McManaman, Pool, LiCausi, Williams Win City Senior Titles
Sean McManaman (Senior) and Doug Pool (Silver) won gross titles in the 2021 Las Vegas Senior City Amateur which was held Oct. 28-29, 2021, at the Las Vegas Golf Club. Jim LiCausi (Senior) and Mark Williams (Silver) came away with Las Vegas Senior City Amateur net titles. –by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider staff.
Senior
Sean McManaman put 12 birdies on the scorecard over the two days and raced to a four-stroke victory in the Senior Division.
It was McManaman’s first SNGA victory as he was playing in his first SNGA tournament. And that first victory came in a major.
“Any win is a big win but I just found out it’s a major so that’s amazing,” he said.
McManaman, who works as a caddy at Shadow Creek, said his game is a work in progress–again.
“What’s funny is I’ve been out of the game for 15 years,” he said. “I played the mini tours about 30 years ago and I’m just now starting to get back into it.”
He said he wasn’t happy with his start either day but was happy he finished strong both days.
“I really didn’t play the first nine (the back nine holes) well either day and shot one-over both days and that’s the easier nine,” he said. “But I came home in 31 the first day and 33 (Friday) so it all worked out.”
He said his first three holes on his second nine the second day were crucial.
“After turning in one-over…again…I went birdie-birdie-birdie,” he said. “I knew I had to put the pedal to the metal.”
He was excited to be competitive in his first SNGA outing.
“My first tournament back and I win the Las Vegas Senior City Amateur…I’m very proud and it’s humbling,” he said.
Senior
Sean McManaman, 68-70—138
Tony Ralph, 73-69—142
Glenn Hogle, 76-67—143
Senior Net
Jim LiCausi had four natural birdies, three net birdies and a net eagle en route to a three-stroke victory in the Senior Net division.
The victory now gives LiCausi one of each of the SNGA’s major titles.
“I never had this one on my resume for years and years,” he said. “For some reason this course and I didn’t get along. Now I can say I won at least once in all of the majors.”
It didn’t come easy.
“The first day was a solid round,” he said. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens. The second day was definitely not a ball-striking day. It was a struggle. I hit maybe four fairways and that’s just not my game.”
Despite the struggle, he still found a silver lining.
“My short game saved me,” he said. “I chipped well and putted pretty well. My confidence took a little detour today and I just couldn’t find my tempo. But I managed to scramble well and hang in there.”
He added that a bogey may have been the key to the victory.
“I didn’t want to make more than a bogey,” he said. “And I had about a six-footer for bogey early (in the final round) and made it and that changed the round. It was huge.”
Senior Net
Jim LiCausi, 69-72—141
John Bobroski, 74-70—144
John Benyo, 75-71—146
Silver
Doug Pool and Steve Fink just couldn’t shake each other. Both carded 67s in the first round and 69s in the second round. And both birdied their final hole of the tournament to force a playoff.
Pool, who now has three titles in 2021 including a gross title, net title and team title, won the playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole.
He said the event was quite the battle.
“It was a lot of fun,” Pool said. “Steve led by one until I hit it to two-feet on No. 16 for birdie. We both parred the 17th and he hit a great bunker shot to two-feet for birdie on the last hole. I had to make a 12-15 footer to tie him and then made a 12-15 footer to win in the playoff.”
Pool won his first SNGA major 37 years ago–back in 1984–and has lost count of his wins.
“I’m 71 years old and I just keep on going,” he said. “I give up quite a bit of yardage to these younger guys but I manage to hit it close to the pins enough times and make some putts.”
He said this tournament was no different.
“I was making putts from everywhere,” he said. “I felt like Steph Curry from long range.”
Silver
Doug Pool, 67-69—136
Steve Fink, 67-69—136
Frank Ellenburg, 69-74—143
Silver Net
Mark Williams won the Silver Net Division for his third SNGA title. It was also his second title this month as he also won the SNGA Tour event on Oct. 11, also at Las Vegas Golf Club.
In fact, all three of Williams’ SNGA victories have come at the Las Vegas Golf Club.
For Williams it was a day of ups-and-downs….and a lot of them.
“I played fabulous golf for 16 holes,” Williams said. “I had seven birdies and an eagle and only managed to shoot two-under-par. It was the weirdest day I’ve had in awhile.”
Along with the great scoring came a triple bogey and a double bogey that derailed his shot at the gross title.
“I had a double bogey on No. 16 (his seventh hole of the round) and a triple bogey on No. 7 that were both kind of brain-dead holes,” he said.
Despite the miscues, he was happy with the round.
“I started the back nine (holes one through four) with four straight birdies and got it back to five-under for the day,” he said. “Then I made a par and then came the stretch where I went bogey-triple bogey-bogey.”
But, he wasn’t through with the theatrics.
“Then to top the round off I chipped in for eagle in No. 9,” he said with a laugh. “It was just a crazy round.”
Silver Net
Mark Williams, 69-70—140
Tom Richardson, 70-73—143
Steven Johnson, 71-74—145
