Sawaia’s first-round goal was to shoot low enough to play in the final group on the second day. He fired an even par round of 72, and missed his goal by one group, so he needed a new goal for the second round: “I wanted to post a low enough number so that those ahead of him on the scoreboard, but behind him on the golf course couldn’t catch me,” he said.
He succeeded with a solid 7-birdie, 2-bogey round on a golf course playing unseasonably easy due to an uncharacteristic lack of wind, but simultaneously devilish due to pins tucked in corners and on crowns.
Sawaia, a 37 year-old former baseball player who only took up golf when he was 23, played the final 27 holes of the tournament in 8-under par after struggling to an opening nine total of 3-over 39 on the first day of play. The key to his later success? “Hitting greens.”
“The greens here are very small, and chipping to them can be very difficult – especially with the pins placed where they were for both days of the tournament,” said Sawaia, who has made himself into one of the better mid-amateur players in the West over the last few years.
“Although I’m from Nevada, I like to play this tournament because I have family here. Plus the tournament just keeps getting better and better. I noticed a lot more college bags this year than last,” he said.
The college kids will likely keep coming to the tournament, and one of these days one of them might even beat Sawaia.
Story by David Ober, for amateurgolf.com
* * * *
Final results of the 2005 Hi-Desert Amateur Golf Championship, held at the par
72, 6,643 yard Green Tree Golf Course in Victorville, California:
| Name | Hometown | Total |
| Sawaia, Joe | Henderson, NV | 139 |
| Chen, Jeffrey | Walnut, CA | 141 |
| Reese, Michael | Apple Valley, CA | 141 |
| Hobbs, Aaron | Ontario, CA | 142 |
| Burke, Micah | San Bernardino, CA | 143 |
| Valentine, Ron | Lancaster, CA | 144 |
| Beck, Josh | Victorville, CA | 145 |
| Sacilottto, Gianni | Diamond Bar, CA | 145 |
| Ober, David | Riverside, CA | 146 |
| Montanez, Ricky | Helendale, CA | 147 |
| Plummer, Ryan | San Bernardino, CA | 147 |
| Drake, Michael | Riverside, CA | 148 |
| Matthews, Todd | Hesperia, CA | 148 |
| Woo, Min Wook | Davis, CA | 148 |
| Shope, Eddie | Temecula, CA | 149 |
| Bussey, Matt | Victorville, CA | 150 |
| Lyford, Ted | Redlands, CA | 150 |
| Newman, Bryan | San Bernardino, CA | 150 |
| Ober, Jeffrey | Riverside, CA | 151 |
| Brown, Marty | Lake Havasu, AZ | 152 |
| Yoon, Daniel | Temecula, CA | 152 |
| Clayton, Bill | San Bernardino, CA | 153 |
| Melendez, Martin | Hesperia, CA | 153 |
| Bohler, Chris | Sierra Madre, CA | 154 |
| Lynch, Brock | Victorville, CA | 154 |
| Brolsma, Dirk | Apple Valley, CA | 156 |
| Marasigan, Kix | West Covina, CA | 156 |
| Marshall, Riley | Valencia, CA | 156 |
| Stires, Todd | Murrieta, CA | 156 |
| Butkys, Kris | Thousand Oaks, CA | 157 |
| Schenk, Matthew | Riverside, CA | 157 |
| Baden, Chris | Bakersfield, CA | 158 |
| Labrador, Alfred | Fontana, CA | 159 |
| Bagnell, Dane | Rancho Mirage, CA | 160 |
| Elkara, Hassan | Chino Hills, CA | 160 |
| Farish, Will | Riverside, CA | 161 |
| Overton, Andy | Lakewood, CA | 162 |
| Norys, Tom | Riverside, CA | 163 |
| Fennessy, Bill | Pasadena, CA | 164 |
| Hutchason, Ross | Apple Valley, CA | 164 |
| Mischook, Maurice | Altadena, CA | 164 |
| George, Jim | Lake Forest, CA | 165 |
| Phillips, Robby | Apple Valley, CA | 165 |
| Schumacher, Cody | Riverside, CA | 165 |
| Walker, Garvie | Yucaipa, CA | 166 |
| Michels, Darren | Henderson, NV | 167 |
| Doty, Adam | South Pasadena, CA | 168 |
| Phillips, Mark | Apple Valley, CA | 168 |
| Rodriguez, Emilio | Montebellow, CA | 168 |
| Barker, Bill | Pasadena, CA | 169 |
| Buiniskis, Robert | Fort Irwin, CA | 170 |
| Sandoval, Bryan | La Habra, CA | 170 |
| Doucett, Bruce | Apple Valley, CA | 173 |
| Sackheim, Craig | Calabasas, CA | 178 |
| Reece, Chris | Victorville, CA | 180 |
| Trejo, John | Whittier, CA | 181 |
| Hallissey, Josh | Warner Springs, CA | 82/DQ |
| Wierzbinski, Steve | Hesperia, CA | N/A |
| Barre, Brian | Garden Grove, CA | WD |
| Jordan, Paul | Redondo Beach, CA | WD |
| Mena, Ed | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | WD |
