Scott R Chilcutt, Port Aransas, TX (January 21, 2017) Port Aransas, the only town established on Mustang Island, one of the longest barrier islands on the Texas Coast is a beach, resort and fishing town that hosted the Port Aransas Open on the Golf Channel AM Tour. Palmilla Beach Golf Club, a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, designed by Arnold Palmer, takes advantage of the rugged wind-swept coastline consistent with links golf.
Those winds, that typically affect play throughout the year, threw a real monkey wrench into the mix for the players that made the start. The fog that rolled in after practice rounds on Friday was forecasted to exit with a westerly wind that stayed out of the southwest bringing a continual mist like fog during the round. With low to no visibility at times, it took a simple approach on the day to get through the round.
The scores on the round, were down by 1.4 strokes over 2016, what? 2016 average round was 92.58 with the 2017 scores down to 91.18. As one winner posted on social media, "I should play #hitandhopegolf more often", but we think it had more to do with not trying to get cute on a golf course that's already tricky enough. The flight winners just kept it simple.
The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $250, starting the Texas Tour local events 2017 tally in contributions to the Foundation.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: Starting his second season on tour, Richmond, TX, member Thomas Cruickshank recorded his second win in as many attempts. The Houston Tour Championship winner at Blackhorse in August, Cruickshank, followed up with a two stroke victory with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 10th. Long time tour player, Dave Davlin of San Antonio, TX, self-promoting himself after the 2016 season brings with him 23 Palmer wins, including 7 majors, finished in the runner-up spot. First time player from Big Spring, TX, Kevin Knudson with an eagle on the par 5 - 18th rounded out the top three.
Palmer Flight: Robbie Robberson, of Willis, TX, took the 2016 season off after a win and promotion in 2015 to pick up his second win on tour and first as a Palmer Player. Robberson made it through a tough round of holes ending his front nine with a +4 and then cleared the back nine in +2 for a five-stroke victory. Sugar Land, TX, player Roger Masek, carded his second runner-up finish in as many attempts on the 2017 points season with Derrick Matthews of Killeen, TX, rounding out the top three for his second 3rd place finish in a row.
Senior Palmer Flight: Cedar Park, TX, player Mike Harkins started out with two bogies, and then followed with nine straight pars, added a birdie on the par 4 - 15th to card his second win in his last two events and his fifth win on tour. Six strokes back, Terry Jackson from George West, TX, birdied both par 5's on the back nine to stay one stroke ahead of a trio knotted up in the 3rd place finish. JD Price of Whitney, TX, Pasadena, TX, member Bo Kirkwood and Chuck Odom of San Angelo, TX, split the final podium spot.
Hogan Flight: Heading to their final hole of the day, the par 5 - 9th, San Antonio, TX, member John Heintz and Jared Swopes of Lubbock, TX, were tied up for the lead where both would make a mess of the hole. In the end, Heintz finished one stroke better, placing on top of the podium grabbing his seventeenth win on tour and first of the season. For Swopes, it was his second runner-up finish in his first year on tour and his three bridies on the round left him the lone flight winner of skins. Houston, TX member Rick Houchins, finished just one stroke back of second for his best finish on the season.
Senior Hogan Flight: Playing in his first event on tour, Servando Perez of Cedar Park, TX, made par on his final two holes of the day, just enough for the win ahead of three players nipping at his heels. One stroke back, Austin, TX member Larry Susen, Bobby Stokes of Rosharon, TX, and Spring, TX, player Jeff Shaffer, all with a single birdie after making the turn, shared the runner-up honors.
Sarazen Flight: A.J. Englerth of Killeen, TX, made birdie on the par 5 - 18th en route to his first win on tour. Two strokes back, Chris Gassaway of North Richland Hills, TX, on hiatus from the tour for almost two years didn't let the layoff affect his position with the runner-up spot. One stroke back of Gassaway Floresville, TX, resident Cody Prescott rounded out the top three.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Houston, TX, player David Sipe, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 4th hole, picked up his ninth win on tour and second since his promotion to the flight last spring. One stroke back, Gary Gum of Spring, TX, made just enough pars for the second place finish, one stroke ahead of Haslet, TX, traveler Burnie Rodgers.
Jones Flight: Bobby Ashcraft of San Antonio, TX, and Austin, TX, player Chris Cobb, both with a birdie each edged out the runner up at the time by one stroke to take it to extra holes. On the first hole of the sudden death, Ashcraft would prevail for his tenth win on tour and first of the season. Just back of the pair, San Antonio, TX, player Carlos Gloria finished with a third place finish.
Snead Flight: San Antonio, TX, member Charles Mielak recorded his fourth win on tour and first of the points season. Mielak, with some tough holes, was able to keep it in play enough to stay ahead of the runner-up finisher, Chris Blackwell, of The Woodlands, TX, by four strokes. Dan OShea of Copperas Cove, TX, took home the third place finish just two strokes back of Blackwell.
SKINS:
Giant SKINS: ($128/each) 1 -- Greg Blevins, George West, TX; Charles Guidry, Leander,TX; Bryan Wood, Leander, TX; Jared Swopes, Lubbock, TX; Kevin Knudson, Big Spring, Texas.
Championship: ($30/each) 2 -- Kevin Knudson, Big Spring, Texas. 1 -- Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX; Thomas Cruickshank, Richmond, TX.
Palmer: ($45/each) 2 -- Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX. 1 -- Charles Guidry, Leander,TX; Bryan Wood, Leander, TX.
Senior Palmer: ($55/each) 2 -- Mike Harkins, Cedar Park, TX. 1 -- J.D. Price, Whitney, TX; Terry Jackson, George West, TX.
Hogan: ($60/each) 3 -- Jared Swopes, Lubbock, TX.
Senior Hogan: ($70/each) 1 -- Timothy VanLandingham, Portland, TX; Jeff Shaffer, Spring, TX; Gary Grizzle, San Antonio, TX.
Sarazen: ($32/each) 2 -- Ruben Rios, Dallas, TX. 1 -- Angel Morales Jacquez, San Antonio, TX; Adam Bray, Katy, Tx; A.J. Englerth, Killeen, TX.
Senior Sarazen: ($26/each) 2 -- David Day, McClendon-Chisholm, TX. 1 -- Marty Hodges, Richmond, TX; David Sipe, Houston, Texas; Aaron Evitts, Dayton, Tx.; Gary Gum, Spring, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($50/each) 2 -- William Speck, Corpus Christi, TX. 1 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX; Allen Gumpenberger, Conroe, TX; Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Greg Blevins, George West, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($142/each) #2 - CD Dunem - 6' 6"; #6 - Cody Prescott - 5' 9"; #11 - Mark Colwell - 4' 1/2"; #10 - Bryan Wood - 5' 10".
Upcoming Texas Events:
The DFW Tour will start the year at the DFW Winter Challenge on Sunday, February 26th at The Golf Club at Fossil Creek in Forth Worth. Registration closes on Friday, February 17th.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
