Tour Muscle Helps with the Script - 2012 Hill Country Year in Review

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (August 22, 2012)  On September 27, 2011, I was summoned to a dark and seedy skid row bar on the outskirts of La Quinta, CA for an interview. This interview, just hours after completing 14 days of duties at the 2011 National Championships at PGA West, was a face to face with some of the prominent Hill Country Tour muscle.  To be sure that he left the tour with no future retribution and to ensure the newbie in town wouldn't infringe on the racket that was blossoming, Pat Cambpell arranged the meet.  (Note - script enhanced for dramatic effect, the meeting was at a Mimis Cafe in Racho Mirage with concerned long time tour members).

We will never know whether it was the sleep deprived spiel I presented or the Mimi's Chicken Pot Pie, but all the players seemed to leave with skeptical confidence.  In all seriousness, it was a group of guys that were concerned that any group of Okies coming to the tour could ensure a forward movement or at least not go backwards.  For the year, we'd probably give ourselves a B grade.  Many things stayed the same, many things changed, but overall we tried to move things forward.  On behalf of Sara Carlin, Dave Kirby, Jerrell Neely and myself we appreciate the opportunity to organize and manage a great deal of your free time this year.

Hill Country Tour Statistics:

• 298 Players from 16 different tours across the country competed in 13 local events with one rainout.
• 172 Hill Country members (in good standing as of today) averaged 6.5 rounds on the year.
• 65 Hill Country members played in 8 or more events during the points year.
• 33 players from the Hill Country will attend the National and Senior National Champsionships

  

Players Per Event			Number of Rounds
2011	2012	% YOY	2011	2012	Margin	% Increase
59	80	36%	651	1042	391	60%

 
Player of the Year Award Winners:

Order of Merit points winners from each flight receive a customized Bridgestone Staff Bag.

Championship Flight:  Chris Daniluck transplanted from Fairfax, VA during the spring of 2011 made his home in Boerne, TX while making his mark on the Hill Country Tour.  Daniluck won six events on the year to go with five 2010 wins in Virginia to help solidify a resurgence of the Championship Flight in the Hill Country.  Chris will compete at the National Championships in September.

Senior Championship Flight:  Waco, TX first year member Kyle Lewie lives between the Hill Country and Dallas Tours, but stayed true to his Texas A&M roots of going southeast.  Lewie participated in twelve events on tour to bring home the customized Bridgestone golf bag.

Palmer Flight:  Dave "Travelin" Davlin of San Antonio, TX backed up his win at the 2011 Texas Masters at TPC San Antonio with his Tour Championship @ TPC San Antonio victory to seal the player of the year award.  Davlin qualified for the National Championship with two runner up finishes at the May Grand Cypress Challenge  and the July Texas Masters at Barton Creek and will compete against 136 other Palmer players in Ponte Vedra, FL at the Nationals.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Playing out of Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club, San Antonio, TX resident Frank Davis  bypassed the Tour Championship with other obligations and nearly lost out on the award.  College Station, TX first year member Scott Williams would bogey his final hole, while the eventual winner birdied his to fall just 30 points short.  Davis who won two events on the year to go with nine from previous years will sit out the Nationals this year.

Hogan Flight:  Derrick Matthews from Killeen, TX started the year with a large group of pundits in the Sarazen Flight, but quickly made those sentiments useless when he played himself into the Hogan Flight with the April 1st handicap revision.  Winning three times on the year, Matthews also qualified for the National Championships on two top three major event finishes on the year at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay  and the Emerald Coast Amateur at Sandestin .  Look for Derrick or James or ... at TPC Sawgrass in September.

Senior Hogan Flight:  In his last hoorah with the Senior Hogan Flight Paul Wuerdeman from San Antonio, TX commanded a four stroke win at the Tour Championship for his fifth win on the season.  Wuerdeman finished 118 points over Boerne, TX member Steve Trickel for final year end awards and will have to bypass the Nationals this year.

Sarazen Flight: "Lil" Johnny Heintz of San Antonio, TX finished out the year in a BIG way.  Heintz who qualified for the Nationals with a T-3 and a road trip to Northern Missouri at Lake of the Ozarks Classic in late April.  Johnny then jumped to the top spot in the points after the Challenge at the Springs event in late July and finished out the year without any questions.  Heintz will compete this year in Florida for the National Championship crown.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Kingsland, TX standout, Bob Tuttle was a little more than skeptical about his ability to compete with the Senior Sarazen flight after his promtion in late June, but his game answered all the questions.  After a fourth and second place finish, Tuttle went to the July Texas Masters at Barton Creek and won in a playoff to seal the deal.  Tuttle will hit the Senior National Championship in stride, never outside of the top five in 2012.

Jones Flight:  The best French player on the Am Tour, Xavier Bardy now residing in San Antonio, TX managed the handicap for only half of the season when the inevitable finally happened, PROMOTION.  Seriously, Bardy will make the trip to the Nationals by qualifying four different ways:  promotion, top in points, three wins and a T-3 at the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay.

Senior Jones Flight:  Thomas West from Giddings, TX came to the Tour Championship, third in points, 65 shy of the top spot.  After playing the last three (cart path only) holes in even par, West forced a hot and late playoff with second place points player Mike Jones from Midland, TX.  After the extra hole battle, West finished with his first and biggest win on his career to solidify the points win.  West will sit out the Senior National Championship in 2012.

Snead Flight:  Dallas area transplant, Carlos Cruz now from San Antonio, TX has spent his last two years on the edge.  Ten top threes in 2012 to go with eight top fives in 2011, it was just a matter of time.  The 37 year old Cruz got his first win in a large way at the July Texas Masters at Barton Creek and looks forward to finishing on a solid note in Ponte Vedra.

Senior Snead Flight:  Seven time tour winner Thomas Kerwin from Pflugerville, TX battled the heat along with the back nine cart path only holes at the Tour Championship @ TPC San Antonio  to capture the Player of the Year award in the Senior Snead Flight.  Look for a strong finish from Kerwin against the 70 players at TPC Sawgrass.




Next Up:   After a fall break for the Senior National Championship and National Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL the tour will resume play in early October in the Hill Country.  Look for details on the fall schedule soon.

For More Information:

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