Hill Country Tour Crowns Tour Championships - 2018

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (August 12, 2018)  The AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, home to the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, played host to the first round of the 2018 Hill Country Tour Championship.  Unlike most other TPC layouts, this track uses the natural landscape and ultimate trouble that comes along with the trees and native areas.  Add to that the extremely tough green complexes and it makes for a long, hard day in the Summer heat of the Hill Country.

Then the 2018 Hill Country Tour season ended with a brief downpour and nearly hour-long lightning delay for those not lucky enough to be finished with there round on Sunday at the AT & T Canyon course.  Add to a tough golf challenge, the nerves of National and Senior National Championship qualifications, along with Tour Championship awards, it seemed only fitting that players would need to have the patience to prevail this weekend. 

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  After finishing T7, his first time out at Barton Creek, just two weeks before Pat DiCosimo of San Antonio, TX, made the most of this go round.  DiCosimo, with four birdies on the weekend, finished his final round at -1, for the start to finish win.  Two strokes back after the Saturday round, Copperas Cove, TX, member Rusty Lippert, took five strokes off of his Saturday round on Sunday, with the help of three birdies, but couldn't keep pace with the Champion, finishing four strokes back.  Zach Winkler of Midland, TX, rounded out the top three with four birdies over the 36 hole event.

Palmer Flight:  San Antonio, TX, member Ron Finnerty, came back from a two-stroke deficit after the first day, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 9th to pick up his third win of the season and fifteenth on tour.  Four strokes back after eighteen, Rene Realme of San Antonio, TX, matched his first-day results on the final round with three birdies, to share the runner-up finish with Midland, TX, player Brannon Smith after Smith, who started hot on Saturday with four birdies, came back to the field on Sunday.

Hogan Flight:  Fernando Davila, of San Antonio, TX, off the tour since April 2017, came back with a vengeance to lead from wire to wire for his fourth win on tour.  Davila, with three birdies on the weekend, finished just one stroke clear of The Woodlands, TX, Houston Tour traveler, Rafa Rivera by one stroke.  Rivera, with three birdies of his own on the Championship, cleared third-place finisher, Les Costales of San Antonio, TX, by eight strokes. 

Senior Hogan Flight:  Five strokes out of the lead following his round at the Oaks Course, Steve Wade of Boerne, TX, kicked it into gear on Sunday.  Wade, finished his final round, at +5 for the low flight round of the weekend, with three birdies to win his fourth Championship on tour and fifth on tour.  First-round leader, Rockwall, TX, member Joesph Roy, with a pair of birdies on the weekend, slid into the runner-up finish, while Scott Striegel of Southlake, TX, took twelve strokes off his first-round finish to jump up the leaderboard to round out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Knotted up after the first round at the Oaks Course, Larry Atchley of Kyle, TX, and San Marcos, TX, member Tommy Mobley finished in the one-two spots, with Mobley coming out on top for his second win on his first season on tour.  Three strokes out of second place, Houston Tour traveler, Joe Michetti, another player to take twelve strokes off his first round total, jumped into sole position of the last podium spot.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Houston Tour player, Jim Craig of San Felipe, TX, took a big lead into the final round and never looked back.  Craig, with four birdies during the event, finished four strokes clear for his fourth win of the season and second in as many attempts after taking the Championship at The Texas Classic at Barton Creek.  In the second place spot after the first round at The Oaks, fellow Houston Tour traveler, Bruce LeGrand fought back for a few strokes but could make up the difference finishing in the runner-up spot.  Rounding out the top three, Abilene, TX, member Mackie Crossan, was low found on Sunday to jump up the leaderboard.

Jones Flight:  Georgetown, TX, player Evan Kirkpatrick, took a comfortable three-stroke advantage into the final round on Sunday, with a birdie on the round.  Kirkpatrick would add another birdie on an eagle three at the par 5 - 12th to pick up his second win on tour and first of the season.  DFW Tour traveler, Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX, with two birdies on Sunday, finished, in the runner-up spot, with San Antonio, TX, member Larry Harper rounding out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Pete Acosta of Alamo, TX, extended his one-stroke lead after eighteen holes, to seven-strokes and a certain, Flight Promotion, on Sunday.  For Acosta, it was his fourth win in his first year on tour.  Selma, TX, player Mark Colwell, with a birdie on the par 4 - 11th on Saturday, took home the runner-up finish, with Dan O'Shea of Copperas Cove, TX, taking the third and final podium spot.






