Sand Scorches the Desert

Phoenix shattered a daily heat record on Wednesday when the temperature hit 113 degrees. On Thursday, the Valley of the Sun broke another daily record when the temperature hit 109 degrees. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course was also getting torched by Asher Tour pros, who took advantage of the firm ground and breathless skies. 

Late in Wednesday’s second round, it looked like the cut at the 7400 yard course might reach 9-under, but fell at eight. Asher Tour Director Michael O’Leary said he couldn’t remember a cut going so low in all his years at the helm. It was not what O’Leary was expecting at the beginning of the week and many players, especially the ones who fell below the cutline, shared the sentiment. 

I don’t know when the first indoor TGL event will be played, or what the dome golf experience will be like for spectators. I do know that the past three days at Southern Dunes were as close to playing a tournament in a dome as I’ve come. 

Usually, a few pars strung together in a professional tournament can be a momentum builder. In this event, players felt like they might be losing ground with consecutive pars.

The event was the second of a three-event series that will send one deserving player to the final stage of Asian Tour Q school in December. In a pro golf landscape with few exciting incentives on the mini tour circuits, the possibility of an Asian Tour bid – and competing on a golf course that hosts a first stage of KFT Q school in the coming weeks – brought 120 hungry players to Maricopa. 

The first event of the Asher Tour series was in Stockton, Calif., two weeks ago, and Korn Ferry Tour member Daniel Miernicki shot 21-under to make himself the series frontrunner. Miernicki, who finished 151st on the KFT points list this season, continued his assault on par at Southern Dunes, shooting 18-under and finishing T-7 (tying with three others, including me). 

But Southern Dunes belonged to 25-year-old John Sand, who pummeled an impressive mini tour field with 23-under in 54 holes. For his two-shot victory over Arizona Open champion Michael Feagles, Sand took home $20,000.

“Collectively, it was the best three rounds of my life,” said Sand on Thursday with a smile radiating joy and relief. “I had one screw-up in 54 holes and just so many putts went in.”

When Sand reached the 36th hole on Wednesday in Round 2, he was 18-under and held a four shot lead. The 18th hole demands players hit an intimidating approach to a slender green protected by water short and right. Sand faced this shot from the unwelcoming fairway bunker some 160 yards from the green. His shot found the water and he finished the round with a double bogey, bringing many players back into contention for the final round.

But Sand didn’t linger on the mistake for long and birdied his first three holes of the final round. He added an eagle on the par-5 7th and birdied the 8th, going out in 30. No one was going to catch him.

“I was just hitting it close and not every putt went in, but damn near,” Sand said. “You have to putt well to win and to be in contention now. Guys take it so deep every week. I was on the Americas Tour all summer. Just the level of play is getting better and better everywhere.”

Sand played 10 events on PGA Tour Americas this summer, making four cuts, and only finishing in the top-20 once. Despite the results, he said the summer was a learning experience and he’d take advantage of weekends off, using them to work on his game. The bespectacled University of Denver graduate asked questions of more experienced pros, and players who excelled in a certain area of the game. Sand is a quick study and used his summer experience to give a masterclass at Southern Dunes. 

“This is huge for the confidence because I know this event had a ton of good players,” said Sand. “That’s a huge confidence booster for me; knowing I can compete with them.” 

Sand’s confidence and bank account will be full when he heads to his first stage of Q school next month at Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club in Dallas. 

“It feels good to finally get the monkey off my back.” said Sand. “I had a couple runner-ups on APT last spring, just not quite getting the job done. I just wanted that win. That first breakthrough. Hopefully this is the start of more success.”

The Asher Tour’s three-event series concludes at the end of October in Sedona, Ariz., where a trip to the final stage of Asian Tour school will be awarded. While John Sand doesn’t expect to be playing in Asia next year, his scorching play has opened a new possibility in his golf journey. 

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