Knievel’s 63 Steals Show at 2023 Clark County Senior Amateur

Kelly Knievel (Senior) and Gary Carpendale (Silver) breezed to scratch titles at the 2023 Clark County Senior Amateur. Dennis Young (Senior) and Mark Dopheide (Silver) captured net titles in the tournament held Nov. 16-17, 2023, at Boulder Creek Golf Club. –by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider

Senior

Kelly Knievel went seven-under-par through a six-hole stretch in the first round and cruised to the Senior gross title.

It was Knievel’s second win of 2023 after winning twice in 2022. He also has five runnerup finishes this season.

He said there’s a simple reason for his low first-round score: “The ball had eyes,” he said. “I didn’t hit the ball very close to the hole. The putts were all long bombs and they all went in. There were no easy short putts.”

He added his round didn’t start off like it would be one to remember.

“I was one-over through three,” he said. “I told Todd (Roberts), my playing partner, that I wasn’t very motivated. And then I just started making every putt.”

The excitement ramped up later in the round.

“On the 14th hole I started thinking I could shoot my age,” he said.

He did just that.

“It was the best round of my life,” he said. “The best round I’ve had before was five-under. This was nine-under. I wish I had an explanation. I wish I could bottle it.”

Senior

Kelly Knievel, 63-73—136

Brady Exber, 71-74—145

Todd Roberts, 72-74—146

Senior Net

Dennis Young heated up during the second round and rallied for a two-stroke victory.

Young trailed by six shots after the first round but a second-round 64 that featured an eagle, three natural birdies and three net birdies, helped him win his second straight Clark County Am title.

“This one was twice as sweet,” Young said with a laugh. “It was so unexpected coming from behind like that.”

Young said he definitely saved his best for last.

“This was the lowest tournament score I’ve ever shot,” he said. “It was weird. I made about a 60 footer for birdie on No. 8 and that really got things going. It was so unexpected.”

Then the low numbers really started to show up as he had a net eagle on the 10th and added two net birdies and two natural birdies coming home.

“I putted as well as I possibly could,” he said. “It seemed like every putt I hit had a chance to go in. It was just a heck of a lot of fun.”

Starting the day trailing by six, he just wanted to play solid golf.

“Over the last month I’ve worked hard on trying to slow down when I feel stressed,” he said. “I tend to overswing and bad things can happen. Today I felt like I slowed down and made good swings. I was hoping to play well enough to maybe get a top-five finish. To actually win was a shock.”

Senior Net

Dennis Young, 72-64-136

Charles Frey, 67-71—138

Robert Zoine, 66-72—138

Silver

It’s an age-old story: Another SNGA major, another title for Gary Carpendale who is well into double digits when it comes to major victories.

Carpendale finished up his first round with two birdies and an eagle over his last three holes as he cruised to a seven-shot victory.

He said the first round definitely brought a smile to his face.

“That was fun,” he said of his birdie-birdie-eagle finish. “I was hitting good wedges. But I was a little mad because I kept backing the ball up when I wanted it to bounce forward and it bounced forward when I wanted it to back up. Then finally, on the last hole, I finally got one right and it spun back into the hole (for a closing eagle).”

The second round he said wasn’t one of his best efforts.

“I didn’t play great today,” he said. “I just hung in there and did what I had to do.”

He said despite having the big lead, he didn’t relax in the final round.

“I was super-focused,” he said. “On this course, if you start hitting it crooked you can get in trouble. I was probably more focused today than yesterday. But yesterday my course management was excellent…today, not so much.”

Silver

Gary Carpendale, 65-72—137

Patrick Woerner, 73-71—144

Jeffrey English, 75-71—146

Silver Net

Mark Dopheide played consistent golf, carding rounds of 67 and 67, to win the Silver Net title.

It was his second individual title of 2023 to go along with a team title.

For the two days, Dopheide had a net eagle, 10 natural birdies and three net birdies.

“That is definitely the best I’ve played two days in a row,” Dopheide said. “I don’t know why…I’m just going to go with the blind squirrel theory. I’m just happy it happened.”

He said his overall play was solid…sort of.

“It was a little wild today,” he said. “I only had six pars today so I had a lot of bogeys but made up for it with a lot of birdies. It was from one extreme to another.”

He said his putting definitely was the difference.

“It seemed like when I had a chance to make a birdie, the putt went in,” he said of his two days including four birdies (three net and one natural) over his final five holes of the second day that sealed the deal. “I also made a couple of six-to-eight footers for pars and those can definitely keep a round going.”

Silver Net

Mark Dopheide, 67-67—134

Ernie Alaan, 70-68—138

Ron Clabaugh, 66-75—141