Page 27 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Magazine Winter 2020

AROUND TOWN

SNGA Announces 2020 Schedule

Southern Nevada Golf Association officials announced
much of the 2020 tournament schedule and it is high-
lighted by the popular Social Series of events played at area
country clubs, historic amateur tournaments, and regional
and national United States Golf Association qualifying
tournaments.

A social series event at Las Vegas Country Club Jan. 13 was
the first event on the schedule and was followed up by the
annual Tournament of Champions Feb. 3 at DragonRidge
Country Club. All male and female winners of SNGA and
WSNGA tournaments are invited, as are club champions Brandon Bauman, 2019 SNGA Champion
and other winners. Sun Mountain at Paiute hosts US Amateur Sectional quali-
fying July 20-21. US Senior Amateur qualifying is July 27 at
The first USGA qualifier is Feb. 19 (women) and Feb. 20 (men) Red Rock Country Club.
at Mountain Falls for the USGA 4-Ball. Also, in February is the
first SNGA Tour event, to be played at Royal Links on the 25th. The Las Vegas City Amateur (Oct. 24-25) and Las Vegas
Senior City Amateur (Oct. 22-23) will be played at Las
The SNGA Championship is March 7-8 at Golf Summerlin, Vegas Golf Club. The Clark County Senior Amateur (Nov.
the first major of the year. 19-20) will be played at Boulder Creek. The regular amateur
date was not available at SNGA.org at deadline.
The Pete Dye Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort hosts the
Southern Nevada Amateur, another major, June 27-28. The www.SNGA.org

Amateur Status Rules Are Changing —Including Hole-In-One Prize Acceptance

It is the best of times when a golfer makes an ace and wins the Royal and Ancient Golf Club announced the change
a large cash prize or maybe a new car for the effort. What a to rule 3-2b. They also announced that all phases of ama-
feeling! teur status rules are under review and plans call for most of
the new policies to be announced in late 2021. The process
But then it is the worst of times when the realization hits of contacting elite amateur golfers, golf event organizers,
that he or she needs to turn professional to accept the prize national golf associations and other industry partners for
and then go through a long process to get amateur status their opinions is already underway.
reinstated. Not so, anymore.
“It is hoped the change will help to promote the game and
As of Jan. 1, a golfer will now retain amateur status when cater to new audiences as well, and eliminate unnecessary
accepting cash or a prize in a “stand-alone” hole-in-one con- restrictions for event organizers,” the USGA and RA stated
test. Officials from the United States Golf Association and in a joint release.

www.lasvegasgolfandleisure.com WINTER 2020 LAS VEGAS GOLF & LEISURE 25