Harrison Zipfel from St. Louis, MO, who has signed with University of Illinois this coming Fall Harrison Zipfel wasn’t the 36-hole leader — but he was the one still standing at the end.
The St. Louis native, who will join the University of Illinois this fall, closed with a 6-under 66 to win the Sonoran Amateur at Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, AZ, finishing at 14-under 202.
Zipfel began the final round at 8-under 136, six behind Matthew Wilson of Weber State, who looked in complete control after opening 67-63, including a tournament-low 63. But Wilson couldn’t hold the cushion on Sunday, closing with 75 and slipping to T3 at 11-under 205.HARRISON ZIPFEL
— SaguaroAmateurSeries (@SaguaroAmSeries) January 5, 2026
St. Louis, MO
2026 Sonoran Amateur
🏆CHAMPION🏆
69-67-66 (-14) @GCofEstrella / Goodyear, AZ@IlliniMGolf
FULL RESULTS⬇️https://t.co/F6yMdeBRW0
🌵 | 🏜️ | ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/kN9ie8GGSj
Nelson, a Scottsdale, Arizona native signed with Oklahoma State for 2027, made it a real finish late. He birdied 16 and 17, then added another birdie at the last — but he needed an eagle to tie, and Zipfel’s closing 66 kept him a shot short.
The win came in Zipfel’s first start of 2026, following a strong 2025 season in which he played eight ranked events, won twice — at the AJGA Junior at Geneva and AJGA NW Arkansas Junior — and added two more top-five finishes.
The Sonoran Amateur marked the eighth event on the Troon Saguaro Amateur Series, a world-ranked circuit founded in 2017 that runs nine tournaments this season. Next up is the Saguaro Amateur— the final stop—scheduled for January 6–8 at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona.