[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1502330068825{background-color: #fcfcfc !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Aug. 8, 2017)–You want pressure on the golf course? Well, here it is: Play one round of golf for one available spot in the 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur. That’s the task that Frank Acker faced in winning the Southern Nevada qualifier held Aug. 7, 2017, at Arroyo Golf Club. Acker fired a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 to win by three strokes and earn his way into the prestigious event. His longtime golfing partner and friend Brady Exber had already earned his spot. — By Bill Bowman.
The U.S. Senior Amateur will be held Aug. 26-31 at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, Minn.
Frank Acker
“I’ve never played in the U.S. Senior Amateur before,” Acker said. “I’ve missed qualifying by one shot a couple of times so this is great.”
Acker is thrilled to be able to join Exber in the national tournament.
“Brady is in there already so I’m sure we’ll have a great time,” Acker said. “I’m getting ready to send him a text now.”
Earlier this year, Exber was inducted into the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame.
Acker said this qualifying event was definitely special.
“Everything went right,” Acker said. “I just tried to keep it smooth and hit it well.”
It also didn’t hurt that he putted extremely well.
“I had four birdies in a row on the back nine, 13, 14, 15 and 16,” he said. “And I left it on the lip on 17. The putt on 13 was about 40 feet but the others were about 10-to-12 feet.”
This qualifier is circled early on Acker’s calendar every year.
“This is the biggest event of the year for me,” he said. “This is more important to me than anything.”
And his expectations now that he’s in the U.S. Senior Amateur? That’s easy. “I’m going there to win it,” he said.
Fellow Las Vegas Golf Hall of Famer Doug Pool is the first alternate after shooting a two-under-par 70. The second alternate is Ed White, who fired a one-under-par 71.
“I was ahead of Frank but then he made those four birdies in a row and that was it,” Pool said. “I’ve made it in (to the tournament) as an alternate before. We’ll just have to wait and see if I get the chance again.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Amy Ruelas was the MVP of Foothill High in 2012 and 2013 and then took her talents to Grand Canyon University, where she will embark on her senior season this fall. This week, she shot 71-74–145 to finish at 1-over par at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort to win the championship division of the Nevada State Women’s Golf Association State Amateur tournament. Hyun Lee won the net division. — By Brian Hurlburt.
Ruelas defeated local high school standout and UNLV Rebels commit Veronica Joels by five shots. Connie Isler was third.
“My last big win was back in the summer of 2014, which was The Las Vegas City Junior Championship so this is my first win as an adult,” Ruelas said. “One thing I did very well this week was course management. On shorter holes, I wouldn’t take driver off the tee but 3 iron or 3 wood instead. As a long hitter, this kept me safe and kept me out of trouble. I recently made a change in my pre-shot routine and that also changed my mental game in a big way and helped me to the victory.”
Ruelas played in 11 tournaments for the Lopes last season with a scoring average of 78.85.
Amy Ruelas
“All of my hard work and preparation has paid off,” Ruelas said. “Every day after having to work 7-8 hour shifts at the courses I’m working at I would stay the extra 3-4 hours to get my practice in for the day. I made sure no matter what, I was practicing with a purpose and keeping my goal in mind.”
For net winner Lee, a member at Bear’s Best Las Vegas, the win was her biggest moment in golf.
“I wasn’t thinking of winning the tournament but it was the most exciting feeling I ever have had in golf,” Lee said. “Just the day before the tournament, I played terribly. But on tournament day, I decided to relax and enjoy the game. I didn’t know I was winning. Now I am so happy.”
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (July 25, 2017)—It was another major championship for the Southern Nevada Golf Association when former Coronado High golfer and SNGA member Bradley Keyer won the Nevada State Match Play held at Spanish Trial. Keyer defeated Brigham Gibbs in the finals 3 & 1. Keyer recently transferred to Creighton from San Jose State and will be a sophomore there in the fall. – By Bill Bowman.
Earlier in July, Daren Johnson won the Nevada State Amateur.
Bradley Keyer
Keyer got off to a quick start in the match play portion of the 2017 Nevada State Match Play event and used that momentum to win the crown. Keyer was ranked 10th in the field to start the event before racing to the title. None of Keyer’s matches reached the 18th hole.
