Prosser hits jackpot again

Darren Prosser pictured with a Las Vegas Showgirl.

Former European Tour and Challenge Tour player, Darren Prosser won the Las Vegas Pro-Am for the first time since 2009 as another top quality field assembled in the Nevada sunshine to compete in the 20th staging of the annual event.

After playing with The Pro-Am Tour in Scottsdale the previous week Kingswinford Golf Centre's Darren Prosser took the scenic five hour drive through the desert to the bright lights and great golf courses of Las Vegas.  Prosser would be chasing his fourth victory in this long running event, but would face some tough competition, especially from a former PGA South number one, James Ablett, Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Club.

The first round was staged at the spectacular Cascata Golf Club, built specifically to feel like a private club for the ‘casino high-rollers’ of Las Vegas. Darren Prosser called on all his experience and took full advantage of the pristine course conditions and perfect weather to open up an early two point lead over Ablett, with Richard Morris third.

Rio Secco Golf Club, home of the famous Butch Harmon Golf Academy, hosted the second round and James Ablett's 39 points was good enough to take the overall lead by a single point.  In Round 3 at Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort, he would extend that lead to two points over Prosser to set up an exciting finish.

In the final round at Las Vegas Paiute Resort Wolf Course, a superb score of 40 points from Prosser playing in his record breaking 66th Pro-Am Tour event would be good enough to claim the individual title, and win him $2,000 in prize money.

The team event lead changed hands several times, and despite a valiant final round charge from Adam Hickling's team, Steve Parry's team of Debbie Cain, Nick Rowarth & Dave Dobson were strong enough to claim a famous victory in their maiden Pro-Am Tour event.

Once again Las Vegas, “the entertainment capital of the world”, lived up to its reputation by providing 24-hour thrills and entertainment for all the competitors. It was one of the Austrian teams who enjoyed the most unusual mid-week free day. In the morning they enjoyed an early morning round of golf in warm sunshine at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, before driving 8,500 feet up nearby Mount Charleston to ski in the afternoon.

Darren Prosser spoke on behalf of all the professionals at the awards luncheon in thanking The Pro-Am Tour's John & Alison Hooper for another tremendous event, and congratulated them on achieving 20 annual Pro-Ams in Las Vegas. He also thanked all their fantastic amateur customers for giving PGA Professionals the opportunity to compete at top class venues all over the USA. 

The Las Vegas Classic Pro-Am is just one of The American Golf Holiday’s popular Pro-Am Tour events, and will return in 2019. Other Pro-Am Tour events include: The Pinehurst Classic, The Sawgrass Classic, The Pro-Am Tour at Pebble Beach, The Arizona Classic, The California Classic, The Mexican Classic & The Scottsdale Classic with an optional Las Vegas extended stay in 2018, along with tailor-made golf holidays and spectator packages to The US Masters at Augusta and The Ryder Cup. Further information can be obtained from The American Golf Holiday, telephone 023 8046 5885, or at their web-site www.pro-amtour.com.