The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans kicked off their 2025 golf season with the 37th annual Pahrump Valley Invitational, held at Mountain Falls Golf Course on February 27-28, 2025. The tournament featured 21 teams and 104 golfers, with players competing in three different flights based on their performance after the first day: the gold flight for the top players, the silver flight for the next tier, and the maroon flight for the remaining competitors. The Trojans competed in the maroon flight as a team, while senior Matthew Lopez played in the silver flight as an individual. PVHS ultimately secured third place in the maroon flight, finishing behind first-place Boulder City Eagles and second-place Arbor View Aggies.
After the first day of play, the Trojans were ranked second in the maroon flight, trailing only Arbor View and ahead of Boulder City. However, a tough second day saw Boulder City overtake them for the title. In the overall standings, PVHS finished ahead of three other teams, placing them around 18th out of 21 total.
Leading the Trojans in the silver flight was senior Matthew Lopez, who placed 17th in his division. Lopez shot a total of 174 across the two-day tournament, finishing +30 to par. On the first day, he carded an 87, scoring 46 on the front nine and 41 on the back. He maintained consistency on the second day, once again shooting an 87, with a 47 on the front nine and 40 on the back.
In the maroon flight, senior Carter Nygaard finished sixth overall. Nygaard opened the tournament with a 93, shooting 43 on the first nine holes and 50 on the back. On the second day, he posted a 97, with a 52 on the front nine and 45 on the back, for a two-day total of 190.
Following closely behind Nygaard was junior Travis Floyd, who placed seventh in the maroon flight with a total score of 191. Floyd shot a 94 on the first day with a 48 on the front and 46 on the back. He shot a 97 on the second day, with a 50 on the front and 47 on the back.
Junior Cayden Cowley also had a solid tournament, finishing 11th in the maroon flight with a two-day total of 192. He shot a 98 on the first day, recording 49s on both the front and back nine. On the second day, he improved with a 94, scoring 39 on the front and 55 on the back.
Sophomore Samson Wagner rounded out the Trojans’ performance, finishing 25th overall in the maroon flight. Wagner shot a total of 216, beginning with a 115 on the first day (55 on the front and 60 on the back). He made significant improvements on the second day, shooting a 101 with a 52 on the front and 49 on the back.
Reflecting on the tournament, Head Coach Bob Hopkins noted that while senior Matthew Lopez played up to expectations, there is room for improvement across the team. “From what Coach Nygaard and I came up with, we really need to work on our short game—chipping and putting,” Hopkins said. “That, and just overall course management. Some of the guys struggled with knowing how to play the wind and understanding how it affects their shots.”
Despite early-season challenges, Hopkins remains optimistic about the team’s potential. “For whatever reason, we’ve never played particularly well on our own course,” he said. “Maybe it’s nerves, maybe it’s just that it’s so early in the season. But there’s a lot of golf left, and I think we’ll get better.”
The Trojans will now turn their focus to their first league match at The Club at Sunrise in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 5th, where they hope to build on their season-opening performance and continue improving their game.
