Soaked at the Springs

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (November 22, 2014)  Canyon Springs Golf Club the home to the only rescheduled rain out under the current tour directors 3+ year tenure, moving from May 25, 2013 to July 6, 2013 looked to become two for two.  Unlike the last time out, where record rainfall left the tunnels unusable, the course was open for play and players had to endure the wet.  

Early morning weather forecasters spoke about lightning starting after noon, and left the organizers to push through the bands of mist, sprinkles and down pours to get the event contested and awarded. Then the sun came out, of course as everyone was loading up, when most of the thunderstorms and electric weather meandered north and east across the Hill Country towards Austin.

In all, 55 (of 66) hearty souls started the day worked through the moisture for the points and prize fund.  Stan Harper of Lake Leon, TX took advantage of the Srixon Ball Challenge, winning his flight playing a Srixon Golf Ball, while San Antonio, TX member, Paul Harper took home the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:   Indianapolis Tour member, Brian Green of Lafayette, IN, looked for refuge from the recent cold and snow in the Midwest and took advantage of the trip for his fifth win on tour and first of the points season.  Green started out with a birdie on his first hole, the par 5 - 10th and added two more on the par 3 -17th and par 3 - 7th for a three stroke advantage.  Fort Worth, TX player Sean Fenton, a winner his last time out visiting the Hill Country, made two birdies on his front nine and held a three stroke lead after nine holes, but couldn't keep pace with Green on the back nine slipping into the runner up finish.

Palmer Flight:  Coming off a low career round - 1 -71  and a win his last time out at the October Fall Challenge in Round Rock,  Copperas Cove, TX player Robert Lippert made birdie on his closest to the hole shot at the par 3 - 13th, which proved to be just enough for his seventh win on tour.  One stroke back, Todd VanDerSchaegen of San Antonio, TX back on tour after taking the summer off, looked to have the win, but struggled, on his last hole of the day, the #1 handicap, par 4 - 8th to finish in the runner up spot.  Fort Hood, TX player Jacob Morton rounded out the top three, two strokes out of the lead.

Hogan Flight:  Houston Tour player,  Steve Allison is having some good things happen to him when traveling to the Hill Country this fall.  The Spring, TX member finished tied in the runner up spot with a Hole in One his last time out at the Fall Challenge in Round Rock and took the Houston points lead with his first win on Tour.  Two strokes back,  Dallas Tour traveler, Scott Harper of Ranger, TX birdied the par 5 - 2nd hole for his second runner up finish of the points season with San Antonio, TX resident Paul Wuerdeman taking show position honors.

Sarazen Flight:   Consistently climbing the leader board in his first year on tour, Michael Hill of Live Oak, TX made the jump to the top spot for his first Championship on Tour.  Hill birdied the par 4 - 10th and then parred his final two holes of the day to edge out Spring, TX player Gary Gum by a single stroke.   Gum, with a birdie of his own with a 4" putt and closest the hole cash on the par 3 - 17th survived a late round charge by Devin Brown of San Antonio, TX finishing the round in the third spot.

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Dallas Tour traveler, Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX took advantage of the rain gloves for his thirteenth tour Championship.  Rodgers birdied his first hole of the day, the par 5 - 5th and added another at the difficult par 4 - 8th for his fourth win since his self promotion to the Senior Sarazen Flight, three of those coming on the Hill Country Tour.  Four strokes back, the trio of Charles Sagray of San Antonio, TX, La Vernia, TX member  David Phillippi, with a birdie on the par 4 - 11th and Dallas, TX player Rick Allaire split the runner up finish.

Jones Flight:  Perennial Tour winner, Xavier Bardy of San Antonio, TX parred the first six of eight holes to card his tenth win on tour.  2014 Senior Snead National Champion, Larry Harper of San Antonio, TX playing in his first event since the automatic promotion, birdied the par 5 - 10th to finish in the runner up spot all alone with three players, knotted in the third place finish, eight strokes back.  Austin, TX player Freddys Espinoza,  Daryl Nixon, from Taylor, TX playing in his first event and Eastland, TX member Terry Everts playing in his first year on tour, shared the third place honors.

