Texas Masters In The Hill Country at Barton Creek

The Final Texas Major of The Year Crowns 11 Champions

Austin, TX (July 29, 2012)  The last time a Golf Channel Am Tour event was contested at Barton Creek was the 2010 Texas Open Major at Barton Creek in late March of that year.  Many referred to the event as the 40/40 Major.  After beautiful 70 degree practice rounds on Friday, the 40 miles per hour NW Winds blew in to bring the temperatures into the 40's. The subsequent Texas Open Major was moved to Horseshoe Bay after the tour was afforded a two course format. 


Jump ahead 28 months and the Tour finds its way back to the Barton Creek Resort and Spa after the previous July date for the Texas Masters at TPC San Antonio was moved some 80 miles north in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.    For this years Texas Masters at Barton Creek the original 1986 Fazio Foothills design was added to the Crenshaw Cliffside layout where two distinct courses found the players working hard to make day one to day two adjustments and as suspected the late March cold and wind turned into July light breezes and hot temperatures.  Burnie Rodgers from Haslet, TX aced the par three - 13th hole at the Crenshaw course for his first career hole in one on Sunday.


After setting a precedent for Texas generosity and support for the Troops at the earlier Texas Open, a record was set for the 180 player event with over $1,600 raised for David Feherty's Troops First Foundation.




RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Local Austin, TX newcomer to the tour, Charles Rougeau made it three for three.     In four rounds on the tour Rougeau is +10 with two local wins to go with his Major victory. After a first day +4, Charles carded four birdies on day two to finish three strokes up over first round leader Terry Rice from Midland, TX.  Rice went one over par, with a couple of birdies on the Crenshaw course, but ran into early trouble on the Fazio layout to finish +7, two strokes clear of Houston Tour member Travis Nichols.

Palmer Flight: Tino Flores from Houston, TX picked up his second win on tour by five strokes over San Antonio, TX resident Dave Davlin. Flores starting on the 10th at the Crenshaw Course birdied two holes going out to lead wire to wire. Davlin took a stroke off his day one total to edge out fellow San Antonio player Todd VanDerSchaegen punching his ticket to the National Championships rounding out the top three.        

Senior Palmer Flight:  Vinore, TN player Bill Foley went -2 on the back nine on his final day to take nine strokes off his first day to pick up the win two strokes ahead of  first round leader Michael Walker from Cypress, TX.  Walker was able to muster six birdies on the day to stay ahead of the consistent San Antonio player Frank Davis who finished in the show position.

Hogan Flight:  With a double bogey on his 36th hole, Jeff Blackwood from Midland, TX opened the playoff door for Round Rock, TX resident Jorge Rodriguez.  On the second hole of the playoff, Rodriquez would win with a birdie, his fourth Major Championship win and first as a Hogan Player with his three previous trophies coming in the Jones Flight.  Jeff, the fourth Blackwood family member to qualify for this years National Championship earlier in the year with a T3 finish at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort  bested his son, Daegan Blackwood, by three strokes for his third runner up finish in as many tries.    
    

Senior Hogan Flight:  Bruce Callich from Checotah, OK won his second event and first Major on his career with a low flight round 79 on the final day.  Steve Barnett from The Woodlands, TX took a six stroke lead into the final round, but let the Crenshaw course get the best of him finishing in the second spot, one stroke back. Randy Hodges from Montgomery, TX took two strokes off his day one finish to knot up the third and final National Championship qualification spot with Edmond, OK member Bud Surber.

Sarazen Flight:  Houston Tour member,  Matt Purgahn Orange, TX picked up his third win on the season, wire to wire by nine strokes over James Sheppeard  from Tomball, TX.  Ahead by three strokes after his first round, Purgahn widened the spread on a one birdie round, 81 at the Fazio course. Nancy Geihl of Grand Prairie, TX added a birdie her final hole of the event to tie up the third and final National Championship invitations with Devin Brown from San Antonio, TX and  Odessa, TX member Joe Luman.  

Senior Sarazen Flight:  After his recent Major Championship win at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort  and ultimate promotion from the Jones Flight, Bob Tuttle from Kingsland, TX shot a final round 79 to force a playoff with Mansfield, TX player John Cox.  In the sudden death Tuttle would outlast Cox for his second Major Championship in a row.  Ken Benjamin of Grand Prairie, TX bounced back from heat complications at the WinStar event to punch his ticket to the Nationals, three strokes back.

Jones Flight:  Greg Preissinger from Granbury, TX went even par over his last four holes to catch Keith Bruce from Gordonville, TX for his fourth win on his first season on tour.  One stroke back of Preissinger after the first round, Bruce carded a couple of birdies on his front nine to stay even with Greg on the day just one stroke back.  Imran Siddiqi from Edmond, OK finished just two strokes back for his second third place Major Championship finish on the year.   

Senior Jones Flight:  Sealy, TX player, Mark Boles grabbed his first win on tour,  by three strokes over fellow Houston Tour member Randy Adcock of Vidor, TX. Adcock took twelve strokes off his day one total to vault into the 2nd place spot just three strokes back of Boles and three strokes ahead of third place traveler Michael Szemeredy from Tampa, FL. 

Snead Flight:  Knocking on the Major Championship winning door, with three previous podium finishes on the season, Carlos Cruz from San Antonio, TX took the lead into the final day and made it stick.  Cruz finished seven strokes ahead of The Woodlands, TX resident Patrick Richardson.  Richardson solidified his National Championship spot by a stroke over the highly traveled David Small of St. Peters, MO.  The event marked Small's 30th event and 7th Major Championship on the season.

Senior Snead Flight:  65 year old Tony Ott from West Palm Beach, FL kept his game steady for a ten stroke advantage over Alan Brumley from Humble, TX.  Brumley, coming off of two recent local wins on the season stayed ahead of the charging McKinney, TX player Larry Tolson.  Tolson a Dallas Tour points leader punched his ticket to the Senior National Championship with his best Major finish of the year.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Hill Country / Oklahoma Tours
405.513.1467
schilcutt@gcamtour.com