Trevor Coss (Net), Luis Morais (Senior) and Jimmy Bradley (Silver) won titles at the 2024 Nevada State Net Amateur. The tournament, which featured stroke play qualifying before turning to match play, was held Aug. 10-12, 2024, at Highland Falls Golf Club. –by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider
Net
Trevor Coss won an SNGA title in 2021 and followed that up with one SNGA win in 2022. He also won once in 2023.
See a pattern forming?
Well, Coss is living up to that pattern as he won for the first time in 2024, but this one’s different..it’s a state crown as he is the overall net champion in the 2024 Nevada State Net Amateur.
Coss beat Jason Berton 4-and-2 to win the crown. It is the second time he has won the Nevada State Net Amateur crown.
Coss jumped out to a 3-up lead after five holes before Berton won the next two holes to cut the lead to 1-up.
Coss then took control as he won four of the final eight holes of the match (holes 9 through 16) for the victory.
“My driver kept everything in play,” he said. “I literally used the same golf ball for all 81 holes I played.”
He said the competition was a challenge despite the fact his three match-play sessions never reached the 17th hole.
“All of these guys played well,” Coss said. “And Jason…it seemed like he had nine lives. I’d think I had him knocked out and he would come back. Like on hole No. 8. I had a two-foot birdie putt and he had a 15-footer for par. He knocked his in and I missed mine so we halved the hole.”
But in the end, he’s happy to be back in the winner’s circle.
“I will say this,” he said. “I’ve only gotten into the top eight twice and I’m 6-0 in the match play and won it twice so once I get into match play I guess my confidence really goes up. Winning events are great but a state tournament is really special.”
Net
Semifinals
Coss def. Canarelli, 4-and-3
Berton def. Estrada, 3-and-2
Final
Coss def. Berton, 4-and-2
Senior Net
Luis Morais tried to stay calm despite being four-holes down with just five to go against Michael Haas.
“I wasn’t out of it but it wasn’t looking good,” Morais said.
Morais went on to win the next four holes to force a playoff that he won on the first hole with a par. It was his first state title.
“I don’t know what happened,” Morais said. “(Michael Haas) made a mistake on the 14th hole and I wound up winning the hole. Then I won the next one and all of a sudden I was just two-down. I thought…this can be done. I got it back to even and then won on the first playoff hole. I’m still trying to figure out how I did it.”
Morais said the key to the win…and actually the whole tournament…was simple: “I just putted real well all week,” he said. “In this match it was all about the putting over the last few holes.”
And that included the playoff hole.
“I had about a 45-footer for birdie,” he said. “I didn’t make it but I left it about a foot from the hole for par and that wound up being the winner.”
He said winning the title has boosted his confidence.
“This one means a lot to me,” he said. “It just shows that if I can play solid and putt well, I can compete. An event like this is great to come away with a win.”
Senior Net
Semifinals
Haas def. Pena, 3-and-2
Morais def. LiCausi, conceded
Final
Morais def. Haas, 19 holes
Silver Net
Jimmy Bradley won the Silver Net title when George Yocum conceded the title match on the 13th hole.
The duo battled to a draw over the first nine holes with each player winning three holes and three holes ending up tied. Bradley won three of the first four (with Yocum winning the other hole) before Yocum won two of the final three including the ninth hole.
Bradley then won the first three holes on the back nine before the concession.
“We were going back and forth on the front nine,” Bradley said. “He tied me at the turn and then I won the first three holes on the back before he conceded.”
Bradley said his game in the finale was solid.
“I putted well today and hit the driver better than yesterday,” he said. “It all worked out well.”
It was Bradley’s second state title as he won one in 2007. “I’ve won a few SNGA tournaments in between but it’s just my second state title and it’s great to be able to win a tournament like this,” Bradley said.
He said he celebrated the victory in high style.
“I’m old…I got home, put some ice on my back and took a nap,” he said with a laugh. “The win made it a pretty good day.”
Silver Net
Semifinals
Bradley and Yocum both advance to the final with byes
Final
Bradley def. Yocum, conceeded