LOS ANGELES, CA (Nov. 8, 2021) – Former PGA TOUR Latinoamerica competitor Aaron Beverly shot a three-under par 68 to take the first-round lead in the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale at Wilshire Country Club Monday afternoon. The tournament is the final event of the newly-established Farmers Insurance® Fall Series as the APGA Tour concludes its landmark 2021 season.
The former Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Year at Sacramento State, Beverly teed off on the 10th hole and carded three birdies to move to the top of the leaderboard. He then played even par golf on his final nine to take a two-stroke lead over Rafa Guerrero Lauria of Pompano Beach, Florida, the only other player to finish under par on the par 71, 6,382-yard course. Three strokes back at even par were Kevin Hall of Cincinnati, Ryan Alford of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Kendel Hodges of Las Vegas.
Beverly, a resident of Fairfield, California, also has extensive Mackenzie Tour experience and played in APGA Tour Scottsdale this spring before contracting COVID 19 and finding himself on the sidelines through most of the remainder of the season.
“I was solid all day, putting the ball in good positions. I only hit driver three times,” stated Beverly, who lost 17 pounds in his bout with the disease. “It’s been a battle to get back into a groove. Very nice just to be out here competing.”
Beverly will have to hold off some of the tour’s top players. Alford and Hall are both APGA Tournament winners in 2021. Among six players at one-over par and four strokes back are Landon Lyons and Marcus Byrd, also tournament winners from earlier in the season.
In the battle for the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series bonus pool of $15,000, Trey Valentine and Byrd, both also at one-over, are top contenders based on results of the first two events of the series. Tournament prize money is $30,000 with $15,000 to the winner and the bonus pool pays an additional $7,500 to the player who is awarded the most points from each of the three events.
On Sunday, the Advocates Foundation Farmers Insurance Youth Program hosted scores of youths from underserved communities at Chester Washington Golf Course for a golf clinic and discussions on health, wellness and careers topics. Essay winners were awarded scholarships and an opportunity to attend the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open.
The Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) was established in 2010 with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs, and introducing the game to inner-city young people. The tour has grown from seven events with $200,000 in prize money in 2020 to 14 events with over $400,000 in prize money this year.
The APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale is being conducted under health/safety guidelines in conjunction with regional authorities.
