McKay, Nomura, Harwood, Becker Win Titles at Clark County Am SNGA Tour Preview Event
Grant McKay (Championship), Ray Nomura (Senior), Ron Harwood (Silver) and Anthony Becker (Net) won titles in the 2025 SNGA Tour Boulder Creek tournament. The one-day event was held Oct. 15, 2025, at Boulder Creek Golf Club and annually serves as the perfect prep for the season’s final major, the Clark County Amateur.—by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider
Championship
Grant McKay posted three birdies on each nine en route to a four-stroke victory in the Championship Division.
It was McKay’s third win of 2025.
McKay, who works with the SNJGA where he runs the tournament section, said winning for the third time proves his game is moving in the right direction.
“Everything has been pretty solid this year,” McKay said. “I still want to work on driving it a little better in the offseason and clean up some minor stuff but overall I’m pretty happy with where my game is at.”
He added his play at Boulder Creek brought out another good aspect of his game.
“I made a lot of good mid-range putts which was super helpful,” he said. “I didn’t hit it as well as I wanted to and at Boulder Creek you have to keep it in position. If you do that, you can set yourself up to make a few putts and that lends to good scoring.”
McKay said coming into 2025, he had playing goals, but not goals for victories.
“I didn’t put a goal on number of wins for the year,” he said. “I just wanted to play consistent golf all year. I’ve been working hard to get my fairway percentage better and make sure my mid-range irons are better. Working on those things has really helped my game.”
Championship
Grant McKay, 69
Brady Exber, 73
Matt Mitchell, 74
Senior
Ray Nomura birdied two holes to start the back nine and won for the second time in 2025, beating Todd Roberts in a scorecard playoff.
Nomura added a third birdie on the back nine and said his final nine holes were special.
“I made some birdies on the back nine and that really helped me,” he said. “I gave myself some good looks but didn’t make any.”
He added his play was pretty solid…with one exception.
“I’ve got to work on my fairway woods,” he said. “I’m spraying them left and right. It’s not good when I’m 230 yards out with my four-wood in my hands and wondering where it’s going to go.”
He said he looking at this win as giving him a spark heading into next week’s SNGA’s fourth major, the Clark County Senior Amateur.
“I’m hoping this gives me the confidence I need going into next week,” he said. “I’ve been working on my game a lot. I’m happy with my ball-striking but I wish my putting was a little better. But, that’s something we all want, right?”
Senior
Ray Nomura, 74
x-Todd Roberts, 74
Michael Andrews, 77
x-won in scorecard playoff
Silver
Like the Energizer Bunny, Ron Harwood just keep going..and going….and going.
Harwood used a steady front nine (eight pars and a bogey) to win the Silver crown for his fifth win of 2025. He won in a scorecard playoff over Frank Acker.
Harwood birdied the final hole for his only birdie of the day and that helped propel him to the victory.
“I putted pretty well…even though I didn’t get many to drop,” Harwood said. “I finally made my first birdie of the day on 18. I hit two good shots and finally got one to fall.”
Harwood said the tournament was a good warmup for next week’s Clark County Senior Amateur, the year’s final major.
“The golf course was in great shape,” Harwood said. “Kudos to all the workers. I don’t get out here very often and this was a chance to learn the course again for next week.”
Harwood said he didn’t see five victories coming his way in 2025.
“The City Am (in June where he won the Silver Division by six strokes) gave my game a big jumpstart,” he said. “It proved I could shoot scores with the real good players in our division. It gave me that confidence that put me over the hump. Now I just have to keep it going.”
Silver
x-Ron Harwood, 75
Frank Acker, 75
John Garrett, 76
x-won in scorecard playoff
Net
Anthony Becker put five birdies on the scorecard (four net and one natural) and just one bogey (on the 18th hole) in winning the Net title.
It was Becker’s second win of 2025 as he is coming off winning a team title with Walter Sabati.
“This was a really good day,” Becker said. “I just got it up and down from everywhere.”
He said his play off the tee necessitated his up-and-down play.
“My driver is still a little suspect,” he said. “I either hit it in the fairway or low-and-left. The low-and-left ones are really painful.”
He said he’s still working on making a comeback.
“I’ve been going through some stuff,” he said. “I had my left knee replaced, my right knee replaced and rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder in January. I’m still rehabbing that a little.”
He said his game still isn’t where he would like it to be.
“My game really went south…Antarctica was how far south it went,” he said with a laugh.
But now he’s on the mend both health-wise and golf-wise.
“It’s been a process but everything is getting better a little at a time,” he said.
Net
Anthony Becker, 68
Lonnie Wilson, 69
Pierre Valentini, 73
