Wente Vineyards Open Recap
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Livermore, CA – The Golf Channel Am Tour’s Bay Area section hit the east bay for an event at The Course at Wente Vineyards on Sunday. It was a perfect fall day in Livermore wine country -- temperatures reached the mid-70s, there was little to no wind and the course was in phenomenal shape. The benign conditions made the usually very difficult Wente pretty “gettable” on Sunday. Here were your top finishers from a great day at the Wente Vineyards Open:
Alex Stephenson, out of Paso Robles, was your winner in the Championship flight and tournament medalist on Sunday. Stephenson posted (+2) 74 to take the flight by two shots over last year’s winner Sergio Orozco (76). Sunday was already Stephenson’s second W in five events played in the 2019-2020 season. He now leads the Central CA Championship flight standings by 355 points in the early goings of the new season.
One of three playoffs of the day took place in the Palmer flight on Sunday, as Jeffery Lee and Thomas Tripp both came in at (+7) 79 after 18 holes. Jeffery Lee, out of Sanger, won the playoff for his second consecutive victory to start his 2019-2020 season. Lee will look to make it three in a row to start the new season on Sunday at the Yocha Dehe Fall Classic.
Another playoff commenced in the Hogan flight on Sunday afternoon as Grant Alvernaz and Damir Delic both carded matching (+9) 81s to tie for the lead. Nearby Pleasant Hill player Grant Alvernaz came out on top in the playoff to earn a big 175 points in his first event of his 2019-2020 campaign, which now has him in a tie for fifth place in the Hogan flight standings with a month and half in the books on the new season.
The third and final playoff of the day came in the Senior Hogan flight on Sunday, with Gerald Yago and Jack Snell both posting (+10) 82 after 18 holes. Gerald Yago, the 2018-2019 Senior Hogan flight Player of the Year, took it on the first playoff hole for the first win of his 2019-2020 campaign. Yago won five times last season, so something tells us this won’t be the last time we’ll be writing about him this season.
The Sarazen flight was won by nearby Dublin player BJ Desai on Sunday. Desai posted a steady round of 43-41 for (+12) 84 to win the flight by one shot over fellow Dublin resident Tom Cignarella (85). Desai played his final five holes in even par to seal the deal, earning him a big 175 points and his first win in as many tries this season.
The Senior Sarazen flight was won by Utah resident John Pappas on Sunday. Pappas posted (+13) 85 to take the flight by two strokes over runner-up finisher Paul Lesti (87). Pappas seems to enjoy playing in the Bay Area, as he also won when he was in town for the TPC Harding Park event last season. Pappas now leads the Las Vegas, NV Senior Sarazen flight standings after Sunday’s win.
Keith Hartstein, out of Novato, returned to the winner’s circle on Sunday as he posted a very solid round of (+13) 85 to win the flight by five shots over nearest finisher Bob Montgomery (90). The five shot win was the largest margin of victory on the day. Hartstein earned 115 points on Sunday and will enter the last of month of the 2019 calendar year on Tour in third place in the Senior Jones flight standings.
Your champion in the Snead flight was Modesto resident Gregory Kolsrud on Sunday. Kolsrud posted (+25) 97 to win the flight by two shots over Steve Kallick and Rodney Codero (99s). After playing just once in 2018-2019, Kolsrud has now won two of the three events he’s teed it up in this season. The current leader in the Sacramento Senior Snead flight standings will look to make it three of four on Sunday at Yocha Dehe.
For full field scores and photos please visit www.gcamtour.com > Schedule > Local > Bay Area > Wente Vineyards Open
Top Finishers & Payouts
Championship Flight
74 – Alex Stephenson ($125 in gift cards + Award)
76 – Sergio Orozco ($75 in gift cards)
79 – Dan Corral ($25 in gift cards)
Palmer Flight
79 – Jeffery Lee ($125 in gift cards + Award)*
79 – Thomas Tripp ($75 in gift cards)
81 – Bobby Booth ($50 in gift cards)
83 – Michael Van Swol ($25 in gift cards)
*Won in Playoff
Hogan Flight
81 – Grant Alvernaz ($125 in gift cards + Award)*
81 – Damir Delic ($75 in gift cards)
84 – Sourabh Mishra ($50 in gift cards)
84 – Benjamin Levy ($25 in gift cards)
*Won in Playoff
Senior Hogan Flight
82 – Gerald Yago ($125 in gift cards + Award)*
82 – Jack Snell ($75 in gift cards)
83 – Casey Hashimoto ($25 in gift cards)
*Won in Playoff
Sarazen Flight
84 – BJ Desai ($125 in gift cards + Award)
85 – Tom Cignarella ($75 in gift cards)
86 – Jose Espinoza ($50 in gift cards)
91 – Tom Hunter ($25 in gift cards)
Senior Sarazen Flight
85 – John Pappas ($100 in gift cards + Award)
87 – Paul Lesti ($50 in gift cards)
Jones Flight
85 – Keith Hartstein ($100 in gift cards + Award)
90 – Bob Montgomery ($50 in gift cards)
Snead Flight
97 – Gregory Kolsrud ($125 in gift cards + Award)
99 – Steve Kallick ($75 in gift cards)
99 – Rodney Codero ($50 in gift cards)
Thanks again for coming out and playing! We hope to see you out in Brooks for the Yocha Dehe Fall Classic on Sunday, November 24th!!
Dan Cacho
dcacho@gcamtour.com
707-567-7700