CRUMP WINS, VAUGHAN REBOUNDS, VARGAS FUMES
Curtain Rises on MGM Tour 2015
MANHATTAN BEACH – After playing a career low 6 tournaments (missing 2 to injury) Clint Crump finished the 2014 season ranked a career worst 13th out of 15 Tour players. Sunday with a clean slate and a fresh start, the charter member won the season opening Manhattan Beach Championship. It was the 9th win of his career and first at Manhattan Beach. “It feels pretty good. I thought at the end of last season I started to play a little bit better. My dad kinda tweaked my stroke a little bit and it finally carried over to today,” said Crump who matched his career best MBC score and carded a new career best single round 35.
Top-3
Like Crump, Gerry Vaughn endured his worst year on Tour in 2014, culminating in his walking off the course midway through the Tour Championship. The former MBC winner signaled a possible return to form with his highest finish since winning in 2010. Said Crump, “Gerry had us all beat until the 2nd to last hole. It only ended up [me winning] by one, but he was on fire all day.” Also on fire (temperament included) was Walter Vargas who set new tournament records for score (66) and total pars (10). “What do I have to do to win a tournament now if I can’t have the game of the day, game of my career here at this course, and still not win?”
2015 MBC FINAL SCORES
| PLACE | GOLFER | SCORES (par-54) | HANDICAP | NET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 T7 T7 9 WD | Crump Vaughan W. Vargas Witt Freitas Moawad R. Quiroz D. Vargas T. Joe Frost | 40-35=75 36-41=77 33-33=66 51-41=92 38-36=74 36-36=72 54-47=101 43-38=81 49-45=94 43- | -32 -33 -19 -38 -18 -15 -38 -18 -24 0 (late arrival) | 43 44 47 54 56 57 63 63 70 - |
QUICK CHIPS
Records fall: Walter Vargas’s 66 set a new tournament record low score, breaking the previous record (Fidler, Moawad) by 1 stroke. He also set a new tournament record for most pars (10) breaking the record held by Armen Grigorian and Tim Joe (2012). Chris Moawad’s 3 birdies (2 of which were on the 7th hole) set a new tournament record (previously 2, held by John Mann, 2009 and Gerry Vaughan, 2010)… Streak ends: Chris Moawad failed to shoot sub-70 for the first time in his career at Manhattan Beach… Tweet-tweet: 3 golfers made birdie: Tim Joe and Gerry Vaughan, 1 each, while Chris Moawad’s 3 earned him $10 from the birdie pool… MBC Career bests: Walter Vargas’s pair of 33’s were new personal best rounds. It was just his 2nd sub-70 round in 5 career MBC starts… Milestones: Martin Witt made his 60th career start. Clint Crump’s 9th career win moves him to alone in 5th on the all time wins list.