“I didn’t play great in the seeding round, but once we got to match play I really played solid,” Keyer said. “I really enjoy match play. It becomes a little easier playing one-on-one rather than against the field.”
Keyer added his first hole of match play was definitely the key to his success.
“I birdied the first hole (against Todd Roberts) and that really got me going,” he said. “I hit a good drive and a good approach and watched the putt drop and I was off. I putted pretty well the rest of the tournament.”
The event started with 18 holes of stroke play action to seed the field. Ed Fryatt led the way through the first round of qualifying as he carded a four-under-par 68. Kenny Ebalo was second with a round of two-under-par 70 and Josh Goldstein was the only other player under par, firing a one-under-par 71.That earned Fryatt the top seed and earned him a first-round bye. But he was eliminated by John Bobroski, the 17th seed, 4-and-3 in the round of 32.
Ebalo, the No. 2 seed, was also ousted early as he fell in the quarterfinals to Keyer, 2-and-1.
And Goldstein, the No. 3 seed, fell in the round of 16, losing 1-up to Darren Johnson.
That left Bradley Collett, the No. 4 seed, as the top remaining player as he posted a pair of victories, winning matches 1-up and 4-and-2 to reach the semifinals. Joining him in the semifinals were Brigham Gibbs (a 5-and-4 winner over Bobroski), Darren Johnson (winning in 19 holes over Jason Cordon) and Keyer (with his 2-and-1 win over Ebalo).
That set the stage for the semifinals where the 9th-ranked Gibbs (a 6-and-5 victory over Collett) and the 10th-ranked Keyer (a 5-and-3 winner over Johnson) both breezed into the final match.
The finale saw both players par the first eight holes before a birdie by Keyer gave him the first lead.
“(Gibbs) hit a poor shot on nine and I hit it to 10 feet and that gave me the hole and a one-up lead,” Keyer said. “I won 11 with a birdie and 12 with a par and then we were back on the par train. He won 16 and then we both hit it to six or seven feet on 17. He missed his putt and I made mine.”
Match over.
Despite the loss, Gibbs was happy with his ball striking during the tournament. But he said his putting was his downfall.
“I hit it really well,” he said. “I only missed three greens all day. But I couldn’t make a putt. He hit it pretty well and made one or two more putts than I did. I can’t be unhappy…I just got beat. It’s that simple.”
Two members of the SNGA came out on top of a field of 50 players and qualified for the 2017 U.S. Amateur, which will be played August 14-20 at Riviera and Bel-Air Country Clubs in Southern California. The qualifier was held over two days at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City and Goldstein, May and UNLV recruit Jack Trent all tied with a 7-under 137 total. May and Goldstein earned the coveted spots following a playoff.
Jeremy May
May and Goldstein shot rounds of 70-67 while Trent shot rounds of 71-66 to get into the playoff. Trent’s second-round 66 included a 29 on the front nine. Trent is the first alternate while Ben Davis, who finished at 5-under 135, is the second alternate.
It will be the second U.S. Amateur for Goldstein, who is a quality control specialist for Tesla. He also played in 2010 when the event was at Chambers Bay but didn’t qualify for the match play rounds. Goldstein played college golf at Elon University and then took a hiatus from golf while he focused on his career. He also has played in a USGA 4-ball event previously so this will mark his third-career USGA event.
Josh Goldstein
“Playing Riviera is going to be sick,” Goldstein said.
May owns a pool repair company and qualified for his first-ever USGA event at 41 years old.
“I am so excited is the first thing that comes to mind about qualifying,” May said.
May played college golf at Santa Ana Junior College and then turned professional for a short time before earning back his amateur status a few years ago.
“This is probably my biggest accomplishment in golf,” May said.
RENO, Nev. (July 8, 2017) — It was a terrific showing for members of the Southern Nevada Golf Association at the 2017 Nevada State Amateur played July 6-8 at Genoa Lakes Golf Club in Genoa, Nevada. Daren Johnson, an SNGA member of the Southwest Golf Club, won the title while seven of the top 10 finishers were from Southern Nevada including the second-place finisher Josh Goldstein. -by Bill Bowman and Brian Hurlburt.
