Srixon Championship at La Cantera

Golf Channel AM Tour Staff, San Antonio, TX  (June 28, 2015) – Once the again the Golf Channel Am Tour descended on Texas Hill Country for another major championship, this time at the venerable LaCantera Resort in San Antonio for the Srixon Championship.   180 die hard Am Tour players, 156 from the Lone Star State alone, battled on two championship golf courses, not to mention the early Summer Texas heat in a spirited competition to crown 11 new flight champions.  

The LaCantera Resort Course, which played host to the Valero Texas Open in past years’ along with the Palmer Course provided a terrific backdrop for the weekend’s festivities.  Below are the highlights from another hard fought Srixon Championship at LaCantera:

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Spring Branch, TX, player, Mark Miller lapped a very dignified Championship Flight in posting a two day total of +1.  Coming in a distant second was Austin area member Mike Harkins of Cedar Park, TX.  The win was Miller’s third in a row and first major win of the 2015 season. 

Palmer Flight:  2014 3-time Major winner in the Hogan Flight, Houston area player Aaron Brougher stepped up to the plate in a big way with his first ever Palmer Flight win.  Brougher held on to his co-lead from the opening round to best another Houston area player, James Sheppeard, by one stroke to get the W.

Hogan Flight:  Rene Realme, a local product from San Antonio, TX, enjoyed some home cookin with a smooth four shot win over Leander, Texas’ Bryan Wood.  Overnight leader, Zoey DaneshFar from the Dallas area, couldn’t couple her stellar opening round of 76 with a strong 2^nd day, and faded with a final round 92.  Ms. DaneshFar however proved she’s more than a worthy competitor in the Hogan flight and has vowed to bring home a major victory next time out.

Sarazen Flight:  Rudy Cantu, from Boerne, TX, overcame a 3 shot deficit to win the Sarazen flight by 2 shots over overnight leader Ross Gonzalez from Hockley, TX.  Mr. Cantu’s final round score of 87 was enough to get the win on only his second major played in his Am Tour career. 

Jones Flight:  James Price, from the sleepy Texas coastal town of Portland was anything but tired as he won the Jones flight by 2 strokes over Spring, Texas’ Wayne Waldrep.  Price backed up his 2^nd place showing at the Red River Shootout at WinStar in May with his first major win on Tour.

Snead Flight:  Corpus Christi resident, William Speck, made the biggest move of the day in any flight when he came from a whopping 14 shots behind to post a two day total of 186 in besting Mico, TX, Charles Mielak by one shot.  Mr. Speck’s sterling final round score of 85 was the low round of the weekend in flight and just enough to get the job done.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Kansan Thomas Kass held an impressive 5 shot lead after Saturday’s first round.  Little did Mr. Kass realize the laying in the weeds, five shots back was Copperas Cove, TX, very own Robert Lippert.  To say Mr. Lippert ‘went low’ is a gross understatement.  In what has to be one of rounds the weekend in any flight, Mr. Lippert threw a little 75 at em to squeak out a one shot victory over the aforementioned Mr. Kass.  

Senior Hogan Flight:  Alan Collier of Dripping Springs, TX, and San Antonio, TX, player Paul Wuerdeman found themselves going extra holes to settle the Senior Hogan flight.  Deadlocked after 36 holes, Mr. Wuerdeman finally outlasted Mr. Collier with a par on the 2^nd playoff hole.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Olive Branch, MS,  Louis Ralph by no means extended an olive branch to his fellow Senior Sarazen flight combatants.   Mr. Ralph finished with a salty 77 on Sunday to overcome a stacked field, which included Jon Neff of Frisco, TX,  and Richmond, TX, player, Greg Faubion, by two strokes. 

Senior Jones Flight:  The feel good story of the Srixon Championship had to be one Randy Helcel of Lott, TX.  Mr. Helcel had the Championship’s only hole in one on Saturday, when he dunked 138 yard 7-iron on the 7^th hole of the Palmer Course.  Mr. Helcel rode his Saturday ace all the way to the finish line on Sunday, besting Houston’s David Sipe by two.

Senior Snead Flight:  The smallest flight of the weekend belonged to the Senior Snead flight.  The golf played however was by no means small, especially for Conroe, TX, resident Carl Eaton.  Mr. Eaton came up rather large with a comprehensive 16 shot win.  His sterling final round of 86 was more than enough to do the trick.