Bazan outlasts Brown to win back-to-back LBA40 titles

HARLINGEN — Harlingen’s Steven Bazan is the Life Begins at 40 champion for a second consecutive year.

Bazan, 51, held off past champion Justin Brown on the back nine at the Harlingen Country Club to win his second LBA40 title on Saturday. Bazan beat Brown by a hole, needing all 18 to see out the win.

Bazan would be happy to win the tournament twice he said, but going back-to-back is special as he joked with LBA40 president Jeffrey Scoggins about coming back another year as president despite Scoggins having to relinquish duties.

Harlingen’s Steven Bazan Saturday at the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament with tournament president Jeffrey Scoggins at the Harlingen Country Club. Photo courtesy of Victor Dominguez.

“The two years he has been president I have won, so he can’t leave,” Bazan said.

The back-to-back champion also praised his caddy Bryan Kennedy, also a competitor in the championship flight, for helping him Saturday.

Bazan, while already up a hole, placed his approach shot a few feet from the hole on 18 to all but seal title. Brown’s approach at 18 landed well short of the green, and too far to really threaten winning the hole.

“It was a heck of a match, I gave it my best shot, but I fell a little short,” Brown said.

Harlingen’s Justin Brown Saturday at the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. Photo courtesy of Victor Dominguez.

Brown and Bazan neither won a hole from 12 to 17, both hit some terrific putts, especially Brown to ensure a chance at 18. Bazan never let his guard down against Brown despite being up a hole on the back nine and Brown not always having the best drive.

“There is a couple of guys out here that you can’t be that way with,” Bazan said. “They are going to make four some how, so my mentality was I knew he was going to par … I played well, but I feel bad for him that he did not have a chance to birdie at 18 or anything like that, but I guess that’s golf.”

Harlingen’s Steven Bazan Saturday at the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. Photo courtesy of Victor Dominguez.

Brown won 11 to cut it to a hole after Bazan went up two holes after winning 10.

Bazan won the fourth and third holes to go up one after Brown started strong by winning the first hole and hitting a terrific approach shot on the second hole, but missed from only a couple of feet to go up two.

Harlingen’s Justin Brown Saturday at the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. Photo courtesy of Victor Dominguez.

“I got off to a hot start,” Brown said. “I missed the putt on two, it is nerve wracking with all these people out here and the greens were so much faster today than they have been all week.”

Brown said Bazan was better than him Saturday, and he did his best to hang around, but Bazan made his putts coming in.

Harlingen’s Steven Bazan Saturday at the Life Begins at 40 golf tournament at the Harlingen Country Club. Photo courtesy of Victor Dominguez.

Bazan joins Ron Kilby and Richard LaPierre as the only past champions to win back-to-back titles in the 21st century.

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