Snead Flight:   Stan Harper of Lake Leon, TX parred his first hole out of the gate and finished his last two in + 1 for his fifth win on tour.  One stroke back, runner up finisher,  Bobby Ashcraft, residing just minutes away from the course, had the championship locked up until his final hole, the par 4 - 18th where he found trouble.  The 2013 Snead Flight points Champion one the Hill Country Tour, Mark Rivera of San Antonio, TX rounded out the top three.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($55/each)  1 -- Rudy Cantu, Boerne, TX; Alfredo Garcia, San Antonio, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX; Sean Fenton, Fort Worth, TX; Brian Green, Lafayette, IN.

Championship / Palmer:  ($24/each) 3 -- Brian Green, Lafayette, IN. 2 -- Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX; Sean Fenton, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Lincoln Talbert, Boerne, TX; James Becker, San Antonio, TX; Mark Ritter, Canyon Lake, TX.

Hogan:  ($35/each)  2 -- Micah Carroll, San Antonio, TX; Scott Harper, Ranger, TX. 1 -- Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX; Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($35/each)  2 -- Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX. 1 -- Rudy Cantu, Boerne, TX; Josue Duprey, Killeen, TX; Michael Hill, Live Oak, TX; Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Alfredo Garcia, San Antonio, TX; David Phillippi, La Vernia, TX; Ron Derrick, Boerne, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($60/each)  1 -- Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Larry Harper, San Antonio, TX; Freddys Espinoza, Austin, TX; Xavier Bardy, San Antonio, TX; Terry Everts, Eastland, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($100/each)  #3 - Rick Allaire - 7'3";  #7 - Lincoln Talbert - 14'4";  #13 - Robert Lippert - 5'1 1/4"; #17 - Gary Gum - 4 1/4"



NEXT UP:

Next on tap in Texas, players from around the state will take on The Falls Golf Resort and Club in New Ulm, TX for the two day South Texas Winter Championship on December 6th and 7th.   While single rooms are still available for this event most of the Villa's are sold out.  If you plan on playing, book your accommodations early.  REGISTRATION CLOSES on Friday, November Friday, November 28th at 11:59PM EST


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

Hill Country Opens the 2015 Points Season in Round Rock

Scott R Chilcutt, Round Rock, TX (October 19, 2014)  Teravista Golf Club, on top of the hill over looking 30 miles of the Hill Country to the west, has been the home to events on the Golf Channel AM Tour - Hill Country Tour for years, but this year was a little different.  The date normally set in the spring, when we were lucky if the winds whipped from the south, typically saw north winds that not only made it cold, but really made the course play very difficult.

We opted for the fall and did we get lucky.  Beautiful, low 80's with light winds and variable clouds brought out the best of the golf course and best of the players and scores.  While the greens played a little on the slow side, and was tough to get it to the hole from below the hole, Steve Allison from Spring, TX took that variable out of the equation with a Hole in One on the par 3 - 3rd, his second lifetime ACE.  Tony Smith landed the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving.    


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Local Round Rock, TX player Mike Terry made the start in his first event on tour, went out with a one stroke advantage over Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX, but couldn't keep the advantage after Fenton birdied three holes coming to the clubhouse to win his eleventh Championship on tour, including two Majors.

Palmer Flight:  Robert Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX started the day with a birdie on the par 4 - 1st, and par 5 - 4th, but ended up making the turn one stroke out of the lead behind fellow traveling partner,  Fort Hood, TX member Jacob Morton.  Morton played ten holes in the middle of his round at one under par, but ran into trouble at the par 5 - 16th to give back the advantage.  Lippert would birdie three more holes on the back nine to finish one under par, his best card on tour to pick up his sixth win.  Larry Susen of Austin, TX, promoted during the 2014 points season from the Senior Hogan Flight, carded two birdies on the back nine to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight:   San Antonio, TX player, John Heintz started the day with a birdie his first hole out of the gate, added a couple of pars and was leading early.  Then came Houston Tour member, Steve Allison of Spring, TX, even after one, but tripled the second to drop back.  Allison followed with an ACE at the par 3 - 3rd,  then added two birdies to finish the front nine +2.  All through the drama,  Joshua Douglas of Leander, TX quietly traversed the layout with two birdies on the front and two on the back to slide by the pair for his fourth win on tour, including the 2014 San Antonio Open at LaCantera.  Allison and Heintz would end up sharing the runner up finish and splitting the points.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Darrell Wilson from Georgetown, TX, with three birdies on the day, shot a career low round +2 - 74 to record his eighth win on tour. Wimberly, TX player John Hilgers, with three birdies of his own, finished in the runner up spot, three strokes back. Jerry Smith of Salado, TX carded the third place finish, two strokes back of Hilgers, with fourteen pars on the day.

