Bauman, Horodesky Win SNGA Team Championship Division
Eric Bauman and Greg Horodesky teamed up to win the Championship Division of the SNGA Team Championship. A total of six teams won championships at the tournament which was held Sept. 11-12, 2021, at Reflection Bay Golf Club.--by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider staff
The tournament had two formats with a scramble being played the first day and a four-ball format the second day.
Championship
Eric Bauman and Greg Horodesky fired rounds of 63 and 65 but it wasn’t enough as Kamden Ganir and Darin Johnson matched them stroke for stroke, also shooting 63 and 65.
It took a one-hole playoff before the team of Bauman and Horodesky came away with the victory.
They played a seven-hole stretch, the 9th through 15th holes, in five-under-par including an eagle and three birdies.
“Kam birdied 17 so we knew we were tied with those guys going to 18,” Horodesky said. “I hit it to about 10 feet but Darin made an unbelievable up-and-down for par, I just missed on the left side of the cup and that kind of stung. But we made the par and got it to the playoff so it all worked out.”
In the playoff, which went back to hole No. 1, Horodesky hit it to eight feet while Bauman hit it to three feet. Horodesky missed his birdie putt before Bauman converted for the win.
“Eric came through in the clutch in the playoff to win,” Horodesky said. “It was our first team win. We lost last year at Boulder City so it was nice to win this one.”
Championship
Bauman-Horodesky, 63-65—128
Ganir-Johnson, 63-65—128
Mitchell-Barry, 60-69—129
Net
Justin Nimock and Jacob Kushner had a net birdie on two of the final three holes–one by each player–to win the Net Division title by a stroke.
Nimock said their meal plans were easy for the weekend.
“We were having ham and eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he said with a laugh. “We just played solid. Kush is used to playing one-man scrambles but I finally showed up as his partner. We had 10 birdies Saturday and five today so we definitely ham-and-egged it well.”
Kushner added a par the first day was actually more impressive than the birdie barrage.
“We both hit the stick from about 30 yards away and wound up making an easy par,” he said. “But it was a crazy par.”
Net
Nimock-Kushner, 59-67—126
Johnson-Johnson, 62-65—127
Ship-Allen, 60-67—127
Senior
David Koch and Darin Garness won the Senior Division gross title in a playoff, offsetting two bogeys with a pair of birdies in the four-ball format on the second day.
The duo had an eight-under-par 64 during the first day scramble portion of the tournament.
Both players put a birdie on the scorecard on Sunday and Koch said there was a bit of luck involved on a hole that saved the day.
“On 13 I skulled a chip that hit the pin and then I made the four-footer for par,” he said. “Then on 16 Darin did the same thing, hit the pin and made the putt.”
He added overall it was the first day’s scramble that was the key.
“Darin’s a great partner and we played well,” he said of their opening-round 64. “We play all the time together at (Las Vegas) Paiute. He pounds the heck out of it and I hit it straight. It makes for a good pairing.”
The team also won a team event earlier this year at Paiute.
Senior
Koch-Garness, 64-72—136
Carpendale-Futrell, 69-67—136
Roberts-Acker, 68-69—137
Senior Net
Patrick Carlin and Scott Moon cruised to victory in the Senior Net Division.
The team had three net eagles, six net birdies and two natural birdies over the two days.
“We ham and egged it pretty well,” Moon said. “We just tried to take it one shot at a time and keep focused.”
He said the toughest thing was putting pressure on each other during the round.
“We had a couple of scenarios where we needed each of us to pick up the other one and we did that,” he said. “It doesn’t always work that way but it did this time.”
Senior Net
Carliin-Moon, 62-65—127
Martin-Freymueller, 66-71—137
Knievel-Mirich, 66-72—138
Silver
Frank Ellenburg and Cyrus Whitney put up seven birdies in Sunday’s four-ball format and held on for a one-stroke victory in the Silver gross division.
The team birdied four straight holes on the front nine, two by each of them, to highlight the round.
“We shot five-under on the front nine and had good looks at a couple of other birdie putts,” Ellenburg said. “We just played a really solid round of golf.”
He said the start of the birdie streak was unexpected.
“We were both on the green putting for birdie on four,” he said. “Cyrus had about 25 feet but three-putted. I had about 15 feet but it was a pretty straight putt and I managed to knock it in. That kind of took the lid off the jar and it was pretty smooth sailing after that.”
He also had kind words for the host course.
“We played in the group with general manager Eric Dutt yesterday,” he said. “It was a joy and on behalf of everyone, it was fantastic of them to have us out there and they treat us great. It was a pleasure to play out there.”
Silver
Ellenburg-Whitney, 61-66—127
Parkinson-Macy, 63-65—128
Garrett-Parrish, 61-71—132
Silver Net
The team of Phil Huseby and John Wurtz won in a scorecard playoff to win the Silver Net title.
The team had six birdies on the back nine, three natural and three net, to help them rally with a final-round 62.
“Phil is a birdie machine,” Wurtz said. “I helped out some but we had a lot of ground to make up. We just tried to keep it together.”
But it was a par putt on the final hole that helped make the difference.
“I guess my par putt on the final hole with a pop must have helped us out a little,” he said with a laugh.
Wurtz said it’s Huseby who deserves most of the credit.
“I had a couple of bad holes but Phil picked us up and kept us in it,” Wurtz said.
Silver Net
Huseby-Wurtz, 65-62—127
Caiazzo-Dutt, 61-67—128
Troilo-Link, 64-65—129
