Kade Stewart saved his strongest response for the day his lead was most vulnerable.
With Garrett Driver just one stroke behind heading into the final round, Stewart closed with a 4-under 68 to win the Carlton Woods Invitational by four, completing a wire-to-wire victory on the Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.
Stewart’s victory adds the Carlton Woods title to his 2025 Texas Mid-Amateur championship, providing another significant result against accomplished mid-amateur opposition.
Final leaderboard
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kade Stewart | 67 | 71 | 68 | 206 | −10 |
| 2 | Garrett Driver | 70 | 69 | 71 | 210 | −6 |
| T3 | John Hunter | 74 | 68 | 69 | 211 | −5 |
| T3 | Bobby Massa | 72 | 69 | 70 | 211 | −5 |
| 5 | Mitchell Ford | 70 | 72 | 71 | 213 | −3 |
His state title came at his home club, Champions Golf Club, where he defeated Kolton Crawford and Robert Gwin in a playoff. After a lengthy rain delay, Stewart holed a par putt on the final green to extend the championship, then struck his approach inside two feet on the first extra hole to set up the winning birdie.
At Carlton Woods, he took control from the outset. His opening round established a three-stroke cushion, but Driver reduced that advantage to one on the second day. Stewart answered with his second round in the 60s, gaining three strokes on his nearest challenger over the closing 18 holes.
Driver finished runner-up after breaking par in all three rounds. The Deer Park High School boys golf coach arrived with a recent victory of his own, having won his second Greater Houston City Amateur title by 11 strokes in September.
Behind the leading pair, John Hunter and Bobby Massa reached a share of third by different routes. Hunter recovered from an opening round over par with consecutive rounds in the 60s. The 2022 Carlton Woods champion, who also won the 2025 Valentine Invitational, finished with a 69.
Massa, the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, followed his even-par start with two under-par rounds to secure his place alongside Hunter. Mitchell Ford completed the top five.
Colby Harwell, the Carlton Woods champion in 2013 and 2016, began the final day in third but slipped to a share of 12th. Adam Condello moved in the opposite direction, closing with a 69 to join Tucker Jenkins and Coy Dobson in ninth.
Stewart ultimately turned the closest point of the tournament into its decisive separation, securing the title without surrendering the lead after any round.