Golf Duos Earn Titles at Bear’s Best SNGA Tour Team Event
The teams of Eric Bauman-Greg Horodesky (Championship), Brady Exber-Brian Hurlburt (Senior), Bruce Chamberlain-Patrick Woerner (Silver) and Joe Noya-Charlie Berydas (Net) won titles at the 2023 SNGA Tour Four-Ball Stableford Championship. The tournament was held June 27,2023, at Bear’s Best Las Vegas.–by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider
The tournament had a best-ball format for the two-man teams. The event used modified Stableford scoring. A double eagle was worth seven points, an eagle was worth five points, a birdie was worth three points, a par was worth one point, a bogey resulted in one point and teams received 0 points for a double bogey or worse.
Championship
Eric Bauman and Greg Horodesky won a three-way scorecard playoff in earning the title in the Championship Division.
It was their second title as a team as they also won the SNGA Team Championship in late 2021.
Horodesky blamed himself for the title coming down to a scorecard playoff.
“It shouldn’t have been an issue,” he said. “I missed a putt from about 18 inches. I was trying to step over a putting line and tugged it. I told myself that was going to come back to bite us. But, it all worked out.”
Overall, Horodesky said there was one problem with their round: “We had a lot of good looks but just couldn’t get a lot of putts to fall. We had looks from 10 feet, from eight feet, from 15 feet…they just wouldn’t go in.”
Horodesky added the play of playing partners Brady Exber and Brian Hurlburt actually helped out himself and Bauman.
“I think they took a lot of our birdie putts,” he said with a laugh. “I think they had 12 birdies between them. It was fun to watch them but it’s not as much fun when your birdie putts won’t drop.”
In the end, Horodesky said the 18th hole was the key.
“I parred that hole for the first time,” he said. “And it was the first time I’ve ever been on the winning side of a scorecard playoff.”
He said Bauman added his share of solid play down the stretch.
“He helped out with a couple of clutch shots coming in,” he said. “It was just nice to win and have a fun day on the course.”
Championship
x-Bauman-Horodesky, 36 points
Millikan-Horn, 36
Morley-Morley, 36
x-Won scorecard playoff
Senior
Brady Exber and Brian Hurlburt combined to birdie the first five holes (and the team wound up with 12 birdies over the 18 holes) in racing to an eight-point victory in the Senior Division. They shot an overall 61 without the Stableford and finished with 47 points.
Exber said it was definitely a team effort. The two had six official birdies each.
“I had a great time caddying for Brian today,” Exber said with a laugh. “He was amazing to watch. He ran in a long birdie putt on the first hole and that got us off to a great start. And then he just kept pouring in putts all day.”
Hurlburt said the putt on the first hole was worth more than the three points.
“It was kind of a long putt and got my confidence going because in the back of my mind I thought there was a chance of a three-putt to start the day and that would have been a tough way to begin,” he said.
While Exber heaped praise on Hurlburt’s start (three birdies on the first four holes), Hurlburt was quick to add that Exber added more to the teamwork than just with golf shots. Exber is a former 9-time SNGA player of the year and has won more than 100 amateur tournaments overall.
“Having Brady as a partner is certainly a calming influence,” Hurlburt said. “It’s great knowing that if I got into any trouble he’s going to get us out of it. That takes a lot of the pressure off. And his reading of the greens was huge.”
In the end, Hurlburt said the partnership was ideal.
“I certainly know how to pick a partner, and it was a thrill Brady agreed to play,” he said.
Senior
Exber-Hurlburt, 47
Sloan-Bondurant, 39
Koch-Garness, 39
Silver
Bruce Chamberlain and Patrick Woerner put up five birdies (for 15 points) over an 11-hole stretch in posting a 41-point total.
The duo won the Silver title by five points.
“It’s fun to play well,” Woerner said. “And we played very well. It was stress-free. That’s always fun.”
Woerner added the duo heated up midway through the round.
“I birdied seven and eight and then 11,” he said. “Then Bruce rolled in about a 40-footer on 12. We just played solid.”
Chamberlain said Woerner as a teammate makes for a great outing.
“It’s always fun to play with Pat,” he said. “He always plays well. I was just lucky enough to be able to pitch in on a few holes.”
Silver
Chamberlain-Woerner, 41 points
Dopheide-Kelley, 36
Martin-Lepke, 36
Net
For Joe Noya and Charlie Berydas it wound up being the perfect combination…again.
“Charlie and I have played together a long time,” Noya said. “Our only SNGA win was this event a couple of years ago. We should have won last year. We were up by seven points but a group behind us got 10 points on the last hole, including a net double eagle, and we lost by a point or two.”
This year the shoe was on the other foot.
“The guys behind us were four points behind with two holes left so if they go par-par they pick up six points and we don’t win,” he said. “But we wound up winning by a point so you just never know in these Net events.”
Berydas said Noya saved the best for last.
“Joe definitely had the shot of the day for us,” Berydas said. “We both hit our tee shots into the bunker. Joe then hit his hybrid 190 yards out of the bunker to the middle of the green to about 15 feet. He two-putted for a net birdie when we were hoping for a net par.”
Net
Noya-Berydas, 45 points
Diclaro-Haas, 44
Warriner-Ladd, 43
