Coaster Ride @ Hill Country Golf Club - Winter Classic

Scott R Chilcutt, December 3, 2012 (San Antonio, TX)  Rain all day on Friday continued overnight and into the morning when the tournament committee traveled from the hotel to the course. While the clouds would remain for the day, the rain would quit, leaving a beautiful day for the Hill Country Tour to contest the Winter Classic.
Set on over 200 acres The Hill Country Golf Club is located on the grounds of The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, with views of the Steele Eel, the 4,000 foot two minute hypercoaster ride at SeaWorld SanAntonio just minutes away.  "Roller coaster" was the term many players used today as the Oaks and Lakes nines combined to host up and down scores all day long.

Bob  Tuttle won in the score card playoff for the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders over Xavier Bardy.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  First year member from Waco, TX, Kyle Lewie took a three shot lead to the back nine but Chris Daniluck Boerne, TX quickly made up the difference on 10 and 11.  Daniluck would then seal the deal on his 2nd win in as many tries with a birdie on the creek bordered par 5 - 15th hole when Lewie ran into trouble.

Palmer Flight:  Derek Loebbecke from Ceuro, TX started out on fire, playing the first thirteen holes in 3 over par but fell back to the field when he shot 8 over on the last five holes.  Midland, TX resident and Dallas Tour player Jeremy Henson got rid of his troubles early as he finished the back nine in 2 over par to tie it up with Loebbecke, but darkness kept the two from an on course playoff and Henson picked up his first win on tour in a scorecard playoff.   Ron Finnerty from Laredo rounded out the top three just one shot back of the first place pair.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Dallas tour player, Michael Morgan from Shreveport, LA thought his win chances were dashed with a triple on the par 4 eighteenth hole but his 3 over par front nine was enough to stay one stroke clear of Frank Davis from San Antonio.  Davis, a winner on his first time out in the 2012 season, finished three strokes ahead of another Dallas tour traveler,  Sean Fenton from Fort Worth, TX.

Hogan Flight:  Stigler, OK tour player Chris Blankenship used the putter to slam the door shut on 2nd place Bryan Wood of Leander, TX  and show finisher, Converse, TX member Ronnie Davis.  Blankenship birdies on 10, 14 and 18 were enough to stay ahead of the field in spite of two triples and a double along the way.  Wood takes a 185 point lead in the Order of Merit Points over Davis with an earlier win in Houston.

Senior Hogan Flight:  A quad 8 on the final hole didn't stop Maurice Mintken from Round Rock, TX from picking up his first win on the tour in his first attempt.  With an up and down scorecard, Mintken recorded two birdies to stay ahead of second place finishers, Bastrop, TX member Gene Rampy and Dallas Tour player Roger Davis from Frisco, TX.

Sarazen Flight:  San Antonio resident Rolando Lopez grabbed his 2nd win on tour by a single stroke over fellow San Antonio player Rene Realme and Michael Esquivel from Austin. Realme would win the scorecard playoff for second place gift card awards finishing the back nine in 5 over par.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Visiting Louisiana Tour player, Walter White from Monroe, LA ran into trouble on the 10th hole after finishing five over par on the front nine but held on to win his first event since November, 2010.  One back, Fred Hines from San Antonio held the 2nd spot with Dallas resident Rick Allaire rounding out the top three.

Jones Flight: Two for two, Kingsland, TX player Bob Tuttle lapped the field finishing nine strokes ahead of Rog Springer from San Antonio and ten clear of Killeen, TX member Josue Duprey.  Tuttle finished the day strong, even par over the last six holes with the help of birdies on 14 and 15.

Snead Flight: Pflugerville, TX member Thomas Kerwin battled for his seventh win on tour, three strokes ahead of Xavier Bardy from San Antonio. Bardy, finished out the round rocky but was able to stay one stroke clear of Round Rock, TX player Jason Crawford.
      





SKINS:

Championship / Palmer / Senior Palmer:  1 -- Michael Morgan, Shreveport, LA; Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX; Chris Daniluck, Boerne, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan: 2 -- Maurice Mintken, Round Rock, TX.  1 -- Chris Blankenship, Stigler, OK; Bryan Wood, Leander, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  2 -- Fred Hines, San Antonio, TX.  1 -- Rick Allaire, Dallas, TX; Texal Kyle,
San Antonio, TX; Walter White, Monroe, LA.

Jones / Snead:  1 -- Xavier Bardy, San Antonio, TX; Douglas Pritchett, Ft Worth, TX; Josue Duprey, Killeen, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Richard Schram, Bryan, TX; Rog Springer, San Antonio, TX.