Sarazen Flight:  Starting on the tenth hole, Melissa Wood of Leander, TX, recently promoted to the Sarazen Flight, birdied the par 4 - 18th to lead the field by two strokes.  Austin, TX player Tony Smith made up ground on his back nine with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 4th to even the score after regulation.  On the first sudden death playoff hole, Wood would par to take her first Championship as a Sarazen Flight player and third win on tour.  Josue Duprey of Killeen, TX, off the tour for some time,  Cedar Park, TX player Les Costales and Aaron Seafous from Austin, TX shared the third place honors.

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Michael Brewer of Austin, TX,  went out with two birdies on the par 4 - 12th and par 5 - 16th, and then came to the club house with one on the back at the par 4 -5th leading to his fourth win on tour.  Lago Vista, TX resident, Jim Nedry, a five time winner on tour and Alfredo Garcia of San Antonio, TX shared the runner up honors four strokes back.

Jones Flight: San Antonio, TX member, Phil Lewis playing out of River Crossing, birdied the par 5 - 16th en route to his second win on tour.  James Price of Portland, TX birdied three holes on the day to pick up the runner up finish, two strokes clear of a pair tied in the third place finish.  Xavier Bardy of San Antonio, TX the 2014 Flight Champion and Barker, TX player Woody Casasent, with two birdies on the round shared the third place finish.

Snead Flight: Larry Atchley of Kyle, TX became a two time winner on tour, the first since the 2011 The Legends of Golf Classic by six strokes.  Selma, TX member, Mark Colwell battled through the round to finish one stroke clear of a pair of players knotted in the third place finish.  Bobby Ashcraft and Charles Mielak, both from San Antonio, TX shared the third place honors.



SKINS:

Giant Skins: ($82/each)  1 -- Jacob Morton, Ft. Hood, TX; Chris Wadle, Coupland , TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX.

Championship / Palmer: ($34/each)  3 -- Jacob Morton, Ft. Hood, TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX. 1 -- Chris Wadle, Coupland , TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan: ($45/each) 2 -- Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX. 1 -- John Heintz, San Antonio, TX; Steve Allison, Spring, TX; Joshua Douglas, Leander, TX; Tim VanLandingham, Portland, TX; Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX; Darrell Wilson, Georgetown, TX.

Sarazen - Senior Sarazen: ($150/each)  1 -- Kendall Hisey, Humble, TX; Josue Duprey, Killeen, TX.

Jones / Snead: ($35/each)  3 -- Phil Lewis, San Antonio, TX. 2 -- James Price, Portland, TX; Woody Casasent, Barker, TX. 1 -- Xavier Bardy, San Antonio, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($150/each) # 3:   Steve Allison - ACE.   #11:  Don Koether - 5'7 1/2".  #15:  Tim VanLandingham - 6'4".


NEXT UP:

North Texas 2015 actions gets under way at the Frisco Lakes Challenge on Saturday, November 1st.

Houston gets back to play at the November 8th Katy Classic / Cinco Ranch.

The Hill Country Tour resumes action at the Winter Championship @ Canyon Springs on Saturday November 22nd.




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

Three National Champions Return Home to Texas!

Scott R Chilcutt, Scottsdale, AZ (September 19, 2014)  Talking Stick Golf Club with its North and South Course along with the Raptor and Talon Courses at Grayhawk Golf Club hosted the over 1200 players to 4800+ rounds of competitive golf with thousands more practice rounds during the 2014 National and Senior National Championship on the Golf Channel AM Tour.

