Four Champions Crowned at 2024 Clark County Senior Amateur at Boulder Creek
Todd Roberts (Senior) and Steven Fink (Silver) won gross titles at the 2024 Clark County Senior Amateur. Brian Freymueller (Senior) and Barry Boudreaux (Silver) won net titles in the tournament held Oct. 24-25, 2024, at Boulder Creek GC. It was the SNGA’s final major of 2024.–by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider
Senior
Todd Roberts has had a flair for the dramatic in 2024, winning six times.
But the first five wins had nothing on his sixth victory as he recorded a hole-in-one on the tournament’s 35th hole en route to a three-shot win.
It was Roberts’ second major of the year.
Roberts finished the tournament playing the final two holes in three-under-par as he finished ace-birdie.
“This was unbelievable,” Roberts said with a laugh. “That’s my first ace…ever. The funny thing is on the 12th hole I hit a shot that looked like it went in but stopped about nine inches away. Brady (Exber) asked me sarcastically how many hole-in-ones that would have been. I told him ‘you know damn well I don’t have any.’ And then it’s ironic that I make one a few holes later.”
Until Roberts’ ace-birdie finish, Exber had a one-shot lead with two holes left.
“The hard part was I wasn’t sure where we stood,” Roberts said. “After I made the hole-in-one, Brady made an unbelievable three on the hole when he made about a 25-footer for par. Kelly (Knievel) was trying to figure it out for us. I went from one-down to one-up.”
A birdie on the final hole sealed the deal and his second major of 2024. Roberts also has two runnerup finishes in the other two majors.
“I had wrapped up the Player of the Year title so I went into the last day with a strategy to shoot 66 which I thought might win the tournament,” he said. “To shoot 65, my lowest score ever, and to get my first hole-in-one is so unbelievable. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. I’m pretty proud of the way I played.”
Senior
Todd Roberts, 70-65—135
Brady Exber, 70-68—138
Kelly Knievel, 67-77—144
Senior Net
Brian Freymueller put two net eagles on the scorecard in the final round and won the Senior Net title by five strokes.
It was Freymueller’s third win of 2024.
“I played very well today,” Freymueller said. “I had six birdies and that’s the most I’ve ever had in a round. One of them was a 25-foot putt and one was from about 50 feet. You don’t plan on those going in, but a couple of them did today. I was just dropping putts from everywhere.”
He added this is the kind of outing you don’t tend to forget.
“You embrace and appreciate these kinds of rounds because they don’t happen very often,” he said. “Everything just seemed to be working. I started the day five behind and was just hoping I could give myself a chance.”
He did more than that, winning his first major.
“Wining any tournament is great,” he said. “But to win a major and have a cool trophy I get to have at home is just amazing.”
He added it’s been a long time coming.
“I’ve been playing full-time for about five years and to finally win a major is huge,” he said. “And I was leading the Player of the Year (in the Senior Net) coming in so now Ann (Sunstrum) said I will be Player of the Year and that’s a great feeling.”
Senior Net
Brian Freymueller, 73-66-139
Freddie Sarno, 70-72—142
Artie Miller, 70-72—142
Silver
Steven Fink won for the fifth time in 2024, including four individual titles and a team title.
Fink had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the first round to open a four-shot lead that he expanded to eight strokes by the end of Day Two. It was Fink’s second major of 2024.
“I’ve been thinking about this one for awhile,” Fink said. “I won the 2005 Clark County Am Championship Division so I really like this place. And it’s significant to win majors. I’m very happy. The other part of it is that I knew I had a points lead for Silver Player of the Year and just had to play my game. It’s a great feeling.”
He said his play over the two days was solid.
“This was the best ball-striking I’ve had in awhile,” he said. “And it’s all because I had a lesson with Craig Barlow at Lake Las Vegas. He deserves a lot of credit. He gave me a few thoughts and one or two little mechanical things that improved my ball-striking and that was the difference. I hit 16 greens the first day and 17 greens today. That was probably the best ball-striking of my life.”
He also said his mindset was key.
“Gary (Carpendale) birdied four straight holes (Nos. 2-5) and all of a sudden we were tied,” Fink said. “Then on the sixth tee I said it’s my turn and I birdied to get back into the lead. I expected that from him. But I knew if I just kept doing what got me here I would be OK. All I can do is play my game to the best of my ability and I played pretty solid both days.”
Silver
Steven Fink, 67-70—137
Scott Wandro, 74-71—145
Gary Carpendale, 71-74—145
Silver Net
Barry Boudreaux won for the first time in 2024 and the second time overall in winning his first major.
Boudreaux had a net eagle, two natural birdies and one net birdie en route to his win.
“I’m still relatively new to the SNGA system and what it entails but it’s great to get a major win,” he said. “I’m very happy with that.”
He said he wasn’t sure where he stood and added his last two holes showed why he feels his game is so unpredictable.
“The second to last hole, the par-3, I hit the best shot of my last five holes,” he said. “I hit it to about eight feet and made the putt for birdie. It got me out of a string of bad holes.”
Then came the 18th.
“You always remember your last hole and that was the worst hole I played the whole tournament,” Boudreaux said of his final hole score of seven. “I told my playing partners I was going to play conservatively but that just got me into trouble. As it turns out, I had just enough to hang on to win.”
Overall, Boudreaux said it was an ideal weekend.
“Both days I played with guys who were super,” he said. “Some of the golf holes were great and playing with those four guys made it an enjoyable and fun two days.”
Silver Net
Barry Boudreaux, 72-73—145
George Yocum, 75-72—147
Larry Agan, 69-79—148
