Preston Ross & Kaitlyn Moreland Win First Citizens Bank Fall Classic

The newly-sponsored First Citizens Bank Fall Classic teed off, Nov. 1-2, at Lone Tree, Augusta Ranch and Las Colinas Golf Club. In the Boys Championship division at Lone Tree, the leaderboard stacked up nicely as a whopping 16 players fire sub-70 opening rounds to set the tone and elicit competitive drama. The division remains up for grabs with a more than a baker’s dozen vying for the top spot and within arm’s reach. A showdown ensued to determine who’ll separate from the pack and emerge victorious. Two names began to stand out and make a legitimate push near the finish line, Preston Ross of Page and Aleksei Panek of Gilbert.

Both players refused to give an inch and continue applying pressure down the final stretch. Ross put the nail in the coffin – closing it out with a clutch birdie putt on the 18^th to secure his maiden dub of the 2025 season. The noteworthy performance was polished off by a 3-under 32 on the back nine and seven total birdies for the round. Leading to an 8-under par total scorecard over two days (68-66) to edge past his fellow competitors by a mere stroke. Panek finishes right behind him at 7-under while Hank Hubbard of Phoenix takes solo-third at 6-under par.

In the Girls Championship division, held at Las Colinas, Kaitlyn Moreland set the tone early shooting the lone round in the 60s out of the entire field at 2-under par. In fact, the Scottsdale native turned out to be the only girl in the division to post two rounds in the 60s. All gas, no brakes summed up her final round perfectly as she outperforms her opening day outing, piling up birdies en route to a 6-under 65. Her first win of the season came in true dominant fashion, concluding the event at 8-under par and claiming the Championship title by five strokes. Cynthia Lang of Chandler took second place honors at 3-under par and Mischa Wang of Scottsdale wrapped up the podium at 2-under.

Carter Griffith of Goodyear emerged with the trophy in the Boys 15-18 division at Lone Tree, putting together a 6-under par showing to clinch the division by three strokes. In the Girls 15-18 division, held at Las Colinas, Malone Wall of Scottsdale scrapes by the field at 3-under par in what’s been a season to remember after tallying win number six.

In the Boys 13-14 division, held at Las Colinas Golf Club, Cat Dann of Mesa blows past his competitors to win by four strokes at 11-under par. Fatima Wahnnatah Hurtado of Tucson hammers out the Girls 13-14 division at Las Colinas Golf Club with rounds of 77 and 70, finishing at 5-over par for the two-stroke advantage.

At Augusta Ranch Golf Club, Zhenting Liu of Chandler took home hardware in the Boys 11-12 division after a 3-under par round. Yena Kim from Mesa shot 4-over 65 for 18 holes at Augusta Ranch to outlast her opponents by a single stroke for the Girls 11-12 division title.

The younger golfers also displayed their talent, with Declan Ringsmuth from Phoenix claiming the Boys 10-and-Under division at Augusta Ranch by a small margin at 13-over par. Julee Diaz from Phoenix triumphant in the Girls 10-and-Under division with a score of 9-over-par 70.

FULL RESULTS | TOURNEY PHOTO