Albert Ochoa and Miguel Del Angel Jr. each shot par 72 and hold a slim lead heading into today’s final round of the 22nd McAllen Amateur Golf Championship at Champion Lakes Golf Course in McAllen.
The two will be paired as the final group when they tee off at 2:05 p.m., weather permitting.
Raul Gonzalez is alone in third at 1-over-par with a 73. Gonzalez led a good portion of the day during Saturday’s rainy round but then bogeyed holes 5, 6 and 8 and double bogeyed nine to drop behind the leaders.
Play was suspended at one point when the skies opened up and gusts of rain whipped across the course. After about 45 minutes and some work done on the greens, golfers returned to the course.
Four golfers, including three-time and defending champion Luke Antonelli sit three strokes behind the leaders at 75. Along with Antonelli are Arnoldo Curiel, Willie Gonzalez and McLean Beckwith.
Angel has won the event five times (2022, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2008). The next closest is Antonelli (2023, 2021, 2019) and Ron Kilby (2007, 2005, 2003). Ricardo Samar, the 2018 champion, is tied for 11th at 77 and 2004 champion Ross Ledesma is 12th at 78. Two-time champion Genaro Davila is tied for 23rd at 8-over.
Ochoa, from Edinburg, was once the No. 1 ranked NCAA Div. I golfer on the country while playing for TCU. This is his second time competing in the event and heed some of last year’s tournament.
Champion flight tee times begin at 12:37 p.m. today.
A TIGER TALE
Taylor Crozier is 11-over heading into today’s final round. However, the Corpus Christi native may be the biggest celebrity on the course. A video of Crozier went viral in March, 2016, as the then 11-year-old teed off in a tournament in front of a watching Tiger Woods.
Crozier sank the shot, recording a hole-in-one, sending the crowd into an uproar and celebrating with high fives all around. Then Woods ran up to him and gave him a big hug. Tiger teed off next – but it was Crozier’s shot that was the talk of the day.
“I was really excited when I saw the ball go in the cup,” Crozier told ABC, one of the many media outlets that showed the video. “All of a sudden I just felt my feet lift off the ground a little bit.”
