In the midst of challenging weather conditions, two men from the East Coast rose to the top of the leaderboard at the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown held at Paiute Resort’s Snow Mountain course in Las Vegas. Doug Stiles of Athens, Georgia, and Matthew Avril of Vero Beach, Florida, both shot 8-over 80 in the opening round to share the lead in the Senior division. Despite the tough conditions with winds blowing at 25-40 mph and temperatures starting at 40 degrees, they managed to edge ahead of the competition.
Overall, scores were high in the opening round of the tournament, with the field averaging 84.9 for the day. Stiles and Avril’s performances stood out in the difficult conditions, with Avril not making a birdie and Stiles making two but also having some big numbers on his card. Despite this, they were able to take a one-shot lead over five players tied for third at 9 over. Among the group at 9 over is Brady Exber, who hails from Las Vegas and captained the West team to victory at the East West Matches in Texas last week.
In the Super Senior division, Kevin Belknap from Wichita, Kansas, took the lead with a round of 7-over 79, one of only three rounds under 80 on the day. Belknap, accustomed to windy conditions, leads Stevie Cannady of Georgia by a shot. Cannady, the winner of the Golfweek Super Senior National Championship in July, had a mixed round with a birdie on the 11th hole but a double-bogey on the 18th.
The Legends division saw impressive performances from Steve Cribari of California and Neil Spitalny of Tennessee, who posted rounds of 76 and 77, respectively, the best scores of the day in their division. Behind them, Michael Paulsen of Texas had the next best score with 82. In the Super Legends division, Greg Mokler of Colorado leads with a round of 80, followed closely by Steven Johnson of Las Vegas and Richard Hunt of Oklahoma with rounds of 81.
As the tournament progresses, competitors will have to navigate the challenging conditions and tough competition to secure victory in their respective divisions. The unpredictable weather and demanding course at Paiute Resort’s Snow Mountain course will test the skills and resilience of all participants. With leaders emerging in each division after the first round, the stage is set for an exciting and hard-fought competition as players vie for the title of champion at the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown. With the experience and talent of the field on display, spectators can expect to witness outstanding golf and thrilling moments in the days to come.
