Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Austin Nicklaus Open at FlintRock Falls

Scott R Chilcutt, Lakeway, TX (May 31, 2014)  In the middle of a three event in three week swing on the Hill Country Tour, The Austin - Nicklaus Open was played outside of Austin.  Lakeway, TX a resort area on the south shore of Lake Travis, 25 miles west of downtown Austin began as a retirement and second-home community. Flintrock Falls Golf Club is one of four courses at The Hills at Lakeway complex, designed by Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II.

Playing the course as it was marked, instead of our occasional, native area, lateral hazard rules, didn't effect the pace of play but certainly had some effects on the scoring.  Two players, Mark Boles and Gene Rampy, made the best of the Srixon ball promotion and will receive a dozen of their choice, for winning their respective flights.  Gene Rampy, went on to win the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving



RESULTS:


Championship Flight:   Cedar Park, TX member, Mike Harkins started out with a double and rebounded with two birdies on the front nine, playing the next fourteen holes in +1 to pick up his first win on tour. Harkins, a Senior National Championship qualifier with a third place finish at the Kingsmill Classic Major in April, finished one stroke clear of Chris Daniluck of Boerne, TX.  Six strokes back of Daniluck, San Antonio, TX resident, Texas Harper carded a couple of birdies to finish out the top three.


Palmer Flight:  First year San Antonio, TX player , Jeff Bankard went to extra holes for the second time in two weeks. Leading the field after the front nine, Patricio Gonzalez struggled with a couple of early holes on the back, regained the lead after Bankard bogied the par 4 - 14th, but gave it right back with a bogey on the par 3 - 17th and finished tied after regulation.  On the first hole of the playoff Bankard prevailed for his second win on tour and the runner up was Gonzalez best finish since the 2013 Las Vegas event, The Bump & Run To Angel Park.  Jacob Morton of Fort Hood, TX finished in third for the second time in as many attempts.


Senior Palmer:   In the second playoff of the day, Scott Williams of College Station, TX and Copperas Cove, TX resident,  Robert Lippert matched front and back nine scores to require a sudden death.  After early issues on the tenth hole by Lippert, Williams finished out the first playoff hole for his first win of the season and third on tour.  Dallas Tour member, Myles Gallemore of Irving, TX with a birdie on the par 4 - 5th had him in the mix on the front nine, backed up two tough holes on the back with birdies at 12 and 16 to finish two strokes out of the lead.


Hogan Flight:   While Doug Collins of Iraan, TX played the par three's in +4, he made a move early, playing the front nine in +3 - 39 to set the pace for his first win on tour.  Three strokes back, Killeen, TX player Brian Cox matched Collins on the back, but took with him the three stroke deficit to the tenth hole.  Darrell Wilson of Georgetown, TX backed up his T2 at the early May Spring Branch Classic @ River Crossing with a third place finish just one stroke back of Cox.


Sarazen Flight:  Back to the local tour after a fourth place finish at the Florida MastersRonnie Davis of Converse, TX extended his Order of Merit points lead with his first win on the year and thirteenth championship on tour.  Two strokes back,  Austin, TX member Daniel Mcgrath birdied the par 5 - 8th for a runner up finish, his best on the year.  Eight strokes back of Mcgrath, the trio of  Les Costales of Cedar Park, TX, split the third place honors with San Anonio, TX residents, C.D. Dunem and Carlos Cruz.


Senior Sarazen Flight:    Gene Rampy of Bastrop, TX birdied his first hole of the day and never looked back.   The win, his second on tour, with his other championship coming at the November, 2011 - SilverHorn Season Opener put him in the top spot on the Tournament Champion Trophy, his first.  Six strokes back, Charles Sagray of San Antonio, TX and local Lakeway, TX player Homer Turbeville shared the second place honors.


Jones Flight:   Playing alongside Aaron Seafous of Austin, TX, Houston Tour member, Mark Boles of Sealy, TX took a two stroke deficit with him to the back nine, but was able to make up the difference coming to the club house.  It was Boles, second win on the season, with his Major Championship at the Bayou Classic at Lake Charles and fourth on tour.  Birdie on the par 3 - 15th for Seafous was her one stroke advantage over third place finisher, Ray Bednar of Houston.


Snead Flight:  Mark Colwell of Selma, TX recorded his second local tour win in as many attempts to go along with his Championship at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay Major earlier in the season.  In what would have been the winning score, Dwain Smith of Round Rock, TX got caught up in a group two stroke penalty on #9 that left him one stroke back in the runner up spot.  Larry Harper of San Antonio rounded out the top three. 



SKINS:

Giant Skins:   2 -- Myles Gallemore, Irving, TX. 1 -- Texas Harper, San Antonio, TX; Sean Skellenger, Austin, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Aaron Seafous, Austin, TX.

Championship / Palmer/ Senior Palmer:   2 -- Sean Skellenger, Austin, TX; Myles Gallemore, Irving, TX. 1 -- Texas Harper, San Antonio, TX; Mike Harkins, Cedar Park, TX; Ken Shapiro, Austin, TX.

Hogan:   2 -- Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX. 1 -- Doug Collins, Iraan, TX; Chris Sellers, Austin, TX; Bob Tuttle, Kingsland, TX; Brian Cox, Killeen, TX; Darrell Wilson, Georgetown, TX; John Hilgers, Wimberley, TX.

Sarazen:   2 -- Carlos Cruz, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX; Daniel Mcgrath, Austin, TX; C.D. Dunem, San Antonio, TX.

Senior Sarazen:   2 -- Gene Rampy, Bastrop, TX. 1 -- Phil Lewis, San Antonio, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Homer Turbeville, Austin, TX.

Jones / Snead:   3 -- Aaron Seafous, Austin, TX. 2 -- Richard Schram, Bryan, TX. 1 -- Dwain Smith, Round Rock, TX.


NEXT UP:

The Hill Country Tour finishes off its three events in three weekends on Sunday, June 8th for the Legends of Golf Classic at Onion Creek before heading to La Cantera for the San Antonio Open at La Cantera on June 28th and 29th.

Be sure to review the Fall Major schedule recently released, The Fall Classic at Dancing Rabbit is a new venue added to the schedule in Choctaw, MS on Oct 25th and 26th. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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


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