Miguel Griego, Championship Flight Winner		Mike Zaremba, Professional Flight Winner
The first amateur in 21 years to win the Open – Miguel Griego

  
What a finish for this year's tourney! We might as well start with those die-hard warriors that climb up (and down) the 'M' mountain early in the morning…

The 2003 Elfego Baca Shoot kicked off at six in the morning, and there were seven brave souls (and their strong supporting casts) that tested the beastly mountain today. Each team consists of the player, three spotters, a scorekeeper and a medical professional - just in case the rattlesnakes are feeling frisky. There was also a German television crew that followed former champion Gary Gladysz, and they were obviously shocked when they saw what they were in for. The story of this tournament was that we had a late entrant - golf professional John Bohannon from Angel Fire, NM. He just missed the cut in the regular Hilton Open, but he hung around on Saturday and won the Elfego tourney with a total of 18 shots! Local Johnny Gonzales finished one shot back at 19, and Tech graduate Gladysz scored 22 strokes. Bohannon said he'll be back next year, but we hope he'll be making the cut in the Hilton so that he can get some cash out of his trip!  Click Here for the Elfego In Pictures.

Now that a PGA professional had won the Elfego for the first time in the history of the tournament, you know that we had to have the opposite in the Hilton Open, and that leads us to young Miguel Griego! What a day - he held off the entire professional field today, made a ton of birdies, had a tough time coming in on the last few holes, and then finished with a flourish on #18 by almost chipping in for eagle. He's come very close to winning the past two years, but he came through today like a champ. Speaking of champs, Mike Zaremba fired a very respectable two-under 70 today for a total of eleven-under 205! He played so consistent all week, and really impressed his fellow pros. Perennial champion Brian Kortan shot 72 today to come in third place for the pros overall, while Ryan Murphy shot 66 today to come in second. Way to go pros!

It was a strange year - amateurs win both the Senior Hilton and the Hilton Open tournaments, while a professional comes out of nowhere to win the Elfego Baca Shoot. Thanks to all the competitors, both amateur and professional, and special thanks to the untold number of volunteers - there's no way this tournament could happen without you! Also, special thanks to Delilah and Dennis Walsh who provide the pictures and the stories!

 Until next year, goodbye from New Mexico Tech!

 Hilton Open, Final Results

Pictures from Saturday, June 14

More pictures of Saturday, June 14

Pictures from Friday Night's Bar-B-Q, June 13

Pictures from the Elfego Baca Golf Shoot

Friday, June 13, 2003  (Friday's Pictures)
 

(Right)  Hole #1 Starter Joe Gutierrez prepares with his assistant Nick

  
Welcome to the first official day of the Hilton Open golf tournament!  The rough may be a bit shorter than previous years, but the greens are slicker than glass, and that really makes the scoring either feast or famine.

Senior Am champ Joe Gutierrez collects his bounty from Bob Basham

The amateurs teed off with the sun rising on their brows this morning, and they had a bit of a tough time.  Only a few players in each of the handicapped flights could break into red numbers, but there were a number of rounds to remember for the history books.  Paul Christianson, playing in the Crystal Springs flight, netted a 64!  Lence Jorgensen, our friend from Tanoan Country Club in Albuquerque, had the round of his life with a 75, netting a 67.  Of course, as we knew it would happen, local Miguel Griego fired a natural 68 – he did this while double-bogeying #14!  Although it should have been a 66, he was in good spirits and seems ready to take it to the pros tomorrow morning.

(Right)  Local sharpshooter Miguel Griego gets ready to take down the champ flight

Speaking of those professionals, they represented themselves very well in the beautiful, sunny weather that Socorro offered today.  Thursday tends to be the most difficult scoring day for the pros, but this year it seemed to be opposite.  The perennial champion, Brian Kortan, fired a great 67, and that was with a seven on the easy, par-five #1!  His round was a testament to the synergy between his game and this course.  

Dan Koesters also shot 67, and there are thirty other pros within eight shots of their lead.  It’s anyone’s game tomorrow!  Good luck to all, but keep in mind that Tech can make you feel great one minute, and horrible the next.  The players who respect the course and play their own game usually come out on top, so keep those emotions in check, guys, and you’re bound to do well…We’ll have to wait and see what the dawn brings on Friday, so hang tight and we’ll keep you posted!

Tuesday, June 10, 2003  (Tuesday's Pictures)

Jack Slayton, the best senior golfer

What a difference a day makes in the weather!  Socorro went from rain and cloudy skies to bright, very warm sunshine in the brief space of twenty-four hours.  The locals tell you that if you don’t like the weather in Socorro, wait ten minutes and it’ll change for you!  Not only the weather changed at New Mexico Tech Golf Course, though, as the amateurs took over the senior tournament… 

In the handicapped amateur flights, locals Joe “the Bullet” Gutierrez and San Antonio’s Luis Padilla won their respective flights by a few shots each, although they didn’t exactly run away with their trophies.  Both flights were fiercely competitive, and it took a lot of skill to finish on top today.  Even though he had a broken foot, Luis played tough both days, and Joe simply played golf liked he played baseball for many years – hard-nosed and relentless!

Jack Slayton, a senior scratch amateur from Albuquerque, New Mexico was the master of New Mexico Tech Golf Course. Slayton beat the professionals and shot the low score of the Hilton Senior Tournament with a two-day one-under-par score of 143.  Slayton, a former gymnast, was three under as he made the turn, but then double bogeyed the easiest hole on the back nine, number twelve, and it appeared that New Mexico Tech was going to do him in.  However, he toughed it out the rest of the way and took the honor of being the best senior golfer!  Simply amazing! 

In the Professional flight, Jim Dickson and 2002 Senior Champion Tom Storey tied for low professional at 144.  Jim had one of the lower rounds of the day at two under 70, while Tom played steady, as he always does, to finish at even par for the tournament.  On a side note, Terry Dear had the lowest round of the day at 68.  Way to go pros!

It was another beautiful day for golf at the New Mexico Tech Golf Course in Socorro, New Mexico. However, despite the beautiful conditions in the morning, you can bet that the Hilton will bring much-needed rain to Socorro.  After most amateurs had already made the turn, the lightning alarm went off. For the first time in over three months, Socorro received a 30-minute rain shower! Despite the one-hour delay and damp conditions, the pace of play continued to be very quick. The wet conditions didn’t seem to slow the pace at all and scores ranged all across the board.  Some of the amateurs came in as low as a net 66, but most were in the black numbers.  The lone amateur with a gross score in the red was Jack Slayton – he carried the amateurs with a 71!

 The pros didn’t have a much easier time, as scores ranged entirely in the black.  Terry Carlson and Tom Storey sit in a tie for first at 73, and they have fourteen others within six shots of their lead.  Play should be hot and heavy tomorrow morning, and hopefully the shorter rough and quick greens will lend themselves to low scores – you never know, though, because year in and year out, New Mexico Tech has proven to be a tough test, so all we can do is wish good luck to all!

Sunday's Pictures

Sunday's Senior Pro-Am Results