Page 26 - LVGL Summer 2019

[ INDU S T R Y INSIGH T S ]

NE W S • E V EN T S • BEH IND T HE SCENE S

Coronado Wins Again State President Ronda Henderson
SECOND STRAIGHT NEVADA STATE HIGH PLAYS U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S OPEN
SCHOOL TITLE

oronado is a golf juggernaut in Nevada high school golf. The onda Henderson, president of the Nevada State Women’s Golf
Cougars, led by individual champ Michael Sarro, won their Association, has played golf off and on throughout her life, at
Csecond Nevada State High School 4A title in a row. They also Rleast since she took up the grand ole game at 19. Her life’s golf
won the Desert Region for the sixth straight year. journey culminated in May when she played in the U. S. Senior Women’s
In all, Coronado went undefeated in every league and regional match Open at Pine Needles Lodge Golf Club in North Carolina. She qualified
and in other high-level tournaments that they played in during the for the tournament in April at Briarwood Country Club in Arizona.
2019 season. In addition to the playoff and regular season high school Henderson, who works with Reflection Bay Golf Club director of
matches, the team won the Pahrump Valley Invitational, the Champions instruction Craig Barlow, missed the cut with rounds of 83 and 82 during
Invitational and the Southern Nevada Invitational. the difficult championship. But she did finish ahead of accomplished
Sarro, a senior, won the state title in a playoff with a birdie on the first LPGA Tour players such as Joanne Carner and Pat Shriver, among
extra hole. others, plus some other top national senior amateurs. She tied with
“This was the last step to finishing off a perfect season, and it was by Martha Leach, the 2018 U. S. Senior Women’s Open low amateur.
far the hardest one,” Coronado coach Joe Sawaia said in the Review- “There were only 120 players that week and I know it sounds cliché,
Journal. “This golf course played really difficult, but our kids battled and but it was an honor just to be there and I really mean it,” Henderson said.
I couldn’t be more proud of them. This team has put their stamp on “The first thing that comes to mind is how thankful all of the players are
possibly being the best (in school history) by going undefeated.” that the USGA has added this event. Some think they added it too late,
Coronado finished with a score of 583, 10 strokes ahead of Galena. but we all are thankful we 50 and over players have a stage like this on
Bishop Gorman was third at 633. The Cougars’ Benjamin Sawaia shot 73 which to perform.”
to finish third at 145, and teammate Joey Dotta also shot 73 and finished
fourth at 146. Prior to the state event, Brett Sawaia won the Desert
Region title.

24 LVG&L SUMMER 2019 W W W.L ASVEGASGOLFANDLEISURE.COM