Tour Open Tests WiiGA Field as Four Finish Under Par

By WiiGA Tour Staff

September 15, 2026

The inaugural WiiGA Tour Open is officially in the books, and its first full-field event offered an early look at both the contenders and growing pains across the tour.

On the nine-hole, par-36 Classic Course, four competitors managed to finish below par. Cade Zobrist finished at 5-under, narrowly ahead of Dylan Speirs at 4-under, but some of the day's most encouraging performances came just behind them.

Jacob Kopp continued his strong early play with a 2-under round, putting himself firmly among the tour's early contenders. Malachi Zapata also broke par at 1-under, an impressive showing as he continues to establish himself in WiiGA competition.

"I think we're starting to see just how competitive this field can be," Speirs said. "Jacob and Malachi both put together really good rounds. There are a lot of guys here who can make noise when they're playing well."

Further down the leaderboard, T Burkett led the over-par finishers at 5-over, while Isaiah Hines and Alex Snodgrass each finished at 7-over. Hines' round provided his first official tournament benchmark, while Snodgrass will leave the Open with plenty to build on after his opening appearance.

Titus Whitfield and Michael Ramares matched each other at 8-over, adding another pair of tightly contested scores in the middle of the field.

It was a more difficult outing for Cade Martin, who finished 12-over, and Heath Chupp, whose 15-over marked the highest score of the tournament. But on a tour still in its infancy, one difficult nine-hole round is hardly enough to define a season.

That's particularly true with an entirely different challenge coming next.

Looking Ahead: The Wuhu Invitational

The WiiGA Tour won't have to wait long for its next test.

This weekend, competition shifts to the Resort Course for the Wuhu Invitational, giving the field its first opportunity to prove itself away from the Classic Course.

The change of scenery could be especially important for players looking to rebound from the Open. Rather than simply trying to improve on the same nine holes, competitors will face a new course and a chance to reset.

"The Open gave us a starting point, but that's all it is — a starting point," Speirs said. "Now we go to the Resort, and I think that's where we'll start learning a lot more about everybody's game."

For Kopp and Zapata, the Wuhu Invitational offers a chance to turn strong opening performances into early-season momentum. For Burkett, Hines, Snodgrass, Whitfield and Ramares, it's an opportunity to make a jump up the leaderboard. And for Martin and Chupp, it's a chance to leave a difficult opening tournament behind them.

One event has provided the WiiGA Tour its first results.

This weekend at the Wuhu Invitational, the field gets its first chance to respond.