Extreme weather in the Valley of the Sun,  dust storms preceded torrential rains, remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly coming in off the Gulf Coast shortened practice rounds for the Open Group, but diligent golf course maintenance crews worked through the night to make sure play started without a hitch. 

The Senior Championship practice rounds and opening went off as scheduled, with Hurricane Odile slamming the Mexican Baja.  Odile would generally spare the event of any havoc, although skirting the Talking Stick Courses for a wet afternoon of play.  

As the curtains closed on the year end finale, three Texas members, one from each tour in the state returned home as a Champions.  Home Cookin' may have assisted the Arizona Tour members to equal the Lone Star State total with three, with the other six championships spread across the country from Florida to Washington.

2014 National Championship:

Dallas Tour Member Jeff Blackwood of Dallas, TX finished four rounds with a  two stoke victory over 150+ players in the Hogan Flight .  Blackwood progressed each day, with his best two rounds coming at arguably the two hardest tracks of the event at the Grayhawk facility.   Firing a +4 - 76, the low round of the day on the final round, Blackwood came from nine strokes back for the victory.

Two other Texas Members, solidified a 2015 National Championship run with top five finishes.  Hill Country Tour member, Mark Miller of Spring Branch, TX jumped up the leader board on his final day to finish T3 with the help of three birdies in the Championship Flight.  Tomball, TX resident,  James Sheppeard from the Houston Tour, finished T2 for his qualification after finishing near the top of the leader board each round.

2014 Senior National Championship:

Senior Hogan Flight player Ernie Dyer from Orange, TX representing the Houston Tour, peaked at the right time.  Dyer, a winner at the 2014 San Antonio Open at LaCantera at the end of June, carded three rounds in the 70's to finish two strokes clear of the field for the Senior National Championship honors and lifetime qualification to the premier event.

Hill Country Tour member, Larry Harper, qualifying for the event with three wins on the season, shared the low round in the Senior Snead Flight in two of his four rounds to run away from the field, eight strokes clear of second place.





Al Smith, Senior Palmer Flight player from Midland, TX playing out of the Hill Country Tour, secured his 2015 National Championship spot, rebounding from a tough third round with a final round +5 - 76 to finish in the runner up spot.

NEXT UP:

2015 points season underway in the coming weeks.


The Houston Tour opens the season on Sunday, October 12th at the Cypress Open at Cypress Lakes Golf Club, registration closes on Friday, October 3rd.

Hill Country Tour action resumes at the Fall Challenge / Round Rock at the Teravista Golf Club on Sunday, October 19th with entries closing on Friday October 10th.

The Fall Classic at Dancing Rabbit in Mississippi is the first Major of the season in the South Central Region on October 25th and 26th.

November 1st marks the season start on the Dallas Tour at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes for the Frisco Lakes Challenge, entry deadline is October 24th.. 


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

Hill Country Tour Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (August 10, 2014)   TPC San Antonio, the site of the Hill Country Tour Championship on the Golf Channel AM Tour proved to be a challenging and special occasion.

The two course layout,  one hosting the Valero Texas Open in the Spring and the other, the Pete Dye Canyons Course and the AT&T Championship on the Champions Tour in Fall seemed only fitting for an event of this magnitude.  This year we ventured into the Canyons to get a feeling of what the elderly PGA Touring pro's would get a glimpse of.