Johnson birdied four of his first nine holes in the 2017 Nevada State Amateur and cruised to a four-stroke victory. Sixty golfers–30 from the Southern Nevada Golf Association and 30 from the Northern Nevada Golf Association–battled it out over the 54-hole championship. Johnson finished up at 11-under-par at the tournament.
Daren Johnson
Steve Sear, the two-time defending champion from Reno, finished third. Philip Rowe, an assistant coach at UNLV and representing the SNGA, tied for fourth with Joo Ho Lee (NNGA) at -4. Next was Ed Fryatt (SNGA) who tied for sixth with Grant McKay (SNGA) at -2. Other SNGA members in the top 10 were Bradley Keyer and Kenny Eblalo, who tied for ninth.
The early tournament drama belonged to Johnson as he opened the event with a first-day lead after carding a 6-under-par 66. He had seven birdies on the day with a lone bogey on the 18th. That gave him a two-stroke lead over three golfers at -4. It was another three shots back to five golfers at -1. Johnson led wire to wire and put together three qualify rounds of golf.
“That first day went really smooth for me,” Johnson said. “I had one of the best stats rounds I’ve ever had. I hit 12 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and had 26 putts. That was just ideal. I was scrambling a little more on the last two days.”
But Johnson managed to keep up the pressure the second day as he added a 2-under-par 70 to his total. The round included another three birdies and a lone bogey–again on the 18th hole. Goldstein (SNGA) and Rowe (SNGA) kept up the pace as they also fired 70s to be just two strokes back.
“Friday was interesting,” Johnson said of the second round. “I had just one birdie on the front nine and wasn’t really going anywhere. Then I made a bogey on 10 and parred 11. The 12th hole was key. I sat over a 20-foot birdie putt and knew if I stroked it well, this would be the putt where I started my second round. It went in and I didn’t look back.”
That set up Saturday’s finale where Johnson again played solid golf to post the victory. He had four birdies on the day as he carded a three-under-par 69. He was four-under for the day until posting his lone bogey of the round–for the third straight day–on the 18th hole.
“This is just unbelievable for my confidence,” Johnson said of the victory. “It’s the biggest win of my career by far. If anything, it gives me more of a boost to keep working hard to get to the next level. I’m more determined than ever to keep improving.”
Johnson, who was born and raised in Southern California, is finishing up an MBA at Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. His plans are to move to Laughlin after he finishes school in August which is why he hooked up with the SNGA.
“I really wanted to play some competitive golf in the area and the SNGA gives me that chance,” he said. “I’m basically shooting between SoCal, the Bay Area and Las Vegas.”
The move to Laughlin fits his future plans perfectly. “It’s close to SoCal and Las Vegas…I get the best of both worlds,” he said. “I’ll keep focusing on golf for now. After I move, I’ll see if my career takes off or if my golf career takes off.”
Former Southern Nevada Golf Association president Steve Fink, 60, lived the ultimate golfer’s dream recently. He played in the 38th U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts, June 29-July 2. Fink is an active SNGA member and played college golf at UCLA in the mid-1970s. –By Brian Hurlburt.
L to R: Billy Mayfair, Steve Fink, standard bearer, Tom Kite.
Fink shot 72 at a regional qualifying event held at Bear Creek Golf Club in Temecula, California, in June and finished as the first alternate. He officially secured his spot in the 151-player field when Steve Stricker and Dave Eichelberger withdrew just prior to the start of the Open.
“This alternate reality is unbelievable,” Fink said after his first day at the Open. “It’s a dream I’ve always had to be inside the ropes with some of the greatest players in the world and these are some of the greatest legends ever.”
Fink’s fantasy week included a Tuesday practice round played alongside tour legends Tom Kite and Billy Mayfair, and Chip Lutz, a fellow amateur.
“To play golf with Tom Kite was one incredible experience,” Fink said. “What a golf swing he has and what a gentleman. Mayfair blew me away with how far and how high he hit the ball. I enjoyed every minute of the experience.”
Fink gained some confidence in the latter part of the round and during an afternoon practice session when he spent some time with former college teammates Corey Pavin and Tom Pernice, Jr.
