The day before the Warren County Open, last year’s top players are invited to participate in a nine-hole exhibition shootout. The worst scores are eliminated on each hole until there is a winner.

It’s a fun way to warm up for the weekend, but comes with a price. The winner, legend has it, is cursed and rarely if ever wins the Warren County championship.

Until now.

Gabriel Riveros used the momentum he gained from winning Friday’s shootout to slingshot past the 51-man field and to the Warren County Open championship. The Vicksburg resident shot rounds of 69 and 68 for a total of 137, which was five shots ahead of runner-up Caleb Davis.

“I wasn’t even going to play. I was going to practice” on Friday, Riveros said. “I forgot about it. I played and won the shootout, and it gave me a little boost of confidence. I just took that into the tournament.”

MORE COVERAGE: Warren County Open scores, photos, past winners

Although Riveros wound up with a comfortable margin of victory, his path to get there was anything but easy. He, Davis and Josh Hallberg all shot 69 in Saturday’s opening round to separate themselves from the field. Joel Greer and Austin Ledbetter entered Sunday tied for fourth place, at 74, and the other six golfers in the championship flight were all at 75.

Hallberg fell off the pace with three bogeys on the front nine and two more on Nos. 13 and 14. He finished with a 76 on Sunday, and wound up in third place with a total of 145.

Riveros and Davis, meanwhile, were locked in a duel for the first 15 holes on Sunday. Each made three birdies in the first nine holes and they went to the 16th tee tied.

“Caleb played amazing. He was bombing it. He hits it about 100 yards past me every time,” Riveros said. “I just had to tell myself to play my own game and don’t worry about what he’s doing, and that’s what I did — fairways and greens, drop a few putts, don’t make any mistakes.”

Riveros did not make any mistakes over the last three holes, but Davis made plenty.

Davis hit his tee shot into the woods on the par-5 16th hole. He took a drop, hit his second shot in front of a tree on the edge of a cart path, and wound up making bogey. Riveros birdied the same hole for a two-shot swing. Davis made another bogey on No. 17, then hit his tee shot out of bounds on No. 18 and wound up with a double bogey.

Riveros made pars on the last two holes to take away all of the drama that had built over the previous four hours. Riveros only made one bogey on Sunday.

“(Davis) just had a couple of unlucky shots and I made some pars. It was just a couple of bad shots, and that happens,” Riveros said. “When it comes down to those last few holes it’s really about if you canmake those shots under pressure. He’s a great player. I have the utmost respect for him.”

The 25-year-old Riveros won for the first time in a tournament he first played in as a teenager. He was one of the state’s top high school golfers during his days at St. Aloysius. He finished third in last year’s Warren County Open and has had a few other good showings over the years.

“Last year I was right there in it and let the moment get over me,” Riveros said. “Today I told myself to take some deep breaths, take your time, and don’t start rushing everything. Just stay in your routine, stay in your rhythm, and I was able to do that today.”

His long history at Clear Creek was going through his head, he added, as he took his final few shots on the 18th hole. Sinking the final putt to win meant a lot to him.

“It’s hard not to think about that. I think I did a good job taking it one shot at a time and focusing on the next shot, not thinking too far ahead,” he said. “This is where I learned how to play. I’ve been playing in the County (Championship) probably since I was 13 or 14 years old. I guess it was my weekend.”

Luke Yocum had the only other round under par on Sunday, with a 71. He shot 75 on Saturday and never came close to catching Riveros, but did rally to finish at 146 for the tournament and claimed fourth place.

Defending champion Jeff Harpole shot 147 and placed fifth. Rounding out the championship flight were Greer (148), Ledbetter and Brett Baker (149), Matt Bell (151), Hartley Sullivan (152) and Austin Neihaus (158).

In the first flight, which contained golfers in 12th through 24th place after the first round, Judd Mims shot 153 to win. Kevin Neihaus was second, at 155, but won the Clear Creek Club Championship — a tournament within a tournament for Clear Creek’s passholders.

The second flight had a three-way tie for first place, with Brandon Teller, Larry Savell and Brady Ellis all tying with scores of 159.

Trey Martin shot 169 to win the third flight.

Mike Hurley shot a two-round total of 145 to win the Warren County Open senior championship. He beat Matt Hossley by one stroke and Jim Darnell by three. Tommy Klauder won the first flight of the senior division with a score of 159.

Suzanne Hurley shot a two-round total of 170 to win the Warren County Open women’s championship. Karen Carroll was second, at 178, and won the Clear Creek Club Championship.