Horodesky, Golden Win 2018 Clark County Amateur Major
Greg Horodesky (Championship) and Robert Golden (Net) earned victories in the 2018 Clark County Amateur Championship held Nov. 17-18 at Boulder Creek Golf Club. For Horodesky, it was his third major while Golden won his first event ever in the SNGA. –By Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider staff.
Championship
Greg Horodesky’s first SNGA title came down to one factor: Solid putting. He carded eight birdies and an eagle over the two-day event to win by three.
“I guess I’m just a late bloomer,” he said of his wait to get into the winner’s circle. “I’m OK with that. I had two solid days. I hung in there and hit it well.”
He said his work on the greens was definitely the key.
“I’m usually hit or miss when it comes to putting,” he said. “And I missed about five putts that looked like they were in the center of the cup but they lipped out. But overall I still putted well for the two days. I had really good speed and my putting definitely kept me in it.”
And that putting started off with a different putter in the bag.
“Last week I was tinkering around with an old putter in my workout room,” he said. “I hit some putts with it and then went out and played nine holes with it and shot three-under. I said ‘I think I’ll use this putter this week’ and it all worked out.”
He said seeing the boards with the names of past champions on them was an inspiration.
“It feels really good to win,” he said. “It’s a great accomplishment. I was looking at all of the guys who have won this event before and thinking ‘I want my name on this board.’ ”
Championship
Greg Horodesky, 69-71—140
Daren Johnson, 69-74—143
Lorenzo Gillenwater, 71-72—143
Net
Robert Golden ran down Hugh Manning to win the Net title. Golden trailed by six strokes after the tournament’s first round. But he scrambled back to tie Manning with six holes left and went on to post a three-shot victory.
Manning was trying to win his second Net title at the Clark County Amateur as he also won the Senior Division Net crown earlier in the week.
Golden’s rally included six net birdies and a net eagle. The round lifted him to his first SNGA victory.
“I kept the ball in play and scrambled very well,” Golden said. “I holed a couple of putts I normally wouldn’t make, especially on No. 10.”
Golden birdied the 10th hole (No. 1 on Coyote Run), a par-4 where he got a stroke and wound up with the net eagle.
“It was a 30-foot turning putt that went right in the heart,” he said. “That was my lone (natural) birdie of the weekend and made me a little more focused. Hugh struggled on that hole and put up a big number so I thought I was back in it and just tried to par my way around.”
That was easier said than done as he still faced a nemesis hole–the 9th hole on Coyote Run, their 18th hole of the round.
“It’s one of the hardest holes for me,” Golden said of his home course. “I usually get 6’s, 7,s or 8’s on the hole but I managed to make a par (net birdie) so that was a great feeling.”
Net
Robert Golden, 72-69—141
Hugh Manning, 66-78—144
Brian Marks, 78-68—146
