FARMINGTON – Sam Saunders joined an elite list of two-time winners of the San Juan Open, staving off a stubborn challenge by Josh Anderson to win the tournament by one shot Sunday afternoon at the San Juan Country Club.
Saunders, who overcame a 1-over 36 on the front nine which included a double bogey on the fifth hole, reclaimed sole possession of the overall lead with an eagle on the very friendly 14th hole then birdied the next three holes to protect the advantage.
Saunders finished the day with a 3-under round of 68, giving him a total of 21-under par in the four-day event.
Anderson, who had a chance to tie for the lead on the par-3 18th and final hole, placed his tee shot at the top of the green. Saunders’ tee shot with the 7-iron found the fringe on the right of the green. Anderson’s birdie putt stalled a few feet in front of the cup while Saunders chipped in off the fringe for a short par putt to secure the win.
San Juan Open Final Leaderboard
1, Samuel Saunders -21 (263)
2, Josh Anderson -20 (264)
T3, Wil Collins -16 (268)
T3, Connor Jones -16 (268)
T3, Jared Sawada -16(268)
T6, Garrison Smith -14 (270)
T6, AJ Ott -14 (270)
T6, Michael Feagles -14 (270)
9, Griffin Barela -12 (272)
Five finished tied at -11
“I knew I had the right club off the tee, I hadn’t been in that situation in awhile so I was pretty nervous right there,” Saunders said. “It’s an awkward shot and I had to make the best of it.”
Saunders joins an elite group of two-time winners of the San Juan Open, which includes Gene Torres, Larry Webb, Woody Dame, Bob Eakes, Dave Powell, Larry Hogue and Jim Knous. Brian Kortan (1997, 2001, 2002 and 2003) is the leader for most wins in the tournament’s history.
“It’s always a good event to be a part of and to see how the community and the people here care about the tournament,” Saunders said. “I’ve been coming here a lot of years now and it’s definitely one of my favorite places to play.”
The final trio onto the course slugged it out on the opening holes. Jared Sawada birdied each of the first three holes, while Saunders and Anderson found themselves tied for the lead after five holes. Saunders double-bogeyed the fifth hole while Anderson played even for much of the front nine after a birdie on the first hole of the day.
A steady breeze of up to 20 miles per hour played a factor in the early holes for the final round, creating some tough scenarios for the top pair.
“It was pretty tough with the wind and it was uncomfortable out there for a little bit,” Saunders said. “I didn’t help myself with the double bogey but bounced back really well on the back nine. I was really proud of the way I hung in there.”
After the early scoring frenzy, Sawada ran into trouble with a bogey on the sixth hole combined with a double-bogey on 12. He would finish five shots back of the winner, in a tie for third with Wil Collins and Connor Jones.
Anderson grabbed the lead after a pair of Saunders bogies on the ninth and 11th holes paired with an Anderson birdie on the 12th to take a 2-shot advantage.
Saunders narrowed the gap when getting past the 13th with a par while Anderson surrendered a bogey on that hole leading to the very playable par-5 14th.
Saunders scored an eagle on that hole to regain the lead, recording his second eagle on that hole in the last two days. Anderson came away with a bogey on 14 flipping the lead back to Saunders.
“It was tough to take advantage early on with the wind,” Anderson said. “But the back nine we both went back and forth.”
Not to be outdone, Anderson closed to within a shot of the lead when he scored an eagle on the 15th hole. Saunders answered with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, setting up the dramatic scene heading to the final hole of the tournament.
The tournament was highlighted, once again, by a course which played favorably to golfers who preferred to go long off the tee. Scoring was easy to find over the San Juan Country Club course, particularly on the back nine which rewarded golfers who took advantage of hittable greens within regulation.
“If you know where to get the ball on the fairway and can get there, the course will pay you back,” Saunders said. “That’s where it helps to have experience on this course.”
Saunders, the 2018 San Juan Open champion, estimated he’s played about 40 rounds over this course. An assistant coach of the men’s golf team at the University of New Mexico, Saunders was a two-time Academic All-American during his collegiate career at UNM, helping the Lobos win the 2014 Mountain West championship.
“Winning this and playing this event helps me learn a little about what I teach to the team at UNM,” Saunders said. “It’s one thing to teach these things and lessons I’ve learned and it’s another to actually use them in my own game.”
The win earns Saunders a first prize of $15,000, while Anderson collected $6,100 for his runnerup performance. Sawada, Collins and Jones each took home more than $4,100 by tying for third overall.
For a look at the complete final leaderboard, log on to ashertour.com.
