Pierce Johnson Wins Sonoran Amateur
MESA, Arizona—Pierce Johnson (Dallas, TX) shot a final round 3-under par 68 to win the 2023 Sonoran Amateur by one-shot at Longbow Golf Club today. Johnson hit a five iron from 198 yards to four feet on the par-5 18th hole. He converted the eagle effort to end up with the one-shot victory and emerge from a large pack of players challenging for the title. Johnson started the day in a tie for 7th after opening rounds of 73 and 68. There was a three-way tie for 2nd place with Jimmy Dales (71; Northville, MI), William Ma (69; San Diego), and Leo Cheng (73; Porter Ranch, CA). Two players-Terrin Anderson and Carson Herron were another shot back at -2. Johnson is a sophomore on the Arkansas State golf team.
JOHNSON ON THE WIN: “Today was a grind. My playing partners were very good. Jimmy (Dales) pushed me to the last hole. I knew going into the tournament I was going to need to hit fairways and that is what I did really well this week. Tee balls were great. That really helped me be able to play steady golf and make birdies when I could. This tournament means a lot with it being at the very start of the year. It makes me very excited for 2023 and it makes me very confident heading into the spring semester at Arkansas State.”
THE RAREST OF BIRDS: As Lance Hamak stared down his long 2nd shot on the par-5 18th hole in today’s final round of the Sonoran Amateur, he didn’t realize it would be his last competitive shot of the day. Lance holed the shot from well over 200 yards to score a 2 on the par-5. An albatross, or as the late, great announcer Ben Wright eloquently called it ‘the rarest of birds’. Congrats to Lance!
FULL RESULTS: Attached and available at www.2023SonoranAmateur.GolfGenius.com or as the GGID 23SONORAN on the Golf Genius app.
TROON SAGUARO AMATEUR SERIES: The Troon Saguaro Amateur Series is a world-ranked amateur tournament series that is hosting 12 tournaments in the 2022-23 season. The Sonoran Amateur is the 11th tournament in the 2022-23 Troon Saguaro Amateur Series. This is the first year of the Sonoran Amateur at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa. Longbow is a long-time host to many championships at all levels of professional, amateur, and college golf and is most known to host the AJGA’s Heather Farr each April. The full Series schedule and Player of the Year standings are available at www.SaguaroAmateur.com as well as at www.2023TSAS.golfgenius.com. The next event in the Troon Saguaro Amateur Series will be the Saguaro Amateur January 5-8, at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona. The Saguaro Amateur is the championship of the 2022-23 Troon Saguaro Amateur Series.
Click Here for the Final Results of the Sonoran Amateur
Roy Edwards
Chairman, Troon Saguaro Amateur Series
Head Men’s Golf Coach, University of Colorado
Joe Jensen
Vice Chairman, Troon Saguaro Amateur Series
Director of Golf, University of Wyoming