Hill Country Kicks Off Earth Week - Legends of Golf Classic

Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (April 15, 2012)  The Golf Channel Am Tour - Hill Country Tour kicked off Earth Week with the Legends of Golf Classic at the Onion Creek Club in Austin, TX.  Known as the "Birthplace of the Senior PGA Tour", the Onion Creek Club, last year achieved designation as a Certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary by maintaining a high degree of environmental quality.  The Golf Channel, just one of the NBCUnversal family to bring awareness to the "Green Is Universal" campaign with original programming during the week leading up to Earth Day on April, 22nd.

With deadly overnight storms on Saturday in Oklahoma and Kansas, along with the Sunday forecasts for the Hill Country, it had many on the edge of staying at home.  Just before noon the cold front blew through with about 30 minutes of showers, but behind it the dry line calmed the winds to set up a perfect day for another record turnout at Onion Creek.


Slated to have four Blackwood's at the event, two of them made the call and best of the trip.  For the second time in a row they've both been in an event, father Brack (Dallas Tour) and son David (Hill Country Tour) won their respective flights.  Tony Eno from North Richland Hills, TX and a Palmer Flight player won the Tournament Champion, presented by Labor Finders, trophy.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Boerne, Tx member Chris Daniluck made it three and punched his ticket to the National Championship with a two over par, 72.  Birdies on 3rd and 18th holes keep him just one stroke clear of second time player Chase Clayton from San Antonio.  Clayton, the winner his first time out was three clear of Fort Sam Hoston, TX player Bradley Davis rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:   With three birdies on the day, first year member, Tony Eno from North Richland Hills, TX picked up his first win on tour shooting a +2 - 72.  The Woodlands, TX resident, Martin Nealey made the best of his late entry grabbing the second spot over Jacob Morton from Fort Hood, TX.  Nealey, with only minor blimishes on his card from 6 through 11 made 14 pars on the day.

Senior Palmer Flight:  In his first event on tour, 55 year old Scott Williams from College Station, TX commanded a four stroke advantage over Fort Worth, TX resident Sean Fenton for the win.  With a couple of triples on the front, Fenton couldn't make up the deficit on the back nine but, did hold on for his fourth runner up spot on the year by one stroke over  Frank Davis from San Antonio.  Davis made birdie four on the final hole to edge out a pair tied in the fourth spot for the show position.

Hogan Flight:  Dallas Tour member, Brack Blackwood from Grandbury, TX needs to add on to his trophy case posing for his fourth winner picture of the year.  Five strokes back, Michael Mathis from San Antonio, TX grabbed his best finish on tour, four strokes ahead of Demetrio Young from Killeen, TX and Round Rock, TX member Jorge Rodriguez.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Georgetown, TX resident Darrell Wilson picked up his first win since his promotion from the Senior Sarazen Flight after his runner up finish at the 2011 SENIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.  A single stroke back, Gene Rampy from Bastrop, TX and  Boerne, TX player Steve Trickel shared the 2nd place finish with Paul Wuerdeman from San Antonio and  Del Valle, TX member Edward Villasana tied for 4th.

Sarazen Flight:  Les Costales from Cedar Park, TX made par on the final 3 holes to force a playoff with  San Antonio, TX resident Rene Realme.  Realme would go on to make par on the first extra hole to take his second win on tour and the season.  The pair finished three strokes clear of Austin, TX player John Cox with his best finish since his win at the 2011 TPC Sawgrass Open.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Odessa, TX native,  Gregg Smith, now living in Austin, took the trophy by four strokes over Michael Hirsch from Giddings, TX. Smith ran into some trouble at the tail end of his first nine, but bounced back with a birdie on the 2nd hole for his first win on tour in almost two years at the June, 2010 ASA - Cowan Creek Golf Club event.  Jones, OK traveler Stan Wilson finished a single stroke behind Hirsch for the 3rd spot.

Jones Flight:   It was an "All Senior" top three in the combined flight with David Castillo from San Antonio, TX recording his first win of the year by one stroke over Houston Tour member Neil Macdonald from Huntsville, TX.  Giddings, TX resident Thomas West grabbed the 3rd spot two strokes ahead of Open Division low finisher Coy Dayton of Austin.

Snead Flight:  David Blackwood from San Antonio, TX started the day with a birdie four on the par five first hole and needed it, in the end only squeaking out a one stroke advantage over The Teravista Open champion Aaron Seafous from Austin.  Seafous finished one stroke ahead of San Antonio's Mark Colwell.

Senior Snead Flight:  Boerne, TX member Tom Hill had the field covered picking up his 2nd win on the year by seven strokes over Thomas Kerwin from Pflugerville, TX.  Kerwin recorded his fourth runner up spot on the year after winning the Winter Classic - Hill Country Tour in December.  Dan OShea from Copperas Cove, TX rounded out the top three.


SKINS:

Championship:  2 -- Chase Clayton, San Antonio, TX; Bradley Davis, Ft. Sam Houston, TX. 1 -- Chris Daniluck, Boerne, TX; Mark Miller, Bulverde, TX.

Palmer / Senior Palmer:  1 -- Tony Eno, North Richland Hills, TX; Bryan Wood, Leander, TX; Ron Finnerty, Laredo, TX; Scott Williams, College Station, TX; Larry Wilburn, Austin, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  2 -- Maurice Mintken, Round Rock, TX.  1 -- Jim Morgan, Round Rock, TX; Gene Rampy, Bastrop, TX; Edward Villasana, Del Valle, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  2 -- John Heintz, San Antonio, TX.  1 -- Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX; Michael Esquivel, Austin, TX; Daniel Mcgrath, Austin ,Tx; John Cox, Austin, TX.

Jones / Snead:  2 -- David Castillo, San Antonio, TX.  1 -- David Blackwood, San Antonio, TX; Carlos Cruz, San Antonio, TX; Coy Dayton, Austin, TX; Tom Hill, Boerne, TX; Dan OShea, Copperas Cove, TX.

Next Up -  Hill Country is back in action for the Championship at Falconhead on May 5th.  The Open at The Tribute is next up on the Dallas Tour on April, 29th, register early as the field will be limited.  Oklahoma Tour visits the Cherokee HIlls Golf Club for the Hard Rock Open on April 28th.

For more information:

Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth - Hill Country - Oklahoma
Golf Channel Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.201.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com