SKINS:
Round 1:

Giant SKINS:  ($70/each)  1 -- Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX; Marshall Durrett, Austin, TX; Rich Fox, Peoria, AZ; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX; Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX; Brannon Smith, Midland, TX; Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX; Steve Wade, Boerne, TX; Zack Winkler, Midland, TX.

Championship/Palmer:  ($68/each)  2 -- Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX; Zack Winkler, Midland, TX. 1 -- Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX.

Hogan:  ($52/each)  3 -- Rafa Rivero, The Woodlands, TX. 1 -- Marshall Durrett, Austin, TX; Brian Gow, Mansfield, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($28/each)  2 -- Steve Wade, Boerne, TX. 1 -- L C Alexander, Fort Worth, TX; Dale Fuhr, Missouri City, TX; Manny Martinez, Ranger, TX; Joseph Roy, Rockwall, TX; Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX.

Sarazen:  ($44/each)  1 -- Xavier Bardy, San Antonio, TX; Michael Betzale, Live Oak, TX; Tim Davis, Yukon, OK; Tommy Mobley, San Marcos, TX; Bill Speck, Corpus Christi, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($22/each)  4 -- Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX. 2 -- Rich Fox, Peoria, AZ. 1 -- Bruce LeGrand, Houston, TX; Tres Paxton, Boerne, TX.

Jones:  ($31/each)  2 -- Marvin Hill, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Tony Davila, San Antonio, TX; Larry Harper, San Antonio, TX; Evan Kirkpatrick, Georgetown, TX; Gregg Singhaus, New Braunfels, TX; John Stahlschmidt, San Antonio TX.

Snead:  ($40/each)  2 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX. 1 -- Pete Acosta, Alamo, TX; Ramon Colen, San Antonio, TX; Charles Mielak, Mico, TX; Bill Russell, San Antonio, TX.



Round 2:

Giant SKINS:  ($150/each)  2 -- Steve Wade, Boerne, TX. 1 -- Gabriel Brisco, Mesquite, TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX.

Championship/Palmer:  ($55/each)  2 -- Pat DiCosimo, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Gabriel Brisco, Mesquite, TX; Kevin Burkett, Portland, TX; Rene Realme, San Antonio, TX; John Williamson, Tolar, TX.

Hogan:  ($48/each)  3 -- Rafa Rivero, The Woodlands, TX. 1 -- Marshall Durrett, Austin, TX; James Price, Portland, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($25/each)  3 -- Steve Wade, Boerne, TX. 1 -- L C Alexander, Fort Worth, TX; Allan Collier, Austin, TX; Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX; Timothy VanLandingham, Portland, TX.

Sarazen:  ($25/each)  1 -- Larry Atchley, Kyle, TX; Michael Betzale, Live Oak, TX; Tim Davis, Yukon, OK; C.D. Dunem, San Antonio, TX; Kendall Hisey, Cedar Park, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX; Bill Speck, Corpus Christi, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($35/each)  3 -- Mackie Crossan, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX; Tres Paxton, Boerne, TX.

Jones:  ($110/each)  1 -- Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Evan Kirkpatrick, Georgetown, TX.

Snead:  ($34/each)  1 -- Ramon Colen, San Antonio, TX; Annette Crossan, Abilene, TX; Gene Hanley, San Antonio, TX; Jack Iglesias, Killeen, TX; Charles Mielak, Mico, TX; Jim Price, San Antonio, TX; Bill Russell, San Antonio, TX.





CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

Round 1:

$170/each:  #3 - Rich Fox - HOLE IN ONE;  #7 - Jason Leavelle - 5' 6";  #13 - Scott Striegel - 6' 8 1/2";  #16 - Bill Russell - 2' 8".

Round 2:

$170/each:  #4 - Rusty Lippert - 8' 8";  #8 - Keith McKelvy - 2' 10";  #13 - Gabe Brisco - 6' 1";  #16 - Bill Speck - 2' 5".





NEXT UP:

Texas Tour Season Closes With Tour Championship Month!


Houston Tour -  The Houston Tour Championship at Woodforest, with arguably the best greens in Texas,  on August 18th and 19th.  Entry closes on Friday, August 10th. 

Dallas Tour -   Back to Bridlewood in Flower Mound for the DFW Tour Championship, on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 25th.  SOLD OUT with waiting list spots available.  

National and Senior National Championships coming up in September in California.

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