Arone, Noya Win Titles At 2023 Clark County Amateur at Boulder Creek
RJ Arone (Championship) and Joe Noya (Net) captured crowns at the 2023 Clark County Amateur. The tournament was held Nov. 18-19, 2023, at Boulder Creek Golf Club.–by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider
Championship
It’s been quite the run for RJ Arone.
Arone, a senior at Bishop Gorman who will be playing college golf at the University of Michigan in 2024, won the Championship Division by one-stroke for his first SNGA title.
It likely won’t be his last as he’s been on a streak. He helped Gorman win the boys 5A state golf title and followed that up with a victory in the Nevada State Junior Amateur in June.
Now he’s got a major in the SNGA ranks…but it wasn’t easy as Arone had to beat the field, the course and, toughest of all, howling winds on Sunday.
“It was definitely tough out there,” Arone said. “But knowing everyone had to play in the same conditions I just told myself I can get through this.”
A pair of pars on the final two holes sealed his first SNGA crown.
“I was coming off a double bogey and a bogey so I took about 20 deep breaths on the 17th tee,” he said. “I hit it to about 10 feet and almost made the birdie. On 18, I missed the green with my second shot but chipped it up to about a foot. It was one of the best chip shots I’ve hit in awhile.”
He said the final round really helped him work on a part of his game he’s been struggling with.
“The worst part of my game is usually the mental part,” he said. “I don’t get over bogeys and stuff real well. For some reason, this was the best mental weekend game of my life and it’s something I can take with me going forward.”
Championship
RJ Arone, 67-78—145
Andrew Hawk, 73-73—146
Avery Lazarski, 71-76—147
Net
Joe Noya played a three-hole stretch during the final round in four-under par (a net eagle, a natural birdie and a net birdie) en route to a three-shot win in the Net Division.
It was Noya’s first individual SNGA title to go along with three team championships.
“I’ve never won anything by myself in my life,” he said. “This is great.”
Noya said his four-under-par stretch over three holes in the final round really gave him a boost, especially the par-3 eighth.
“I went from two behind to two ahead on that hole,” he said. “It was a four-shot swing and that really gave me a lot of confidence.”
He said in the future, he’s going to have more pressure on his game.
“I’m pretty sure my handicap is going to drop,” he said. “I haven’t been happy with the way I’ve played over the last year and my handicap has gone up. I’m getting a few more strokes than I’m used to and that helped.”
He said his game-plan over the back nine worked out well…well, for the most part.
“I just started finding fairways and if I missed the green, I tried to get up and down for pars,” he said. “And I did that, except on the last hole.”
He finished the tournament with a triple bogey on the final hole but still had the win well in hand.
“It was the best triple I’ve had in my life,” he said with a laugh. “I hit it in the water and just didn’t play the hole very well. Next time I’ll play it a little smarter.”
Overall, he said it was a great weekend and the SNGA staff had a lot to do with that.
“They are just incredible people,” he said. “All of the staff and the volunteers…to come out in this wind and 50 degree temperatures shows a lot of dedication.”
Net
Joe Noya, 66-76—142
Jacob Barry, 65-80—145
Lonnie Wilson, 73-73—146