“I feel very good right now,” Fink said prior to the first round. “I don’t want to jinx myself, but I feel like I can play this course. I’m putting well and that’s key, and I’m a pretty good chipper. My goals and expectations are just like they were for the qualifier. I’m going to grind out as many pars as I can and find a birdie here and there.”
Once in action, Fink acquitted himself pretty well for an amateur with a full-time job. He fired rounds of 79-77, but missed the cut. No matter the result, it was the experience of a lifetime.
“Clearly, I am disappointed that I didn’t play to my ability, but that doesn’t diminish the amazing experience,” Fink said. It was the top of the bucket list, for sure. I hit balls next to Tom Watson, had breakfast with Mark O ‘Meara and gave John Cook a quick bunker lesson. I also asked Faldo if he had fun after the first round, he said ‘not really’. I asked again after the second round and he said ‘a little’. It was cool to have my locker next to his. I also really enjoyed all the UCLA Bruins. Scotty McCarran was especially nice. Michael Allen is another pro who was extra nice to me.”
After missing the cut, Fink stayed for the weekend and still had inside-the-ropes access.
Nine-time Southern Nevada Golf Association player of the year Brady Exber has seen and experienced plenty in his life and it’s pretty difficult to surprise him. On the course, he’s usually in control and friends, competitors and teammates all agree Exber usually exudes a controlled demeanor on and off the course. — By Brian Hurlburt.
But when he was notified a few months ago that he was the lone inductee into the Class of 2017 for the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame, the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee was truly stunned. Exber was officially enshrined in June at High Point Country Club in High Point, North Carolina, during a ceremony coinciding with the annual National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame golf tournament.
“First off, I can’t believe they voted me in,” Exber said a few days removed from the ceremony. “I never played for awards like this. I just loved the challenge and competition. All the awards and success came as a result. No matter what, I just wanted to do the best I could.”
Exber has won at least one SNGA tournament each year since 1989, and was recognized by the senior hall of fame for his national and international senior amateur golf career. In 2014, Exber won the British Senior Amateur and was also named the Golfweek Senior Amateur of the Year. He’s also won the Azalea Senior Invitational four times.
Several friends and competitors spoke in a video tribute to Exber at the induction including Butch Harmon and Robert Gamez, among others. Todd Roberts introduced Exber at the event.
The Exber File
2014 British Senior Amateur Champion
2014 Canadian Senior Amateur Runner-Up
2014 – 2015 Stocker Cup Mid-Amateur Champion
2015 Crane Cup Mid-Amateur Champion
4 Time Azalea Senior Invitational Champion
2014 George Thomas Invitational – Senior Champion
2012 Coleman Invitational Senior Champion
2014 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year
Nine-Time Southern Nevada Player of the Year and Member of the Las Vegas Hall of Fame
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 30, 2017)–Grant McKay birdied the 18th hole at Reflection Bay Golf Club to win the Championship Division of the 2017 SNGA Tour-Reflection Bay held June 30, 2017. McKay’s birdie gave him a score of even-par 72 that included three birdies and three bogeys. He finished one shot ahead of Jason Cordon and Jay Sostarich. — By Bill Bowman.
McKay said the final-hole birdie certainly was timely. “It was a great way to finish,” he said. “It was a solid way to end the round and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”
But he did admit there were mistakes in his round, but he focused on the positive impacts those errant shots had. “I did make a couple of mistakes but I was able to learn from them,” he said.
He said one of the keys to his round was on the par-4 14th. “I hit a wedge from 120 yards and spun it off the back slope to about five feet and made the short putt,” he said. “That certainly helped me finish the round with a lot of confidence.”
McKay played high school golf at Coronado in Henderson.
Grant McKay
Championship
Grant McKay, 72
Jason Cordon, 73
Jack William Trent, 73
Jay Sostarich, 73
Brandon Smith, 74
Bradley Keyer, 74
Chris Scheneman
Net Division
In the Net Division, Chris Scheneman’s 5-under-par 67 was good enough for a seven-stroke victory over Nate Ross and Marc Stevenson.
