Texas Masters @ Barton Creek

Golf Channel Am Tour Staff, Austin, TX (July 28, 2013)  A sold out field of players from eight states representing thirteen different tours collided at the Barton Creek Resort and Spa for the Texas Masters, the 24th Major Championship of the year on the Golf Channel AM Tour.

Early Saturday morning thunderstorms moved out of the area but left unseasonably humid conditions.  Late morning sprinkles and mist went along with northerly breezes for the best weather conditions in event history as players navigated two of the signature courses on the resort property.   

The Crenshaw Cliffside and the Fazio Foothills, both with differing characteristics,  played to virtually idental over par numbers,  The Crenshaw course, a par 71, short layout with undulating greens played to a + 17.32, while the tighter and longer Fazio layout, came in at + 17.52.  In all the rounds, only four eagles were carded on the weekend, with Lynn Cormier of Missouri City, TX recording a hole in one on the par 3 - 9th hole of the Foothills course.

Over $1,300 was raised through the 50/50 raffle adding to the tally for the Feherty's Troops First Foundation.  
 
 
 
 
RESULTS:
 

Championship Flight:  Runner up at the 2012 Texas Masters at Barton Creek,  Terry Rice of Midland, TX started the final round tied in the top spot, would fall back on the first hole, regain the lead after the seventh and never look back.  Rice, now a ten time winner on tour,  picked up his first Major Championship after three previous top fives this year.  With a second place finish at this years Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort first year member Sean Skellenger of Dallas, TX and Hideaway, TX player Scott Blackshear shared the runner up spot two strokes back. Skellenger, with two of four rounds under par, carded eight birdies and an eagle on the two rounds, while Blackshear punched his ticket to the National Championships matching his best Major finish at the 2012 Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort.
 

Senior Championship Flight:  Rich Vigil of Katy, TX opened with a one under par - 70 and started his round on Sunday with a five stroke advantage.  Vigil held on at the Fazio Foothills course and picked up his seventh win on tour, second of the year and first Major Championship leading in wire to wire fashion.  Six strokes back,  fellow Houston Tour member  Gordon Wagner of Sugarland, TX recorded his best finish on tour with Odessa, TX resident Marshall Morgan solidifying his National Championship plans rounding out the top three.
 

Palmer Flight:  In what will likely be his last round on tour as a Palmer Flight player,  Jake Morton of Fort Hood, TX made the best of it.  Sure to be promoted after the weekend, Morton shared the lead after the first day and held on to his seventh win on tour, third Major Championship and second of the year.  One stroke back,  San Antonio, TX player Ron Finnerty overcame a five stroke deficit after day one to jump into the runner up spot, his best finish at a Major on tour.  Todd VanDerSchaegen of San Antonio, TX and Houston, TX member Tino Flores split the third place honors for the final National Championship invitations.
 

Senior Palmer Flight:  January Peebles of Moss Bluff, LA came from one stroke back after the Saturday round to win his fifth event of the year and third Major Championship of his career.  Copperas Cove, TX resident Robert Lippert started the Sunday round one stroke back of Peebles, matched his second round score and bested his two previous third place Major Championship finishes of the year in the runner up spot.  Daniel Desilets of Kermit, TX a winner at the 2013 Western Invitational finished in the third place spot.
 

Hogan Flight:  Beginning his tour membership on the Atlanta Tour,  Cory Welch now from Fort Worth, TX lead from the beginning to win his first Major Championship in seven attempts. One stroke back, Orange, TX member Rick Keszeg finished out his best Major on tour in the runner up spot with Aaron Brougher of Spring, TX matching his third place finish at the 2013 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay just two strokes behind the runner up finish.
 

Senior Hogan Flight:  Another certain promotion of the weekend is coming for four time 2013 winner and two time Major Champion Jim Sumner of Odessa, TX.   Sumner, a winner at the January TPC Sawgrass Open,  shot a four over par - 76 to finish out with an eight stroke lead over Orange, TX resident Keith Grissom.  While Grissom couldn't make up any ground on Sumner he maintained his two stroke advantage over Swansea, Wales native,  Christopher Phillips now residing in Richmond, TX.  It was Phillips seventh top five finish in a Major Championship.
 

Sarazen Flight:    Brownsville, TX native Gilbert Sandoval, Jr., playing in only his second event on tour this year started Sunday five strokes off the lead.  Sandoval, took five strokes off his day one total with a par on his final hole to win his second event and first since the 2009 ASA - River Crossing Golf Club.  Rick Smalley of College Station, TX shared the overnight lead but took a birdie on his final hole, the par 4 -9th to knot up the runner up finish with Pearland, TX player Robert Murphy.  All three players carded their best finishes at Major Championships.
 

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Starting the final round two strokes off the lead,  Paul Bradley Rich of Katy, TX finished his final six holes in two under par on three birdies to win his second Major Championship on tour.  Runner up, Richmond, TX member Marty Hodges had his best finish in a Major six strokes off the lead. Tied in the eighth spot after Saturdays round at the Foothills Course,  Lane McKinney of League City, TX jumped over six players round out the top three and punched his ticket to the National Championships.
 

Jones Flight:  Traveling, Las Vegas, NV member Jacob Rivera won wire to wire, picking up his fourth Major Championship on tour and first since the 2011 Western Classic.  Rivera, out in front by seven strokes after his Saturday round, came back to the field but used a birdie on his seventeenth hole of the day, the par 3 - 8th to win by two strokes.  Low round of the flight on Sunday, Mark Rivera of San Antonio, TX split the second place honors with Cypress, TX player Randy Pegg.
 

Senior Jones Flight:    Michael Bell of Pearland, TX started his Sunday round with a three stroke lead over a pair in second, including Vidor, TX resident Randy Adcock.  Going out, Adcock had made up two of those strokes with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 8th and then Bell stepped on the gas.  Coming to the club house, Bell shot a +4 on the back to win his third event of the year and first Major Championship by five strokes. Missouri City, TX member Lu Cormier jumped into a tie for second with Adcock with the help of birdies on both the par three's on the back to solidify her Senior National Championship trip.
 

Snead Flight:   Playing in a directionally challenged group on Saturday, San Antonio, TX resident Carlos Cruz overcame a late to the tee penalty to become the only defending champion of the event.  Cruz the 2012 Champion started the day four strokes out of the lead, made up three on the front and finished out one stroke clear of first round leader Jeremy Fang of Houston, TX.  Coming back from eight strokes off the first round lead, Mark Colwell of San Antonio, TX carded his second National Championship invitation after a runner up finish at the 2013 Western Open rounding out the top three.

Senior Snead Flight:  Marcy Glidden of Brookshire, TX became a three time Major Champion by edging out a pair of players tied in the runner up spot by one stroke.  Glidden,  the winner at the 2013 Myrtle Beach Classic made it two in her last three majors after a runner up finish at the 2013 Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort.   Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX the runner up at the 2013 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay shared the second place honors with fellow Dallas Tour member, Luis Dayer of North Richland Hills, TX.