2016 Navajo Trail Open winner Wil Collins of Albuquerque finished second to Derek Tolan in 2018 after Tolan set the tournament record of 13-under-par 200 to win the 54-hole event by seven shots. While Tolan won’t be back after he fired a 6-under 65 during the Sunday final round, Collins will be back and figures to contend once more this weekend at Hillcrest Golf Club. He is one of 40 professionals in the field along with plenty of other former champions including Micah Rudosky of Cortez and brothers Bobby and Tom Kalinowski. Bobby won in 2006, and Tom is a three-time champion. Durango’s Shea Sena also will tee up among the pros along with Hillcrest Golf Club’s own Bud Andersen.
Albuquerque’s Sam Saunders is a perennial contender at the Navajo Trail Open, a tournament that draws pros from around the region and serves as an ideal warm-up for the larger San Juan Open held one week later in Farmington at the San Juan Country Club.