“I was striking the ball well and the putter worked for me,” Scheneman said. “I’ve played in five or six of these events and it’s my first win. To be honest, I’ve come in pretty close to dead last in most of them so this is real nice.”
Net Division
Chris Scheneman, 67
Nate Ross, 74
Marc Stevenson, 74
Sam Myers
Senior Division
Sam Myers edged Frank Acker to win the Senior Division title. Myers carded a 3-under-par 69 while Acker fired a 70.
Myers birdied the first three holes and wound up with six birdies during his round.
Senior Division
Sam Myers, 69
Frank Acker, 70
Bruce Belcoure, 77
Anthony Santora
Senior Division Net
Anthony Santora’s 2-under-par 70 was good enough for a one-stroke victory over Jim O’Hare in the Senior Division Net race.
“Things went pretty well but I had to scramble quite a bit,” Santora said. “I putted real well today and was hitting fairways but I was a little off-center hitting greens but I was good on getting my ups and downs.”
Senior Division Net
Anthony Santora, 70
Jim O’Hare, 71
Walter Sabati, 73
Silver Division
Frank Abbot’s 3-under-par 69 was good for an eight-stroke victory in the Silver Division. Abbott had five birdies on his round including four on the back nine where he carded a four-under-par 32.
“I drove the ball in play and hit a lot of balls close so that certainly helps,” Abbott said. “I’ve been playing well the last two or three months. Maybe 90 percent of my rounds have been really solid so I’ve been on a pretty good run.”
Bruce Swanson, Frank Abbott
Silver Division
Frank Abbott, 69
Tony Caiazzo, 77
Thomas DiGiacomo, 81
Mike Apfel, 81
Silver Division Net
Bruce Swanson posted a one-shot win over Loren Little in the Silver Division Net portion of the event.
“I drove the ball very well but I didn’t putt well at all,” Swanson said. “Usually if I drive the ball well I’ll score very well but I left my putting in the bag. I had 34 putts and still shot 74. But I’m striking the ball well and playing smart golf again. Once the putter gets working I’ll be deadly.”
As golfers get older, a common goal is to shoot a score that matches or is under the age of the person. Recently, Dwight Henry, an SNGA member at Conestoga Golf Club in Mesquite, fired a round of 71 to match his age. It was the first time Henry had shot at or under his age and he did it with a sense of humor. — By Brian Hurlburt.
“It would have been easier if I was older,” Henry said a few days after the historic round.
Henry is a seven handicap from the silver tees. Conestoga is his home course
“I took the game up once I go out into the working world at age 25,” Henry said. “During my working life, I would golf occasionally on weekends. After I retired I became interested in the Single Plain swing. Two brothers out of Oklahoma travel around the country doing three and five-day training sessions. I’ve been working on my single plain swing habits for the last six years, and now that I’m retired I play five days a week. The single plain swing has made golf much easier on my back and made me a much more consistent golfer.”
Even professionals take shooting one’s age seriously, especially for those players whose age hovers around the par barrier.
A 2006 Orange County Register article detailed Player’s question: “For example, Player, who has won 163 international events during his distinguished career, is 70 now, and he shot his age for only the fourth time in his career on tour earlier this month when he posted a first-round 69 at the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.”
ESPN.com also once ran a column titled, “Shooting your age is a major accomplishment.”
It was clear that Diane Booth, a member of the Las Vegas Country Club who has been playing golf for only six years, was thrilled about winning the Women’s SNGA Southern Nevada Amateur. Her excited voice told the story as she spoke shortly after equaling a personal best score of 67 in the final round at Bear’s Best Las Vegas. — By Brian Hurlburt.
“Wow,” Booth said, while taking a moment to contemplate the question about what is the first thing that came to her mind about winning a major. “Every golfer knows how difficult it is to shoot a personal best score or to shoot a great score, in general, but to do it in a pressure-filled tournament setting makes it extra special.”
Booth, a 3 handicap, got hot with the putter over the final nine or 10 holes and was inspired to the victory by her confidence in the flat stick. She also improved her second-round score by 11 shots over round one, when she shot a 78. She won by eight shots.
Sherry Jackson finished second with rounds of 77-76 while Ronda Henderson was third at 77-76.
