SNGA Tour: Chimera Features More State Qualifiers
-While Alex Jordan won the Championship Division of the SNGA Tour’s stop at Chimera Golf Club in a one-hole playoff, 15 players earned spots in the Nevada State Amateur in the third and final qualifying event. Todd Roberts (Senior) and David Kim (Silver) also picked up gross victories.Jeff Gilliame (net), Don Blanton (senior net) and Dario Gonzales (Silver net) also claimed wins. — By Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider staff.
The latest qualifiers for the Nevada State Amateur, set for July 9-11, 2018, at TPC Summerlin include: Alex Jordan, Wes Taylor, Richard Pawlasek, Craig Erickson, Tim Velasquez, Zac Frazier, Jett Isoda, Kyle Meade, Cameron Meeks, Dustin Craddock, John Bobroski, Greg Hudson, John Turk, Jason Cordon and Michael Abrams.
Championship
Alex Jordan won the Championship Division, his first SNGA win of 2018, with a 3-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole. He beat Wes Taylor after both carded 3-under-par 69s.
“My driver really worked well today,” Jordan said. “And I hit 15 or 16 of 18 greens so that’s always good.”
With the win, he qualified for the Nevada State Amateur. “It was the last chance,” he said. “I had to play well today and I did.”
He said the score wasn’t indicative of his play. “I hit the driver well and had a lot of good approach shots so it certainly could have been better,” he said.
Championship
Alex Jordan, 69
Wes Taylor, 69
Richard Pawlasek, 70
Net
Jeff Gilliame is on a roll. Gilliame carded an even-par 72 (net 66) and won an SNGA event for the third time in 2018.
“It was a little windy so I hit my five-wood off the tee all day to keep it in play,” Gilliame said.
He’s had his eye–and his game–on one main goal. “I’ve been practicing hard for the Cobb-Whelan Cup,” he said of the event set for June-29-July 1 at Las Vegas National. “It’s been my goal for the last two years and I made it this year.”
To keep his game moving in the right direction, he knows what has to be worked on. “I’ve just got to be able to hit my driver better,” he said.
Net
Jeff Gilliame, 66
Michael Godfrey, 67
David Haddock, 69
Senior
Todd Roberts won for the third time in 2018, posting a four-shot victory.
He said his game is right where he’d like it–with one exception. “I played really well again and made a couple more putts but I still missed a few three-footers,” he said. “I shot about as high as I could have today.”
He said his putting is solid for the most part but he knows it’s where he’s still hoping to improve. “If I start to get halfway decent from 6-feet and in, I’ll start shooting some really low scores. I’m definitely leaving some strokes out on the course.”
Senior
Todd Roberts, 71
Andre Cyr, 75
Chris Whatley, 77
Senior Net
Don Blanton’s practice routine is paying off in big ways. Blanton carded a net 69 to win the Senior Net title.
“I had good chips, good putts and no penalties,” Blanton said of his second straight net victory.
And he credits his practice routine for the turnaround. Following a 109 earlier in the year at Aliante, he knew something had to change. “I chip 40 balls a day and putt three to four times a week,” he said. “Going from a 109 to an 86 (gross) today is great. My game’s on the right swing. I’m not embarrassing myself anymore.”
Senior Net
Don Blanton, 69
Donald Klier, 73
Kent Sorenson, 74
Silver
David Kim picked up his first SNGA victory with a one-under-par 71. It could have been much better.
“I could have shot 68 so easily today,” Kim said. “I missed a few putts. I had five birdies. My driving was so good and I had a lot of wedges or sand wedges in.”
Kim, a club champion in Michigan 25 years ago, said his round was solid. “Any time I’m under par I’m happy,” he said.
Silver
David Kim, 71
Tony Caiazzo, 74
Jeffrey English, 74
Silver Net
Dario Gonzales is another first-time winner on the SNGA Tour, picking up a victory in the Silver Net.
“I got in a really nice groove,” he said. “But I did get a few breaks. I had a few shots that could have been bad that turned out to be OK.”
He said he rebounded nicely from a rough start. “I played the No. 1 handicap hole first and was on the green and then three-putted,” he said. “But I ended on No. 7 and No. 8 and finished well. I made a 20-footer for birdie on No. 7 and then was on the green on the par-5 8th in two and two-putted for birdie.”
Silver Net
Dario Gonzales, 68
Jim Burger, 68
Walter Sabati, 68
