Black Horse Preview Recap
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Seaside, CA – The Golf Channel Am Tour paid a visit to the popular Black Horse Golf Course on Sunday for a “preview” event of the Monterey Amateur Major Championship on November 9th &10th. The last time the Tour visited B&BH there was a three hour fog delay on the final day of the Bay Area Tour Championship, so seeing some thick fog on the drive down was a little worrisome, but the skies cleared by 8am and by the time the 8:30am shotgun went off it was absolutely gorgeous. You can’t get much better than a clear, sunny day in Monterey. Here were your top finishers from Sunday, some of whom will have some added confidence when they tee it up again at the Major in three weeks:
Alex Stephenson, out of Paso Robles, was your Championship flight winner and tournament medalist on Sunday. Stephenson posted (+3) 75 to take the flight by a single shot over Dan Corral (76), who just finished in the top-five at our National Championship last month. It was a great day for Stephenson, who not only took home the hardware and gift card money for first place, but he also made five birdies in doing so, and one held up for the only skin in the entre Champ / Palmer / SR Palmer grouping. Not bad for a day’s “work.”
The Palmer flight was won by San Martin player Justin Alonzo on Sunday. Alonzo posted (+7) 79 to win the flight by four shots over runner-up finisher Maury Moore (83). Alonzo seems poised for another big season on Tour in 2019-2020 with his first W already in the books. We’ll see Alonzo next at the Wente Vineyards Open on November 17th, if not before then.
Ray Gregorich, out of Vacaville, was your champion in the Senior Palmer flight on Sunday. Gregorich, the 2018-2019 Senior Palmer flight Player of the Year, started his 2019-2020 campaign right where he left off by winning the flight by three shots over Franck Ontiveros (83) on Sunday. Gregorich will be teeing it up right back at B&BH for the Major in three weeks, where he finished tied for third place last year.
After a brief hiatus from the Tour, Pittsburg’s Mario La Macchia returned in victorious fashion, as he posted (+10) 82 to take the Hogan flight by five shots over nearest finisher Joseph Moreno (87). La Macchia got off to a shaky +5 start in his first six holes on Sunday, but was able play his final 12 holes in just five-over to get the job done. La Macchia is now tied for the early lead in the 2019-2020 Hogan flight standings.
The lone playoff of the day came in the Senior Hogan flight on Sunday, as Ron Ballesteros-Perez and newcomer Chris Neisinger both came in at (+10) 82 after 18 holes. Ron Ballesteros-Perez, out of Visalia, was able to seal the deal on the first playoff hole to win the flight. Ballesteros-Perez now is now one-for-one and leads the Palm Springs Senior Hogan flight in the early goings of the 2019-2020 season.
The 2018-2019 Sarazen flight Player of the Year, Dylan Schelegle, was your champion once again on Sunday at Black Horse. Schelegle posted a great round of (+12) 84 to win the flight by a whopping eights shots over nearest finishers Ted Masek, Matt Schelegle and Ralph Randle (92s). Schelegle will tee it up in the Major at B&BH in a couple weeks – he won the Tour Championship there just two months ago, took down the Preview on Sunday and finished runner-up (to his father) in the Jones flight last year – we will be looking for big things out of young Dylan in that one.
Tim Kolsrud, out of Tracy, was your champion in the Jones flight on Sunday. Kolsrud posted (+14) 86 to win the flight by nine shots over runner-up finisher Meg Walsh (95). That’s back-to-back wins (and rounds in the 80s) now for Kolsrud to kick off his 2019-2020 season. Kolsrud has the opportunity to qualify for Senior Nationals very early in the season with a third win the next time he tees it up, which looks to be at the Monterey AM right back at B&BH in a couple weeks, if not sooner.
Newcomer Matt McDowell, out of Virginia City, NV, was your champion in the Snead flight on Sunday. McDowell posted (+21) 93 to win his very fist event on Tour by eight shots over closest finisher Vincent Belliard (101). We’ll see McDowell on Sunday at the Empire Ranch Shootout where he’ll look to start off his Am Toru career with two straight wins.
For full field scores and photos please visit www.gcamtour.com > Schedule > Local > Bay Area > Black Horse Preview
Top Finishers & Payouts
Championship Flight
75 – Alex Stephenson ($75 in gift cards + Award)
Palmer Flight
79 – Justin Alonzo ($100 in gift cards + Award)
83 – Maury Moore ($25 in gift cards)
Senior Palmer Flight
80 – Ray Gregorich ($100 in gift cards + Award)
83 – Frank Ontiveros ($50 in gift cards)
Hogan Flight
82 – Mario La Macchia ($125 in gift cards + Award)
87 – Joseph Moreno ($50 in gift cards)
88 – Daniel Duvall ($25 in gift cards)
Senior Hogan Flight
82 – Ron Ballesteros-Perez ($125 in gift cards + Award)*
82 – Chris Neisinger ($50 in gift cards)
*Won in Playoff
Sarazen Flight
84 – Dylan Schelegle ($100 in gift cards + Award)
92 – Ted Masek ($50 in gift cards)
Jones Flight
86 – Tim Kolsrud ($100 in gift cards + Award)
Snead Flight
93 – Matt McDowell ($100 in gift cards + Award)
101 – Vincent Belliard ($50 in gift cards)
Thanks again for coming out and playing! We hope to see you all at the Empire Ranch Shootout on Sunday in Folsom!!
Dan Cacho
dcacho@gcamtour.com
707-567-7700