Columnist: Acker holds slim SNGA lead

Wednesday, June 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

WITH FOUR tournaments completed and eight more to be played on the Southern Nevada Golf Association's tournament schedule, last year's SNGA Player of the Year Frank Acker holds a slim lead atop the points leader board with 113.

Brady Exber follows closely with 111.7. Rounding out the top five at this early juncture of the season are Russell Nygard with 74.7 points, Morris Ferstman with 62.7 and Lee Winston with 58.

Mike Diehl handily leads the senior division race with 120 points. He is followed by Jim Birkholtz, 64; Stuart Reid, 59; and Ron Bures and Miles Catania, 56 apiece.

The net division leader board is very competitive, with Chris Piper's 72.7 points leading. Barry Isaacs is next with 68.4, followed by Larry McGovern, 67; Jim Licausi, 60.7; and Bob Schindler at 60.

In a four-person scramble championship played recently by members of the Las Vegas Country Club, the group of Tim Powers, Frank Larsen, Bob Morrow and Gary Davis eked out a narrow win in the gross division, coming in with a 13-under 59.

Gary Ashworth's team of Nawaz Qureshi, Woody Hensley and Lyn Weidman were one stroke back in second place, while the foursome of Gil Cohen, Jack Armstrong, Alan Andrews and Tom Yarbrough was third with a 61.

Sharing low net honors with 16-under 56s, were Nick Tanno, Allan and Dennis Sabbath and Stan Mallin, along with the team of Steve Olsen, Jack Libby, Bill Trent and Dan Keiserman. Harry and Judy Campbell and Bill and Audry Lattin were next with 57.

Statistical leaders in the U.S. Open were as follows:

Colin Montgomerie, who finished T10, hit 48 of 56 fairways to lead the fairways hit category.

The driving distance rank was won by Tiger Woods, who averaged 296.5 yards. He tied for 82nd.

Greens in regulation was won by Montgomerie, who hit 57 of 72.

New Zealander Michael Campbell, who averaged 28 putts per round, ranked first in that category. He tied for 32nd at 288.

As for the Open winner, Steve Jones ranked 16th in fairways hit, ninth in driving distance, eighth in greens in regulation and 29th in putting. Very consistent and very impressive.