Daren Johnson wins Nevada State Amateur wire-to-wire

GENOA, NV (July 8, 2017) Daren Johnson doesn't reside in Nevada, but the 29-year-old golfer from Covina, California is now a part of the state's golf history, after a win the Nevada State Amateur on Saturday. Johnson took the lead during Thursday's first round with a 6-under 66 and he never looked back as he finished the Nevada State Amateur with a three round winning total of 11-under-par. Playing at the The Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, Johnson posted three consecutive sub-par rounds including a closing round of 3-under 69. Johnson, who is just finishing his MBA at Holy Names University in Oakland, set the tone early in the day with a birdie on the first and then after a long stretch of pars he rolled in birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 16. The wire-to-wire winner did bogey the last hole, for the third consecutive day, but it proved to be his only dropped shot of the day and by then it was of little matter. "It was a comfortable week," said Johnson about what he called his biggest tournament win. "I never had to watch someone take the lead, so I felt like I was in control from the first hole on Thursday until the final putt on Saturday." Over the course of 54-holes Johnson was so impressive that he birdied 15-times while making only four bogeys. His recent success didn't come by accident; Johnson has been busy working not only on his MBA, but at the Orinda Country Club, a gorgeous and recently-redesigned private club just through the Caldecott Tunnel on the other side of the Berkeley Hills from where he studies. He credits the club's support of his golf game (they let him play after work) and the assistance of pros Mark Doss and Cory McQuiddy with helping him keep his short game, and specifically his putting, in top shape. "It wasn't that I was killing the ball," said Johnson. "But I was making a bunch of 10-15 foot birdie putts and rolling in all the important six footers." Josh Goldstein (-7) was second, Steve Sear (-6) place third while Jo Jo Lee (-4) and Edward Fryatt (-4) shared fourth. Both Sear and Fryatt are former PGA Tour professionals.