A different Shah excited to return to Bakersfield Open
Feb. 13—Manav Shah is a much different golfer from last year when he finished tied for 11th at the Bakersfield Open.
Shah, a Centennial High alumnus who won the Bakersfield Open in 2018 and 2021, has since experienced two life-altering events, one on the course and the other away from the links.
In May, he won the Quito Open in Ecuador for his first PGA Tour Latinoamerica victory.
"That was a career highlight," said Shah, who played at UCLA. "A life highlight was marrying my best friend, Sonam (in July) ... I've been blessed to have a good year. I have some good changes going on so I want to keep the momentum going."
Shah has moved to Dallas, where he is a member of Trinity Golf Club. But he still refers to Bakersfield as home and he has returned for the Bakersfield Open, which starts Wednesday at the Bakersfield Country Club.
He said he's excited to play in front of family and friends and to compete for a $30,000 winning payout on his home course, as he also remains a BCC member.
Shah, who has conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour, arrived in Bakersfield on Sunday. He played in the pro-am on Monday. The practice round is on Tuesday before the first of three rounds starts on Wednesday. Friday's final round features 35 percent of the field who make the cut. The event's total purse is $125,000.
The tournament's field was limited to 120 players with 30 on the waiting list, as this is one of the largest purses for a city open event in California, said Paul Guerra, the tournament director and the BCC president.
Shah leads a strong group from Bakersfield in the event. Bhavik Patel, also a two-time Bakersfield Open winner, is competing, as are Patrick Carmichael from Stockdale Country Club and Scott LaBare of BCC.
Stephen Hale (Stockdale CC), one of the top amateurs in the nation while competing at Cal, is also in the field. Chris Gilman of Yorba Linda is back to defend his Bakersfield Open title that he won last year when he shot 8-under par-202 to take home $25,000.
"The greens at Bakersfield Country Club will rival any green in the state of California," Guerra said. "They are lightning fast. They are firm. They are perfect. ... We've grown up the rough around the greens. It's a tough challenge for these guys."
PGA Tour event winner Charlie Beljan of Meza, Ariz., is in the field too. The 38-year-old pro won the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic in 2012. He recently talked about panic attacks and anxiety he experienced before and after the win. In January, he talked about his experiences during an episode of Subpar, a podcast by GOLF.com.
