LOCAL GOLF
After walking away from golf, Alexander Zannes claims Albuquerque City Championship title
Former Lobo regained his love for the sport after personal tragedy caused him to give it up for 10 years
Published
No matter what happened Sunday, Alexander Zannes knew he could live with the outcome.
鈥�(It was) just like, 鈥楬ey, if I win, I win,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淟ife is going to go on, and I鈥檓 happy to be out here and able to play in this kind of stuff still.鈥�
He got a result to be plenty happy with, too.
Zannes won the 85th Annual Greater Albuquerque Men鈥檚 City Golf Championship by two strokes, carding a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish 11 under on the week.
The 38-year-old commercial real estate broker and Valley High School graduate climbed into contention on the strength of a blistering second-round 8-under 64 on Saturday at Ladera Golf Course, where he used to work as a cart boy in his youth. He finished the job Sunday at Los Altos with a front nine that saw him make five birdies and four bogeys before 鈥渉olding it together鈥� through a nerve-riddled back nine.
Even a two-stroke lead with one hole to go didn鈥檛 help much.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 feel my hands,鈥� he laughed.
On Los Altos鈥� par-4 18th hole, Zannes ripped a 2-iron 150 yards off the tee, a shot that went 鈥渟traight right鈥� but stayed in bounds. He then hit 鈥渙ne of the best 8-irons of my life鈥� within four feet of the hole before making par to clinch a win years in the making for the city championship veteran.
鈥淭his tournament鈥檚 been a foundational part of my youth and just growing up,鈥� Zannes said. 鈥淚 think it's so awesome that they still do it at the city courses every year, and you still get a great field. It鈥檚 a really cool tournament to win, especially because Albuquerque is so important to me.鈥�
Born in New Jersey, Zannes grew up in Albuquerque and started golfing at the age of 8. He learned the game on city courses like Ladera, where he picked up pins and balls as a cart boy, and Los Altos, where he shot a 63 that helped him walk on to New Mexico鈥檚 golf team.
But at UNM, Zannes鈥� love for the game started to fade. In the wake of a personal tragedy, Zannes said he didn鈥檛 have the college career he wanted and stopped playing in 2010, forgoing long-held dreams of professional golf.
鈥淢y dad passed away when I was 18,鈥� Zannes said. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 around those four years and that was just so tough because he was such a rock for my golf game.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 until 2020 that Zannes decided to get out and play again. Living and working in Hawaii, he entered a tournament on a whim.
鈥淚 was just like, 鈥榊ou know what, I鈥檓 gonna start playing again,鈥欌�� Zannes said.
鈥淚 shot like 81-84 in my first tournament back,鈥� he added, 鈥渁nd I was like, 鈥榓ll right, maybe I should start practicing.鈥欌��
Like that, Zannes had the bug again. He went on to win a Hawaii state mid-amateur tournament and qualified for two U.S. Mid-Amateur tournaments before moving back to Albuquerque in 2021. It was an opportunity to reacquaint himself with the city courses he grew up on.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just so important to have these courses,鈥� Zannes said. 鈥淎ffordable golf is so important. Accessible golf is so important. Having these city courses and the crews that keep them running is so important.鈥�
Entering the city championship, Zannes felt his game was trending in the right direction. He said his ball-striking has been in a good spot this summer. And his scores had been 鈥渦ncharacteristically鈥� low, even for an accomplished mid-amateur.
This weekend, it all came together.
鈥淵ou always want to be in a position to win,鈥� Zannes said. 鈥淏ut to do it and know that whatever the result is, it鈥檚 gonna be all right is a good place to be. I couldn鈥檛 have said that 10 years ago.鈥�
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
