Las Vegas’s own Brady Exber certainly played like a local on Thursday at the Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown. As the scores indicate, conditions have been brutal at Paiute Golf Resort for two days, but in Round 2, Exber used consistency to move into a share of the lead.
His second-round 7-over 79 was tied for the lowest in the division, and was one of only eight scores under 80 in the second round. Exber’s round included a birdie on the par-5 third and an eagle on the par-5 11th. Otherwise, he generally succeeded in keeping the big numbers off his card.
Exber is teeing it up in the Golfweek event just days after captaining the West team to victory at the East West Matches at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, last week. Exber is known as one of the most prolific golfers in the Southern Nevada region, with a long list of Southern Nevada and Las Vegas titles to his name as well as USGA starts.
Scores: Golfweek Senior Desert Showdown
Exber, at 16 over, holds a share of the lead with first-round co-leader Matthew Avril, the Vero Beach, Florida, resident who won the Golfweek Senior POY Classic to start the year.
After that, the leaderboard remains tight, with two men tied for third at 17 over and three men tied for fifth at 18 over.
The top of the Super Senior leaderboard is dotted with Midwesterners, with Kevin Belknap of Wichita, Kansas, still the sole leader at 15 over. Belknap backed up an opening 79 with a second-round 80 and leads Terry Tyson of Perrysburg, Ohio, by a shot.
Greg Goode of Salina, Kansas, had the best round of any competitor on Thursday – a 5-over 77 that moved him into solo fourth.
Neil Spitalny remains in the lead in the Legends division. The Chattanooga, Tennessee, resident fired an opening 77 and despite backing up to 81, leads by five shots.
Another Las Vegas player, Steven Johnson, leads the Super Legends division after rounds of 81-80. He is one shot ahead of Greg Mokler of Timnath, Colorado.
