Stiff Northerly Welcome Players to Teravista

Scott R Chilcutt, Round Rock, TX (March 24, 2013)  With a quick ascent up the hill from I-35 and the Round Rock Premium Outlets the Teravista Golf Club just north of Austin was the home of the 2013 Round Rock Open on the Hill Country Tour.  Beautiful Saturday afternoon practice rounds gave way to an overnight northerly front that wreaked havoc on the panhandle of Texas and previous points north with a major cool down while wind advisories were issued for the Hill Country.  Sustained winds around 30 mph with 40+ mph gusts, not only kept the opening tee tents in the trailer, it created chaos on the golf course. 

The sold out field hunkered down and made the best of the conditions to crown the flight champions in ten flights, along with the reintroduction of the Tournament Champion Trophy and Giant Skins.  Giant skins went to players from the Hogan, Sarazen and Snead flights while the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving went to Leonard Linkes of San Antonio.



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  27 year old Matthew Brandt of San Antonio, TX made the most of his first time out on tour, going out in +4, he rebounded to come back to the clubhouse in +1.  With three birdies on the day, Brandt edged out another San Antonio player Richard Perez by a stroke.  Perez, even par on the back with a couple of birdies, built a four stroke advantage over Boerne, TX member Chris Daniluck.

Palmer Flight:  Craig Hart of Killeen, TX started his Am Tour career at the March 2012 The Teravista Open with a second place finish.  Three events later, got close in a five way playoff, but it took a return to Teravista to hoist a trophy for the first time.  Hart played the back nine in -1 with a final hole birdie to clinch a three stroke advantage over Tony Eno of Fort Worth.  Eno took the first hole to wake up with a double, went +5 for the remainder of the round to stay clear of third place San Antonio, TX member Dave Davlin by four strokes.

Senior Palmer Flight:  First year player, Randy Rollo of Waco, TX became a two time winner after winning in his second event at the December Winter Classic - Hill Country Tour.  Copperas Cove, TX resident Robert Lippert followed up a National Championship qualifying third place finish at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay with his best finish on tour, two strokes clear of a pair knotted in the show position.  Houston Tour traveler Allan Collier of Sugarland TX and San Antonio's Frank Davis shared the third place honors.

Hogan Flight:   Starting on the tenth hole, nearby Leander, TX  player Bryan Wood kept a relatively clean score card on his front nine, birdied the 1st, 3rd and 5th on his back nine to build a cushion before struggling over  his last four holes to win his eleventh event on tour and second of the year.  While work has dipped into his tour schedule, one stroke back,  Brian Cox of Killeen, TX recorded his second runner up finish of the year, in two attempts.   San Antonio, TX member Tim Haverly finished three strokes back of Cox to round out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:   Dallas Tour member Randy Sellers of Lewisville, TX picked up his fourth win on tour and second at a Hill Country event.   Sellers a winner at the 2012 Austin - Nicklaus Open birdied his first hole on the day into the blowing north wind for a three stroke advantage over 2012 Senior Sarazen Flight National Champion,  Bob Tuttle of Kingsland, TX.  Tuttle played his back nine in +4 to hold out a four stroke edge over third place finisher Terry Dennis of Shertz, TX.

Sarazen Flight:    Rene Realme had a two stroke lead going to the final hole, but a triple opened the playoff door for fellow San Antonio, TX member Devin Brown and Austin, TX player Tony Smith.  Starting on the tenth hole Brown, playing alongside Smith, trailed the entire round until his birdie on the par 3 - 7th.  The pair matched over the last two holes and teed it up with Realme for the sudden death, where Brown would par to snatch his fifth win on tour and second in as many attempts. Daniel Mcgrath holed out from the fairway for eagle 2 on the par 4 - 13th to collect one of the giant skins.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  New Braunfels, TX resident Mike Allman, clearly likes the Teravista layout, defending his 2012 Championship for his third win on tour.  Allman's only other Am Tour win came at the presigioius 2010 Texas Open MAJOR at Barton Creek. He commanded a five stroke victory over Nicky Baugh of Alto, TX.  Baugh, with a birdie on the dogleg right par 4 -2nd stayed clear by two strokes over a pair of Austin residents, Gregg Smith and Homer Turbeville sharing the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  Houston Tour member Artis Stewart became a three time winner with all three coming this points season.  Stewart a winner at the Las Vegas Vintage Golf Classic along with the HOU - Cinco Ranch Holiday Classic was able to hold on to a three stroke win over New Jersey native Joshua Barron now residing in nearby Cedar Park, TX.  Barron's first hole birdie edged out Xavier Bardy of San Antonio, TX and Austin tour member Aaron Seafous tied for third.

Senior Jones Flight:  With four third place finishes on the year, including the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay,  Tom Stockton of Euless, TX grabbed his first win on tour.  Stockton handled the wind to stave off two players,  Thomas West of Giddings, TX and Victoria, TX first year member  John Thomas  sharing the runner up finish.

Snead Flight:  Myron Brown of Somerville, TX would birdie the par 4 - 9th and par 3 -15th to take home some flight and giant skins cash, but wasn't able to overtake a consistent Christopher Johnson of Duncanville, TX.  Johnson carded his third win in as many attempts with Kyle, TX member Larry Atchley rounding out the top three.




SKINS:
Giant Skins: 2 -- Bryan Wood, Leander, TX. 1 -- Myron Brown, Somerville, TX; Daniel Mcgrath, Austin, TX.

Championship / Palmer / SR Palmer:  2 -- Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Matthew Brandt, San Antonio, TX; Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX; Jake Morton, Ft. Hood, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  3 -- Bryan Wood, Leander, TX. 1 -- Joe Benzing, Midland, TX; Mike Ozga, Liberty Hill, TX; Gene Rampy, Bastrop, TX; Russ Cornell, Cibolo, TX; Randy Sellers, Lewisville, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  1 -- Gregg Smith, Austin, TX; Rene Realme, San Antonio, TX; John Heintz, San Antonio, TX; Daniel Mcgrath, Austin, TX; Kirby Rogers, Muldrow, OK.

Jones / Senior Jones:  2 -- Joshua Barron, Cedar Park, TX.  1 -- David Castillo, San Antonio, TX; Thomas West, Giddings, TX; John Thomas, Victoria, TX; Robert Glittenberg, Rowlett, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:  2 -- Myron Brown, Somerville, TX. 1 -- Thomas Kerwin, Pflugerville, TX; Mark Colwell, San Antonio, TX.

Next Up:  Hill Country Tour visits Vaaler Creek Golf Club for the first time at the Battle at Blanco on April 20th.   The Dallas Tour resumes action at the Frisco Lakes Challenge on March 30th at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes and the Oklahoma Tour backs up the opener with the Forest Ridge Classic in Broken Arrow, OK on March 30th.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth Tour - Hill Country Tour - Oklahoma Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.302.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com