FAYETTVILLE, Ark. – Marc Engellenner of Rocklin, Calif. and Domingo Jojola of Burlingame, Calif. fired eight birdies and an eagle en route to an opening 9-under-par 63. Engellenner, 43, and Jojola, 34, lead the field by two strokes headed into Wednesday’s second round. Mike Lohner of Southlake, Texas and Don Dean of Austin, Texas lead the Senior Division by three strokes after carding a 7-under-par 65, while Lester Devitt of Concord, Mass. and Charles Yandell of Cashiers, N.C. hold a five-shot advantage in the Super Senior Division.
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Jojola set the tone with a birdie on the par-5 second, and Engellenner followed with his own birdie on the par-3 third to quickly get the team to 2-under par. They carded two more birdies on the front nine and turned at 4-under 32.
The great teamwork continued on the back side, and Engellener’s eagle of the par-5 10th carried the momentum throughout the rest of the round. They carded four more birdies and a lone bogey on the par-4 14th to close out an incredible first round.
“We ham and egged it all day,” said Engellenner, who finished solo fourth at the 2021 Trans-Mississippi Senior & Mid-Master in May. “Domingo is always in play and has a great short game. He will have his birdie chances, and I’ll plan to take advantage of the par-5s again tomorrow.”
Engellenner and Jojola call the Bay area home and play together a couple times a month. They recently qualified as individuals for the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur, and we’ll look to carry their good form into Wednesday’s second round.
Michael Chaney of Fayetteville, Ark. and Chris Collins of Springdale, Ark. are solo second and two strokes off the lead. The Blessings Golf Club members took advantage of their local knowledge en route to a bogey-free 7-under-par 65. Lance Maxwell and Mark Vanhoose of Norman, Okla. fired a 5-under-par 67 and solo third heading into Round 2, while four teams share a tie for fourth at 4-under par.
Lohner and Dean carded eight birdies en route to low round of the day in the Senior Division. Last year, they teamed up to claim the Senior Division title at The Club at Old Stone in Bowling Green, Ky. Michael Alsup of Broken Arrow, Okla. and Frank Billings of Tulsa, Okla. are solo second after an opening 4-under-par 68, while last year’s runner-ups Greg Greenbaum and Jack Larkin of Atlanta, Ga. sit just four strokes back and solo third.
In the Super Senior Division, Devitt and Yandell fired a 7-under-par 65. They carded seven birdies en route to a bogey-free opening round. Douglas Potter of Coeur dAlene, Idaho and Mitchell Murphy of Scottsdale, Ariz. are five back after a 2-under-par 70, while last year’s Super Senior Division Champions Doug Hopton-Jones of Mansfield, Texas and Ed Turner of Richardson, Texas are solo third at 1-under par.
This is the first time Blessings Golf Club has played host to the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball. Known as one of the best modern courses in the country, the championship layout was originally built in 2004 by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Now hosting some of the best mid-amateur and senior golfers in the country, Blessings Golf Club adds to its young history. The club has recently played host to several elite events including the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s National Championship (2019), Southern Junior Amateur (2020) as well as the Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods (2020 – Present).
Blessings Golf Club is scheduled to host the Trans-Mississippi Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Mid-Master & Senior in the coming years (official dates TBD).
About the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association
The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association is one of the oldest and most prestigious golf organizations in the United States. Established in 1901, the Trans-Mississippi is composed of over 200 member clubs located throughout the country. The Association is governed by a board of independent directors and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.
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