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It was a Lobo party at the U.S. Open Qualifying event at UNM Championship Golf Course on Monday, as three UNM men’s golfers took the top three spots Brandon Shong, Bastien Amat, Matthew Watkins to advance to the June 7 sectional qualifier and one step closer to the U.S. Open (June 17-20 at Torrey Pines).
What’s more, two former Lobos Gustavo Moranto (3-under 69) and Sam Saunders (70) took the two alternate spots. Saunders beat former UNM golfer and Albuquerque Academy alumnus Chandler Smith-Stenson and Cibola standout Aiden Krafft on the first playoff hole.
“That’s crazy,” said Shong, who shot a personal-best 6-under 66 in his U.S. Open Qualifying debut. “We’ve all been playing well. It’s nice to get all of us into the (sectional) qualifier. It feels good.”
Notah Begay III is shown during his position as Golf Channel analyst. (Courtesy of Notah Begay III)
Notah Begay III speaks fondly about his latest project, a junior tour in New Mexico and surrounding states that will give young golfers in his home state more opportunities to compete.
There’s potential for the tour to become high profile and for junior golfers to gain exposure and national ranking points because of Begay’s name on the tour and because of the partnership with the Sun Country Junior Golf Tour, which has events in New Mexico and El Paso.
Golf changed Begay’s life and has seemed to always be there for him in the best of times and during dark days. He was recently named to the inaugural class of the Albuquerque Academy Hall of Fame, reminding many of the remarkable story of the 1990 graduate who went on to become a three-time All-American at Stanford, the Cardinal’s No. 1 golfer on its 1994 national championship team, and a four-time PGA Tour champion, as well a