolt leaderboard here.

 

“It was a good day, a little windier than I expected Arizona would be,” said Stevens, a senior from Northfield, Minn. “The scoring conditions were still good despite the wind, and I was able to put together a nice back nine to finish the day under par.”

 

A local favorite as a standout for the Sun Devils playing in his second Patriot All-America, Williams birdied five of six holes in the middle of his round to take the lead and didn’t look back. Florida’s Parker Bell and BYU’s Simon Kwan sit tied for second after matching rounds of -3 (67), with six more players sitting a shot back tied for fourth at -2 (68).

 

In the Women’s Division, Claggett played absolutely lights out golf on the back nine, recording two eagles, three birdies and – yes – a bogey on the 16^th hole for her 29. She would rebound with a birdie and eagle after the bogey, however, and is looking forward to the challenge of winning a second Patriot All-America title.

 

“I gave myself a tap-in eagle on 10, which was fun, and I was able to ride that moment and not really get upset,” said Claggett, a senior from The Woodlands, Tex. “This tournament means so much, and wearing my girl Jessica on my bag is a really good reminder that each shot really doesn’t matter that much.”

 

Arizona’s Julia Misemer sits alone in third after firing a -2 (68) Monday, with four more players tied for fourth going into Tuesday’s Second Round.

 

The Patriot All-America honors fallen or severely wounded soldiers in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation. The golfers receive a golf bag donated by PING Corporation at the event’s opening ceremony emblazoned with the name and branch of service of a fallen or injured military member or first responder, whom they shall represent.  Participants also receive a card with the soldier’s and first responder’s story so they can be familiar with that person, giving many of the top players a unique perspective not only on golf, but on life. At the conclusion of the tournament, the golf bags are shipped to players’ schools and auctioned with all proceeds benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation.

 

Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to the tournament week schedule to accommodate players who met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. The Thunderbolt consists of players who are ranked in the top 1000 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), are PING Second, Third and Honorable Mention All-Americans from Divisions II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA, or are AJGA Second Team and Honorable Mention All-Americans.

 

The Patriot All-America and Thunderbolt is a collaboration between the GCAA, WGCA, the West Valley Mavericks, The Patriot All-America LLC, JDM Partners, the City of Surprise and Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club – in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation and support from The Thunderbirds, the Waste Management Phoenix Open host.

 

For more information including live leaderboards, player pairings and an up-to-the-minute schedule of events, visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

 

Featuring golf’s stars of tomorrow, The Patriot All-America is regarded as a top amateur event nationally, attracting PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the United States. The West Valley Mavericks (Mavericks), The Patriot All-America LLC, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), and JDM Partners partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the tournament, played December 29-31 annually at The Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. For more information visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

Following the overwhelming success of The Patriot All-America Invitational, organizers implemented a second tournament to the Patriot lineup named The Thunderbolt in 2022. Played at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, Ariz., it features 72 more of the nation’s top male collegiate players competing in a three-round event on the same dates as The Patriot: December 29-31. Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those players that met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. For more information visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

The Wigwam’s three 18-hole championship golf courses offer a diversity that cannot be matched by any other Arizona resort, with 54 holes of championship golf including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Gold Course has hosted many signature tournaments over the years, including numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers, U.S. Amateur Qualifiers, several NCAA Regional Championships and the annual Patriot All-America Invitational, one of the top amateur competitions in the world. The 7,430 yard, par 72 track has also received various industry awards and accolades since opening in 1965, including being named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in America.” In December 2009, The Wigwam (including the golf courses and resort property) was purchased by JDM Partners, led by sports icon Jerry Colangelo. For more information, please visit wigwamgolf.com.

 

Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.

 

Founded in 1983, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), formerly known as the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA), began as an organization to promote participation in women’s collegiate golf. The vision of the WGCA since its inception has been to encourage the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents the finest coaches in women’s golf with a membership of over 650 coaches of Division I, II & III, NAIA and NJCAA collegiate programs.

 

About the West Valley Mavericks
The West Valley Mavericks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in late 2012 by a group of community leaders with a shared vision for the West Valley. The Mavericks are driven by the belief that the West Valley is an exceptional place to live, work, play, and do business. Our mission is to advance charity, community, culture, and commerce throughout the West Valley of Phoenix. Through individual donations, fundraising events, business sponsorships, ticket sales, and hands-on community service, we work to support local families, children, and veterans, assist those in need, and enhance the overall quality of life in our communities. For more information, visit westvalleymavericksfoundation.org.

 

About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of military members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving. Educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, as well as post-secondary tuition (two- or four-year college/university, technical or trade school). Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 29,000 scholarships totaling over $145 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities.