Wheaton Ennis rides hot putter to win the Arizona Amateur
6/22/2024 | by Arizona Golf Association
see also: View results for Arizona Amateur, Tucson Country Club
Ennis made consecutive 30-plus foot putts on holes No. 15 and 16 to slam the door in the championship match
Wheaton Ennis captured the 100th Arizona Amateur Championship at Phoenix Country Club with a 3&2 win over Carl Miltun. After six days of golf against the state’s best amateurs, Ennis closed the door on the championship match with consecutive 30-plus foot putts on holes No. 15 and 16, respectively.
“It feels great,” Ennis said of winning the 100th Arizona Amateur Championship. “I’ve wanted to win this tournament for a long time. To get it done at a place like this was awesome. It was a great week.”
Ennis won the 2023 AJGA Invitational alongside Jasmine Koo in the girl's division.
In the championship match, Ennis jumped out to a 1-up lead on the 143-yard second hole, where he spun his tee shot to four feet and tapped in for a birdie. Miltun tied the match for the final time on the third hole before Ennis’s putter caught fire; he won back-to-back holes and never relinquished the lead.
“Since the match was only an 18-hole format, I knew it would be important to get out to a big lead,” Miltun said. “Unfortunately, (Ennis) got up on me early and never really let off the gas. He had a lot of good putts. I was able to battle with a few birdies in the mix, but ultimately, the hot putter is hard to beat.”
Ennis, who shot 65-65 during two rounds of qualifying stroke play and earned Stroke Play Medalist honors, climbed an uphill battle to get to the championship match. The 18-year-old Texas A&M commit overcame Greg Cesarek, former PGA Latinoamérica player Hans Reimers, and Phoenix Country Club member Richard Hearden.
“I just try to stick with my game plan, try to commit to the shots. My caddie did a great job locking me in all week during match play,” Ennis said. “It’s easy to not be focused, especially in the afternoons when the weather was hot as it was. I just tried to stay committed and execute shots the best I can.”
By winning the 100th Arizona Amateur Championship, Ennis also earned an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Currently, the American Junior Golf Association’s fourth-ranked player, Ennis, also received a 10-year exemption into the Arizona Amateur Championship.
Results: Arizona Amateur
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Eagle, ID | 300 | ||
| Runner-up | Gilbert, AZ | 200 | ||
| Semifinals | Phoenix, AZ | 100 | ||
| Semifinals | Spanish Fork, UT | 100 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Phoenix, AZ | 50 |
About the Arizona Amateur
The event will play host to a maximum field size of 156 players for qualifying rounds, with the field cut to the top 64 players for the match play championship, all competing in one division. The event will consist of a 36-hole qualifier, followed by...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original