NEW WASHOE CITY (Aug. 5, 2026)–Luke Swanson (Scratch) and Robert Stone (Net) won men’s titles in the 2026 Northern Nevada Amateur. Ashley Tarkanian (Scratch) and Joey Pearlman (Net) claimed women’s crowns in the Nevada Golf Northern Region tournament held Aug. 1-2, 2026, at Toiyabe Golf Club.–by Bill Bowman
MEN
Scratch
Luke Swanson birdied four holes in a six-hole stretch in the final round to pull away and win the Scratch Division by four strokes.
It was Swanson’s second win of 2026. Swanson is a soon-to-be senior at Bishop Manogue High School.
Swanson said his putter was the key to his final round.
“I left myself good, makeable putts and the putter was working,” he said. “This is our home course (Bishop Manogue High School) so I knew the pin positions and where to leave myself to give me the best look at birdie. And today, a lot of them went in.”
Swanson said his overall game plan was simple: play smart.
“I worked my way around the course and didn’t get overly aggressive,” he said. “I didn’t leave myself in a lot of tough spots and that always helps.”
Despite the win, Swanson said there’s still work to be done on his game.
“I feel good about the overall game, but I still want to get my short game better,” he said. “If you miss a green and can get up and down for par, it definitely helps you keep the momentum going. I’ve made good progress with that but I want to sharpen it up a little more.”
Scratch
Luke Swanson, 70-67—137
Ryan Sear, 69-72—141
Braden Armstrong, 69-73—142
Net
Robert Stone had three straight net birdies late in the second round to rally for a one-stroke win in the Net Division.
It was Stone’s second Nevada Golf victory.
“I played a good back-nine,” he said. “On the other hand, the front nine was not good.”
Stone pointed to a nine he carded on the ninth hole as an example of his play not being good on the front.
“I just told myself that I knew I could play better,” he said. “I just wanted to play each shot rather than thinking about the past holes or the holes ahead. I parred No. 10 (net birdie) and that got me back on the rails.”
It also set the stage for his three straight net birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16.
“That was a great stretch,” he said. “It really got my confidence back where it needed to be.”
Net
Robert Stone, 78-76—154
Jason Buckholz, 79-76—155
Antonio Ricci, 77-78—155
WOMEN
Scratch
Ashley Tarkanian rode a roller coaster second round in winning the women’s Scratch division by six strokes.
It was Tarkanian’s first victory since winning the 2025 Southern Nevada Amateur last September.
For her final round, Tarkanian’s ride over the first 10 holes included two birdies, two pars and six bogeys. She settled down and parred the final eight holes for the win.
“It was not a good weekend,” Tarkanian said with a laugh. “But I was having fun out there so it was fine. It was a nice day out there and it was tough to get too upset.”
Tarkanian said her play over the two days showcased her thoughts on the game of golf.
“When everything is going wrong, you’ve got to find a way to get something to go right,” she said. “But, I did learn a lot of stuff about what I should and shouldn’t do. It was a good learning experience.”
Her final eight holes got her mindset back on a positive track.
“I finally started to get the ball on the green and made some short putts,” she said. “I’ve got to work more on my short putts because I missed a lot of them today.”
Scratch
Ashley Tarkanian, 75-76—151
Christy Atencio, 81-76—157
Net
Joey Pearlman posted three net birdies over her final seven holes en route to the Net Division crown.
It was Pearlman’s first Nevada Golf title.
“This feels so good,” Pearlman said. “I told myself at the end to just buckle down and focus. Towards the end, I had nothing to lose and just went for it and got it done.”
Pearlman wound up beating close friend Elaine Smith-Hytner for the Net title.
“She talked me into playing and now that I know I can do it I’m sure I will play in more of these,” she said. “At the end we were both crying…it was so exciting.”
She said the final two holes both days—Nos. 17 and 18–were special for her.
“On 17, I normally have trouble hitting the green,” she said. “Both days I hit the green and parred the hole which was big. On 18 the first day, I was in a fairway bunker and hit a great shot out and wound up one-putting. Today I had a putt from off the green and made it so it was a great way to finish.”
Net
Joey Pearlman, 71-76—147 Elaine Smith-Hytner, 74-77—151