“I made a great par save on the 9th hole and then birdied 10, 11 and 12,” Booth said. “I really got some confidence in the putter after that par on nine. Lately, I have been hitting my wedges very well and also putting it well and it showed in this tournament.”
Salini King, 72, and a member at Bear’s Best, used her home course knowledge, a new TaylorMade putter and patience to win the net division.
“It was great and I loved it,” King, a 13.8 handicap, said about the victory. “It was great that I was able to compete at my age against the younger players. I just happened to manage my game a little better than the others this week. I told myself before the tournament that I needed to not get ahead of myself, stay composed and really focus on the proper club selections. Also, I had to stay within my game and not try to out hit the long hitters that I played against.”
Some courses have more cache than others and one of those layouts is the historic Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York. The course, which opened in 1921, has been the host site for multiple major championships including the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open. The list of champions includes names like Tommy Armour, Ryan Moore, Bobby Jones and Betsy Rawls. — By Brian Hurlburt.
Kenny Ebalo and Shane Sigsbee
Now Southern Highlands Golf Club and SNGA members Shane Sigsbee and Kenny Ebalo will be listed among them forever. The duo recently won the annual Anderson Memorial, one of the world’s premier four-ball tournaments that has been played since 1933.
Sigsbee and Ebalo closed out Brett Boner and Steve Woodard of Carolina Golf Club 3 & 2 in the final match to claim the championship.
“The first thing that comes to mind is how cool of an honor it is to be on the wall at Winged Foot,” Ebalo said. “Every champion since 1933 is printed on the wall in the grill room and now Shane and I are on it, too, representing Southern Highlands. Also, the Southern Highlands staff and membership were amazing all week sending us messages as the whole club was watching. We were the top seed and never trailed in any of our four matches, and always got off to a great start with a birdie on the first hole each time.”
The tournament, referred to as Winged Foot’s “other” major, featured 92 two-player teams from 30 states and five countries. The event is named in honor John G. Anderson, a founding member of Winged Foot.
Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon is closely aligned with Winged Foot as his father was the club professional at the course from 1945-1978. Butch’s brother, Billy, was the keynote speaker this year and won a club championship at the course 50 years ago. Butch operates his school of golf at Rio Secco in Henderson.
Ebalo and Sigsbee have played together on the local tournament schedule and have had success. In 2014, they won the Boulder City Team Championship. Ebalo also was the SNGA player of the year in 2014.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 25, 2017)—Ed Fryatt used a 3-under-par 33 on the front nine of Sunday’s final round en route to 2-under-70 and coasted to a 7-stroke victory in the Championship Division of the 2017 Southern Nevada Amateur Championship played June 24-25 at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. Fryatt carded rounds of 69-70—139 to race to the victory. –By Bill Bowman.
The tournament used two courses at the resort as players teed it up on Sun Mountain for the first round and Snow Mountain for the finale.
Fryatt led the way by one shot after the first day at three-under-par 69 with a round that included five birdies. Just four players broke par in the first round. He kept up the hot streak during the first nine holes of the second round.
“I played pretty solid,” Fryatt said. “I had a couple of hiccups with three-putts but I drove it well, ironed it well and I’m pleased with the direction I’m headed.”
And that direction is back up. “I’m working real hard on my game,” he said. “About a month and a half ago I wasn’t in a very good place. I was kind of lost. I follow quite a few teachers on Instagram. One of those is Amanda Carlson (Angel Park) who communicates it in the right way. I called her up and started working with her. She works with a lot of junior golfers and makes a lot of sense in building up confidence. I feel like I’m heading in the right direction now.”
This tournament was reinforcement. “I was three-under through the first six or seven holes (Sunday) and the other guys got off to a rough start,” he said. “I got a little ahead and just tried to make a lot of pars and not make mistakes.”
Edward Fryatt
Championship Division
Edward Fryatt, 69-70—139
Gregory Whittemore, 72-74—146
Josh Goldstein, 78-69—147
Bradley Collet, 76-72—148
Nate Ross
Net Division
Nate Ross picked up his first victory in the SNGA Net Division, rallying for a two-stroke victory over Lee Martin and Kenneth Paul, Jr.
