McALLEN – Miguel Del Angel will look to become the first back-to-back winner this weekend as the 2023 Vantage Bank McAllen Amateur Golf Championship takes place Friday through Sunday at Champion Lakes Golf Course.
It would only seem fitting for Angel, a Mission resident, to capture a second straight title. He has dominated the event en route to capturing five championships, competing against some of the best golfers from San Antonio to Monterrey. The event, which began in 2002, has crowned five different multiple-year champions. Following Del Angel, Ron Kilby won three events and Luke Antonelli, Genaro Davila and Kyle Marburger have each won two.
Del Angel’s victories came in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2022. Del Angel also finished second on four other occasions: in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2014. The championship was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The tournament is for amateur golfers with an established handicap of 12 or less who have not competed in high school or college golf tournaments during the 24 months immediately preceding the first round of the McAllen Amateur.
City of McAllen director of golf Carlos Espinosa said this year’s field is the strongest one since the tournament began with 62 players with a handicap index of 4.8 or less and 42 in the championship flight during a news conference Tuesday morning at the golf course. During the weekend, Espinosa was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.
Along with Del Angel, Kirby, Davila and Antonelli, other past champions in this year’s field are Ross Ledesma and Ricardo Samar. There is a record 168 golfers in the field.
The McAllen Parks and Recreation golf program also announced that 21 junior golfers would receive golf scholarships. The program’s purpose is to develop local youth to have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level.
“These juniors are the future of golf,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa also announced that for the first time there will be an electronic scoreboard and live scoring for those to see at the tournament and online during the event.
A practice round will be held Friday followed by competition rounds Saturday and Sunday, culminating with the awards presentation at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday.