LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Oct, 20, 2017)–Eric Bauman (Championship Division) and Stanley Tomasetti (Net Division) survived windy conditions to post victories at the 2017 SNGA Tour stop held Oct. 20, 2017 at the Las Vegas Golf Club. Other winners included Todd Roberts, Donald Klier, John Garrett and Walter Sabati. — By Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider staff.
It was the first win on the SNGA Tour for both. This was the SNGA Tour’s final event before the Tour championships set for late November and early December.
Championship
Bauman won with a four-under-par total and definitely saved his best for last.
“My last shot of the day was into the par-5 (the 15th hole and his last of the day in the shotgun event) and I hit it to about 10 feet and made the eagle putt,” he said. “It definitely was a great way to finish.”
After his early holes, he didn’t have high expectations for a victory.
“The pressure was off when I bogeyed two of the first three holes,” he said. “But then I settled down and made a few putts and it all worked out.”
Bauman held off runnerup Alex Jordan (-3) by a stroke. They were the only two players in the Championship Division to break par.
Championship
Eric Bauman, 68
Alex Jordan, 69
Dave Johnson, 72
Net
For Tomasetti it was simple. “I just tried to keep it low,” he said of his first SNGA win which came in a scorecard playoff. “We were all playing in the same wind so we all had to adjust.”
That adjustment included calming his nerves at the start.
“There are always first-tee jitters for me,” he said. “Everyone wants to play well. After a few holes I loosened up and played pretty solid. And putting was important today and I did putt pretty well.”
Net
Stanley Tomasetti, 74
Rod Walthers, 74
David Perez, 75
Senior-Gross
Todd Roberts and Frank Acker fired two-over-par 74s with Roberts picking up the victory in a scorecard playoff.
“I just kind of hung in there,” Roberts said. “I got off to a slow start and was three over after 8 holes. I got it back to two over with four holes to go but then made a double on the 10th hole. I wasn’t going to let it get away and birdied the 11th and made an 8-footer on 13 (his last hole) for a birdie and it was good enough to tie Frank.”
Roberts said his play has been good for a couple of years…but it’s also been frustrating.
“I just never seem to maximize my scoring and that’s frustrating at times,” he said. “Today I hung in there and fortunately this one worked out.”
Senior-Gross
Todd Roberts, 74
Frank Acker, 74
Chris Whatley, 76
Senior-Net
Donald Klier scrambled his way around the course en route to a one-shot win.
“I was pretty much able to get myself out of some tough situations that I got myself into,” he said. “I scrambled well and I just tried to keep the ball in play and grind through it.”
He said putting was another key.
“I’ve only played the course four other times and found the greens a challenge,” he said. “I made a couple of key putts and managed to keep it to one or two putts and none of those dreaded three putts.”
Donald Klier, 74
Don Blanton, 75
Antony Santora, 80
Silver-Gross
John Garrett’s scrambled to a three-over-par 75 that was good enough for a one-stroke victory.
For Garrett, it was definitely a tough day at the office.
“I hit it behind about every tree I could find,” he said with a laugh. “I punched it out and got up and down on most of them and just scuffed it around and made some pars.”
Garrett added getting off the tee was a challenge.
“I didn’t hit the driver well at all,” he said. “If I would have hit it better I definitely could have scored a little better anyway.”
Silver-Gross
John Garrett, 75
Bruce Swanson, 76
Frank Abbott, 77
Silver-Net
Walter Sabati was the only player to break par in the division, carding a one-under-par 71 and a one-stroke victory.
“I just tried to swing easy with all the wind,” Sabati said of his first victory in 2017. “I scrambled really well and putted well. I only had one bad hole and that definitely was a key.”
Silver-Net
Walter Sabati, 71
Michael Manthey, 72
Ralph Durgin, 75