“I had a couple of up and downs that really saved me,” he said. “I putted pretty well and a big part of the up and downs was the putting.”
He added he played solid golf both days. “I was pretty steady,” he said. “I shot 81-82. Sunday was a little better but I did have a couple of strokes get away from me.”
Net Division
Nate Ross, 73-75—148
*Lee Martin, 73-77—150
Kenneth Paul, Jr., 65-85—150
*-Won playoff
John Turk
Senior Division
John Turk fired a two-under-par 70 during the second round to win the Senior Division. Turk had rounds of 73-70—143 to win by four strokes over Gary Carpendale.
Turk had five birdies on the final day in his two-under-par round including three in a row during one stretch on the front nine.
He came into the weekend with low expectations. “I haven’t played in a long time,” he said. “I went down to Arizona to do some training to go overseas (to the Middle East). I was as shocked as anyone to play decent.”
He said one key was the putting. “I had perfect speed on the greens and that was great,” he said.
Before the event he stopped at TPC Las Vegas to get his clubs and talked to one of the instructors, Matt Henderson.
“I told him I needed a band-aid because I hadn’t played in so long that I couldn’t keep it on the planet,” Turk said. “Whatever he said worked out well.”
Senior Division
John Turk, 73-70—143
Gary Carpendale, 73-74—147
Gary Lanzen, 74-76—150
Senior Division Net
Chris Whatley’s 70-70—140 was good enough for a two-stroke victory over Luis Morais in the Senior Division Net.
Chris Whatley
Senior Division Net
Chris Whatley, 70-70—140
Luis Morais, 72-70—142
Joe Rada, 72-74—146
Kevin Parrish
Silver Division
Kevin Parrish’s second-round one-under-par 71 vaulted him to victory in the Silver Division. Parrish trailed second-place finisher Frank Abbott by a stroke after the first round. Abbott opened with a 67 while Parrish carded a 68.
“I played very steady golf all weekend and made a lot of pars and some birdies and very few bogeys,” Parrish said. “I hit a lot of greens in regulation and I think I only missed six greens all weekend. (Sunday) I kept the ball under the wind in the windy conditions out here and played for par. I pretty much took an extra club or two on all shots and let the wind help the ball.”
The victory is Parrish’s third major on the SNGA circuit and he now only needs the LV City Amateur.
Silver Division
Kevin Parrish, 68-71—139
Frank Abbott, 67-75—142
Neil Driscoll, 78-76—154
Silver Division Net
Larry Agan and Bruce Swanson tied at 139 for the Silver Division Net crown with Agan coming away with the victory on the second playoff hole.
“I made about a 20-footer for par to win it,” Agan said. “I hit it into a bunker and then popped it onto the green and the putt rolled in.”
He said he played pretty solid in the tournament, especially on Sunday. “I only had one double (bogey) on Sunday,” he said. “My putting was good and I scrambled very well. The difference was I was scrambling for bogey on Saturday and scrambling for par on Sunday. That made the difference.”
Lee and Dylan Martin, age 17, made the most out of their first event with the Southern Nevada Golf Association. The father and son, who recently moved to Las Vegas from Sydney, Australia, when Lee was transferred by his company, won the net division of the SNGA Father and Son Classic played at Las Vegas National Golf Club. They shot 63.
Dylan and Lee Martin
Dylan, a rising senior at Faith Lutheran, recorded five birdies during the round to set the pace.
“Well, my son carried me and was the big reason we won,” Lee Martin said. “It was a wonderful event and the first time Dylan and I had played together as a team. Usually we are playing against each other. It was also our first tournament with the SNGA and we want to thank them for a wonderful day. We enjoyed it.”
The Martins moved to Las Vegas in March and Dylan is pursuing a collegiate career following his senior season at Faith Lutheran.
Second place went to Ivan and Christopher Smith while Ian and Victor Onufrieff finished third.
Tyler and Brevin Barlow, age 13, won the Callaway flight with a round of 59. Brevin played for the Bob Miller Middle School team this past season and will be playing junior golf throughout the summer. Bob Miller won the middle school championship.
