FAYETTVILLE, Ark. – Marc Engellenner of Rocklin, Calif. and Domingo Jojola of Burlingame, Calif. fired a 5-under-par 67 to extend their margin and lead the field by four strokes heading into Wednesday’s final round at Blessings Golf Club. Mike Lohner of Southlake, Texas and Don Dean of Austin, Texas lead the Senior Division by two strokes after carding a 6-under-par 66, while Lester Devitt of Concord, Mass. and Charles Yandell of Cashiers, N.C. hold a three-shot advantage in the Super Senior Division.
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The duo from northern California strategically mapped their way around the difficult front nine. Engellenner carded the team’s lone birdie on the par-3 third en route to an opening 1-under 35.
“The hole locations were a little tougher today and we faced some swirling winds,” Engellenner said. “We battled on the front nine to keep the bogeys off the scorecard.”
The overnight leaders found their form on the closing loop. They both carded birdies on the par-5 10th, Engellenner took care of the short par-4 11th with another red figure; while Jojola stuffed his approach shot on the par-4 12th en route to the team’s third consecutive birdie. They added one more on the par-5 15th to post 14-under par through 36 holes.
“Our goal is to continue to eliminate bogeys and give ourselves as many birdie putts as possible,” Jojola said. “It would be great to come out with the victory and would give us both some confidence heading into the U.S. Mid-Amateur.”
Blake Vinson of Fort Worth, Texas and David Klaudt of Dallas carded the round of the day in the Mid-Amateur Division. The duo carded five birdies and a bogey on the front nine to quickly get to 4-under par. Klaudt added birdies on the par-5 10th and par-5 15th to post a 6-under-par 66 and climb into solo second (four strokes behind Engellenner and Jojola).
Bryon Shumate of Fort Smith, Ark. and Derek Smith of Fayetteville, Ark. are tied third with Matthew Nelson of Springdale, Ark. and Chris Devlin of Birmingham, Ala. Both teams carded consecutive rounds of 68 and sit at 8-under par for the championship. Michael Chaney of Fayetteville, Ark. and Chris Collins of Springdale, Ark. round out the top-5 at 7-under-par 137 overall.
In the Senior Division, Lohner and Dean carded seven birdies and a bogey en route to an impressive 66. The defending champions will begin the final round with a two-stroke lead at 13-under par. Greg Greenbaum and Jack Larkin of Atlanta fired the round of the day. Looking to finish one better than last year’s runner-up honors, Greenbaum and Larkin put on a four-ball clinic. The duo carded nine birdies (seven by Larkin himself) and a lone bogey to post an 8-under-par 64 and cut into Lohner and Dean’s lead.
Robert McDonald and Bob Brewer of Austin, Texas carded rounds of 71-69, while Mac McGee and Trey Womack of Midland, Texas posted 70-70. Both teams are 4-under par for the tournament and tied third.
In the Super Senior Division, Devitt and Yandell complimented their opening 65 with a 3-under-par 69. Despite recording two bogeys on the scorecard in Round 2, they have a three-shot lead with 18 holes to play. Douglas Potter of Coeur dAlene, Idaho and Mitchell Murphy of Scottsdale, Ariz. cut into the overnight lead with a 5-under-par 67. They carded seven birdies as a team and are solo second by seven strokes.
Last year’s champions, Doug Hopton-Jones of Mansfield, Texas and Ed Turner of Richardson, Texas are tied third with Larry Lujan of Los Ranchos, N.M. and Mike Quinlan of Albuquerque, N.M. at even par for the championship.
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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