HARLINGEN — Harlingen’s Justin Brown lined up his attempt from just outside the front of the green at the sixth hole at the Harlingen Country Club.
Twelve-time Life Begins at 40 tournament champion Ron Kilby, a few paces behind, dropped a nearly perfect shot inches from the hole for an easy tap-in to put the pressure on Brown. Kilby needed the hole after falling behind by three.
Kilby’s shot was nearly perfect — Brown’s was.
Brown’s pitch from about 20 feet from the hole looked destined to go in as soon as it leveled out, and he took the hole to go up by four on Kilby.
| Competitor Justin Brown sends up a spray of dirt as he tees off for hole four Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 during the Life Begins At 40 Annual Golf Tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey |
Brown went up by five after the seventh hole and eventually finished the match after 13 holes to advance to the semifinals of the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament.
“I got off to a hot start,” Brown said. “That is what you need, especially with a guy like Kilby, and I was able to do that.”
Brown is set to meet Arnoldo Curiel in the semifinals at 12:15 p.m. today.
Curiel is the only remaining McAllen golfer as well as the only golfer not from the Harlingen Country Club and returns to the semifinal round after making it this far in 2022 by defeating Dan MacDonald.
| Competitor Arnoldo Curiel tees off from the tee box at hole four Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 during the Life Begins At 40 Annual Golf Tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey |
The other semifinal pairing is Steven Bazan and Bryan Kennedy.
The two had an agreement coming into the tourney.
“Bryan and I play all the time,” Bazan said. “We play in the same group every Saturday, so we are really good friends. Before the tournament came up we made a pact. Either one of us was going to caddie for the other in the finals.”
Bazan was trailing by two holes coming into the 17th against Henry Cabrera.
| Competitor Steve Bazan tees off at hole four Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 during the Life Begins At 40 Annual Golf Tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey |
“I putted as bad I could have putted today,” Bazan said. “I just did not make anything.”
Bazan composed himself at the 17th hole and to force a playoff hole, and then picked up the win to set up the meeting against Kennedy.
| Competitor Bryan Kennedy is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 during the Life Begins At 40 Annual Golf Tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Denise Cathey |