Michael Salazar, a graduate of Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas, has a good feel for the Horizon Golf Course.
This weekend it paid off as Salazar won the New Mexico/West Texas Amateur with a powerful surge on Sunday afternoon.
Salazar shot a 5-under 65, which included a 30 on the back nine, to win by three strokes over his nearest competitor. Salazar, who eagled the 11th hole and finished with birdies on No. 17 and No. 18, shot 1-under 69 on Friday and shot a 2-over 72 on Saturday.
“I play this course and know it well. I felt strong on the back nine and got my confidence going,” Salazar said. “It feels good to win this tournament and get back to playing good golf.”
The New Mexico/West Texas Amateur was the first live sporting event in El Paso since March 15 when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the sports world to halt.
Salazar competes at Grand Canyon University in Arizona and saw his season come to an end. He will get an extra season of eligibility next year.
“I really wanted to play well this weekend,” Salazar said. “It was a tough field with lots of great players. I can use this tournament to build some confidence moving forward.”
Salazar was three shots back of the leader, Ryo Harada of Las Cruces, entering Sunday’s final day.
El Paso’s Javier Delgadillo, Jr., finished tied for second with Aidan Thomas of Bernalillo, New Mexico. Both finished at 1 under for the three-day tournament. Delgadillo is a standout golfer for Eastwood. He fired a 4-under 66 on Sunday, while Thomas came in at 3-under par on Sunday and finished the final two days at 6-under par.
Harada couldn’t maintain his lead and finished tied for fourth after shooting a 73 on Sunday. UTEP golfer and Coronado graduate Greg Yellin tied with Harada for fourth. He shot 74-66-71 during his three rounds.
El Paso’s Ian Milne (6th), Jackson Norwich (8th) and Zach Hildenbrand (10th), also finished in the top 10.
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Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.