After Saturday’s second round, the San Antonio native learned that his father was in the hospital.
Faced with the difficult situation, Carnes played through a worried mind and charged up the leaderboard, fueled with thoughts of his father.
“I fought hard today, I had to do it for my dad,” Carnes said.
“It was a win for him.”
The former Texas State and Temple University golfer fired off the round of the tournament, a 5-under-par 67, to etch his name on the trophy.
Carnes’ round was highlighted by three birdies in a row from holes two through four, and just a single bogey.
He credited a mindset change on the golf course with this week’s success.
“I missed the cut at the Texas State Amateur this year, and I didn’t think that I was playing smart enough golf,” he said. “This week, I tried to play really smart golf.
“Nothing fancy, just if I miss the fairway get it back in play instead of attacking pins like I had been, and just rely on my putter. That’s what I believe got me the win.”
His putting proved to be the difference down the stretch, as he drained a long, momentum-saving putt on the par-3 17th to maintain a two-shot lead heading into his final hole.
“I thought I hit a really good iron shot, and the wind kinda fooled me, as it swirls around here pretty good,” Carnes said. “I had to play [the putt] about three cups out, and I just told myself that I’d done it before.
“Put some speed on it and it was right in the center.”
The 18-hole leader finished the week at 10-under-par with rounds of 68, 71 and 67.
Finishing just behind him in second was Nolan Otto of Big Spring, who shot 1-under-par 71 to finish three shots back of the leader.
Otto made four birdies in the middle of his round to pull within one of Carnes with five holes to play.
Bogies on holes 15 and 16, however, would put the leader just out of reach.
36-hole leader Christopher Wheeler finished sixth after a final round 76.
In the senior division, Kelly Eng of Austin came away with the win after a final-round duel with Joe Sconiers of Iraan.
Eng fired off a final round 69 to edge out Sconiers, who fired off a pair of 68s on the weekend to finish a single shot behind the eventual champion.
In the Super Senior division, Mike Peck of Irving shot 68 in the final round to win the title by five shots.
He was the only player in the division to finish under par for the week after rounds of 74, 73 and 68.
Lelan Chiles of Granbury finished in a tie for second with Michael Puls of Irving after a round of 71 on Sunday.
Follow Nicholas Pursley on Twitter at @nicholaspursley.