“It was a great time and we really enjoyed it,” Tyler Barlow said. “It was nice to play together and we are already looking forward to next year.”
Rene and Brian Pena finished second in the Callaway flight and James and Ryno Rasmussen finished third.
Sherry Jackson fired a pair of 77s to win the Gross Division of the 2017 Women’s Southern Nevada Golf Association Southern Nevada Senior Amateur. The 36-hole stroke-play event was held at DragonRidge Country Club. Monica Kaili won the net division and several other ladies won other divisions. — By Bill Bowman.
Jackson, a member at DragonRidge, said the home-course edge definitely was an advantage. “I came in with a lot of confidence knowing the course,” Jackson said. “It’s a big advantage to be a member because a couple of the holes are pretty tricky.”
She added her putter was key, especially the first day. “I putted well the first day and that helped my confidence,” she said. “I know the course so I tried to play conservative shots.”
But, that didn’t mean there wasn’t an anxious moment…or two. “I really stunk up the 12th hole (Tuesday),” she said. “I had a three-stroke lead (over Debbie Love) and then going to 13 we were even. She had a little trouble there and I knew I had to go hard. It was quite a scare.”
In the Net Division, Monica Kaili came away with the crown with rounds of 81-77—158. “My putting was real good,” she said. “I never three-putted and made a lot of par putts. My speed control was good…I’m so excited.”
To say Kaili was nervous by being in contention going into the second day would be an understatement. “I kept myself up all last night looking at the course hole by hole,” she said. “That’s what I do. I struggle with my confidence.”
But this year, the confidence was there. “This was my second senior amateur,” she said. “Last year I think I came in last place…I played horrible. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make a fool out of myself. I’m tired of playing bad. This year I stayed in control.”
It was another great time to be a member of the Southern Nevada Golf Association this week as the SNGA team defeated a team from the Northern Nevada Golf Association 13-11 to win the Oliver Cup, the historic Ryder Cup-like tournament that honors the late Lou Oliver. He was a longtime volunteer of both the SNGA and Nevada State Golf Association.
“This was just a great event,” SNGA member Frank Abott said. “I played in a few of these in Northern California and it is always great to be able to play against new people and have a great time. The Northern guys were just terrific.”
Frank Abbott, James Hill, Randy Burton, Tom Richardson, Al Kueker, Darrel Lutey, Bryan Link, John Kelley, Chris Whatley, Peter Dunlap, Luis Morais and Brad Davis.
The prestigious Girl’s Junior America’s Cup returns to Southern Nevada July 30 – August 3 when some of the top female amateurs in the world tee it up at Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort. Longtime Southern Nevada PGA of America professional Joe Kelly has hosted the event the first two times it was in the area. He vividly recalls Lorena Ochoa winning the individual title the last time it was held here and is thrilled the event is returning.
“Every one of these girls from every team will probably play college golf,” said Kelly, who hosted the previous two Girls Junior Americas Cups when he worked at Stallion Mountain and Showboat Golf & Country Club. “And it’s a dream come true for the college coaches to be in Las Vegas to recruit from 72 of the best players from the west as well as Canada and Mexico. The quality of golf you’ll see in this tournament is as good as it gets. There will definitely be future LPGA Tour players in this event.
“Lorena Ochoa was just extremely dominant. There wasn’t one weak part in her game. I followed her around for nine holes and I was very impressed with her distance because she wasn’t a very big girl at all. She just had a great all-around game from a very young age.”
Volunteers and other help is still needed for the event. Please call 702-458-4653 to learn how to get involved or email dgonzalez@localhost.
But when he was notified a few months ago that he was the lone inductee into the Class of 2017 for the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame, the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee was truly stunned. Exber was officially enshrined in June at High Point Country Club in High Point, North Carolina, during a ceremony coinciding with the annual National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame golf tournament.
Silver Division Net
It was another great time to be a member of the Southern Nevada Golf Association this week as the SNGA team defeated a team from the Northern Nevada Golf Association 13-11 to win the Oliver Cup, the historic Ryder Cup-like tournament that honors the late Lou Oliver. He was a longtime volunteer of both the SNGA and Nevada State Golf Association.