Nevada State Am: Tournament Recap
LAS VEGAS, NV (August 8, 2010)--The 57th Annual Nevada State Amateur was held this past weekend at Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas Nevada. There were 48 of the states best amateur golfers in attendance for the three day event. As is normally the case at Paiute Resort, the golf course was in great shape but the wind played a factor all week in the scoring conditions. Paiute Resort is home to three championship golf courses, The Sun Mountain, Snow Mountain, and Wolf. The Wolf course, site of the competition, can tip out at almost 7600 yards, and this would prove to be a test for the players.
Joseph Harrison of Boulder City Nevada would prove his college play at San Diego University has helped his game as he took the first round lead with a 3 under par 69. Lurking behind would be Steve Fink, who continues his year long run of stellar golf who shot a 2 under 70. Scott Smith of Reno and member of the UNR Golf team and young gun Taylor Montgomery both fired 71, 2 back after day 1.
Saturday proved a tougher test as the winds began to pick up and the players found themselves facing harder course setup conditions. JT Mohlman of Las Vegas fired the low round of the tournament and shot himself back into the tournament with a 1 under 71. Scott Smith continued his consistency firing an even par 72 and took the lead over Harrison who shot 75 and fell back to even par. Taylor Montgomery fired another impressive 73 to give him a tie for second at even par. Just behind them, red hot Joe Sawaia fired a second round 73 to back up an opening round 72 and was two shots back of Smith.
On Sunday the clouds rolled in early and thunderstorms were threatening early in the day. The course would be treated with some light showers and would soften up the playing conditions a bit. The Final three pairings were all within 5 shots of the leader which would setup for a wonderful day of competitive golf. By the end of the day David Nelson of Reno would prove to have the best round with a 3 under 69 and would move him up the leaderboard with a three day 219 (+3). Joseph Harrison and Taylor Montgomery both had a few mistakes that cost them a shot at the title, but Josephs 73 (+1) and Taylors 74 (+2) would keep them in the top 5. Joe Sawaia continued to play great golf, shooting a 1 under 71 and solidifying his wonderful run in 2010 with a second place finish. But the day belonged to Scott Smith, member of the UNR Golf Team. A final round 71 (-1) and the only tournament total under par (-2) would prove that the trophy was well worth the travel.
Scott, having been the runner up at the 2010 Nevada State Match Play can rejoice knowing that he was able to get over the hump at the States most storied and historic event. With past champions watching in the distance, Scotts ability to avoid mistakes helped him hold off a very talented field.
View results for Nevada State Amateur
ABOUT THE Nevada State Amateur
54-hole stroke play competition with no cut. Field
size: 60 players. An 18-
hole qualifier is required for those who do not meet
exemption criteria. Open to any male golfer that is
exempt, has qualified, or has been an invited
participant from the tournament committee. Golfers
must have a GHIN number on file and must be a
member of the Southern Nevada Golf Association or
the Northern Nevada Golf Association.
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