Next Up - Hill Country Tour tees it up at the Kerrville Championship at The Club @ Comanche Trace on February 11, 2012.  Dallas Tour resumes play at the Grand Prairie Classic on February 18, 2012.   Oklahoma Tour is off until 2012 at the ST. Patty's Day @ KickingBird event.  The first Major of the 2012 points year (another sell out) will be held at the Innisbrook Resort for the Winter Championship.  

For more information:


Scott R Chilcutt
Tour DirectorDallas / Fort Worth - Hill Country - Oklahoma
Golf Channel Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.201.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
www.gcamtour.com

Visit the Tour Blogs:

Dallas - gcatdallas.blogspot.com - Hill Country - gcatsanantonio.blogspot.com

Oklahoma - gcatoklahoma.blogspot.com

Provisional Ball - Part III

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (December 1, 2012)  Now you have hit the provisional, let's look at some of the situations and decisions based upon that election.

Your provisional ball does the same thing as the original ball (may be lost, etc...):

If a provisional ball played under rule 27-2a might be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, the player may play another provisional ball.  If another provisional ball is played , it bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball.

In other words, if your first two are lost and you play the third provisional you will be hitting 5 off the tee.  If your original ball is lost but your first provisional is found you abandon the second provisional.

Your provisional ball does not advance past the point of your original ball:  

You may continue to play the provisional ball until it advances past the point of your original ball (or previous provisional).

When your provisional ball becomes the ball in play:

The ball is lost or out of bounds.


Here are a couple of decisions that many players don't understand that can effect your decision to play a provisional:

DON'T:

27-2a/2  Provisional Ball Played Solely in Belief Original Ball Might Be in Water Hazard

Q. A player's tee shot might be in a water hazard, but clearly it is not lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds. The player announces that, since his ball might be in the hazard, he is going to play a provisional ball and he does so. Rule 27-2a seems to prohibit a provisional ball in the circumstances. What is the ruling?

A. The player did not play a provisional ball which, according to the Definition of "Provisional Ball," is a ball played under Rule 27-2 for a ball which may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds. The second ball from the tee was in play since it was not a provisional ball.

DO:

27-2a/2.2 Possibility That Original Ball Is in Water Hazard May Not Preclude Play of Provisional Ball

Q. If a player's original ball may have come to rest in a water hazard, is he precluded from playing a provisional ball?

A. No. Even though the original ball may be in a water hazard, the player is entitled to play a provisional ball if the original ball might also be lost outside the water hazard or out of bounds. In such a case, if the original ball is found in the water hazard, the provisional ball must be abandoned — Rule 27-2c (Formerly 27-2c/1)

27-2a/2.5  Player Plays Provisional Ball in Belief Original Ball Might Be Lost Outside Water Hazard Then Discovers There Is No Possibility of Its Being Lost Outside Water Hazard

Q. A player's tee shot is struck towards an area of trees, bushes and tall grass. Believing his ball might be lost outside a water hazard, the player announces his intention to play a provisional ball and plays a ball from the tee. When he arrives at the area, he finds that the area in question is wetlands that has been defined as a lateral water hazard and that it is known or virtually certain that his ball is in it. What is the ruling?

A. As the player played the second ball from the tee in the belief that his original ball might be lost outside a water hazard, that ball was a provisional ball. The subsequent discovery that the area in question is in fact a lateral water hazard is irrelevant. Therefore, the player must abandon the provisional ball and proceed under Rule 26-1 — see Rule 27-2c.

Are you totally confused?  Don't be, the rules of golf can be your friend, spend time to take advantage of them and stay out of trouble.




Next Up - Dallas Tour resumes play at the Grand Prairie Classic on February 18, 2012.  Hill Country Tour tees it up at the Winter Classic at Hyatt Hill Country on December 3rd.  Oklahoma Tour is off until 2012 at the ST. Patty's Day @ KickingBird event.  The first Major of the 2012 points year (another sell out) will be held at the Innisbrook Resort for the Winter Championship.  

For more information:


Scott R Chilcutt
Tour DirectorDallas / Fort Worth - Hill Country - Oklahoma
Golf Channel Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.201.9478schilcutt@gcamtour.com
www.gcamtour.com

Visit the Tour Blogs:

Dallas - gcatdallas.blogspot.com - Hill Country - gcatsanantonio.blogspot.com

Oklahoma - gcatoklahoma.blogspot.com