Joe Sawaia has made a name for himself in many ways in Southern Nevada golf as a coach and player. Now, the national spotlight is being shone on Sawaia as he prepares to experience his first USGA national championship as a player as a qualifier for the U.S. Senior Amateur.
Sawaia is one of the 156 competitors who will tee it up in the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Honors Course, in Ooltewah, Tenn. to be played Aug. 24-29, 2024. The official USGA website featured Sawaia highlighting his coaching, playing and family highlights. Sawaia’s two sons, Brett and Ben, are members of the UNLV golf team.
Also repping the SNGA this week is John Turk.
Sawaia is an accomplished SNGA tournament player and also helps oversee tournaments for the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association.
At Coronado High School, Sawaia led the Cougars to 13 state titles, seven with the girls’ program and six more with the boys. Besides coaching his two sons, University of Nevada, Las Vegas left-handers Ben and Brett, the latter of whom qualified for the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Sawaia was blessed to have a bevy of successful female players, including 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Yana Wilson, 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball runner-up Brynn Kort and 2023 state individual champion Ali Mulhall. In fact, Coronado teammates Wilson, Kort, Mulhall and Lilly DeNunzio all qualified for the 2022 Girls’ Junior at The Club at Olde Stone, in Bowling Green, Ky.
Two of his former players have qualified for a U.S. Open, including Matt Edwards, who asked Sawaia to serve as his caddie at Congressional Country Club in 2011. Scott Lewis played at Bethpage State Park two years earlier.
Now Coach Joe takes his shot at a personal USGA title.