Deer Park, TX member, Al Campo had the feeling of a Hole-In-One in his earlier years, but this one had to be even better.  Nine iron, 148 yards on the par three, eighth hole eliminated the need for any putts with his second ace.   Rik Wall (Championship Flight) and John Hilgers (Senior Hogan Flight) took advantage of the Srixon Golf Ball challenge by winning their respective flights, they'll both get a dozen Srixon's in addition to the other prizes.  Charles Sagray, picked up the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Coming off his first Tour win, just more than 24 hours earlier in Oklahoma,  Rik Wall of Plano, TX birdied three holes to shoot a one under par 71 to keep the ball rolling.  Part of the  scoring chances, Spring Branch, TX player Mark Miller, left on the par 3's (+4), he got back on the par 5/2 (-3), but still wasn't quite enough to get to the top, finishing two strokes behind Wall.  Four strokes back of Miller, first year player Stanton Roberts of Midlothian, TX birdied three holes on the day to round out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Playing out of TPC San Antonio, Dave Davlin played his first twelve holes in +2, ran into some problems on the last few holes of the back nine, but rebounded with a par on his last hole to win by four strokes.  It was Davlin's fourth win on the season including the Major Championship at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek, and his fourteenth win on tour. Senior Palmer member, Morgan Splichal of San Antonio, TX,  playing in the combined flight, took the runner up finish with two birdies on the day.  One stroke back of Splichal,  Coupland, TX player, Chris Wadle off the tour since May 2013 due to a busy schedule jumped right back into the fray with the third place honors.

Hogan Flight:  Travelers invade another flight for the top three spots.  Houston Tour member, Roger Masek of Sugar Land, TX, starting on the fourth hole, played his first nine holes in three under par with consecutive birdies from 7-9, added another at the par 5 - 12th and held on for a two stroke victory, his seventh on tour and second of the season. Two strokes back, fellow Houston member, Al Campo of Deer Park, TX took advantage of his no putt hole in one on the par 3 - 8th for the runner up finish with Dallas Tour player, Scott Harper of Ranger, TX rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:   Wimberly, TX resident, John Hilgers capped off his Hill Country campaign with a bang, his fifth win on the season. Birdie on the par 5 - 2nd led to an eventual two stroke advantage over 2012 Senior Sarazen Flight National Champion, Bob Tuttle of Kingsland, TX.   Tuttle carded a birdie on the par 4 - 14th that would have been both a Flight Skin and Giant Skin had he participated, but finished in the runner up spot, two strokes ahead of a pair knotted in the third place finish.  Houston Tour member, Bruce Beakley and Iraan, TX member, Doug Collins both recorded birdies on the day to share the show place finish.

Sarazen Flight:   Ronnie Davis of Converse, TX finished out his season with two wins and four top five finishes at Majors on the 2014 points season adding to his total fourteen wins on tour.  Davis, with two birdies on the day, led a pair of players by two strokes tied up in the runner up finish. Devin Brown, of San Antonio, TX and soon to be relocated from the Washington DC area,  Rick Houchins both shared a couple of birdies on the day to shore up the second place honors.  

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Charles Sagray of San Antonio, TX, on a mission to get to the Senior National Championship had his sights set on a top finisher not already qualified, but far exceeded those goals.  Starting out on the par 4 - 11th, Sagray played his first five holes in minus two with birdies on the par 5 - 12th and par 5 - 15th to lead the field by four strokes.  Not only was it Sagray's third win on the season, but he was able to jump the points lead for the Player of the Year honors in the Senior Sarazen Flight.  Michael Brewer of Austin, TX a two time winner on the season is looking to other priorities, proclaiming his last event on tour shared the runner up finish with Live Oak, TX resident Richard Huyck.

Jones Flight:   Austin, TX first year player, Freddys Espinoza bettered his best finish on tour by a couple of strokes for his first win on Tour.  Espinoza, with a birdie on the par 5 - 6th hole led the field throughout the day and finished with a 6 stroke advantage over Houston Tour member, Blake Barnes of Deer Park, TX.  Barnes with a birdie of his own on the par 5 - 10th, his third hole of the day, finished one stroke clear of Corpus Christi, TX player Bill Speck.

Senior Jones Flight:   Out of the country, with limited internet access before the registration deadline, Chicago Tour member, Rich Stoker of Stockbridge, WI made the most of his effort for entry picking up his second win, on his first year on tour.  Stoker ended his day, four strokes ahead of a pair of players tied up in the second place finish.  Phil Lewis of San Antonio, TX, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 3rd and Houston Tour member,  Marcy Glidden of Brookshire, TX shared the runner up finish.

Snead Flight:  28 year old, Joshua Tankersley of San Antonio, TX took fifteen strokes off his previous best finish on his first year on tour to take home the Tour Championship win by five strokes.  Another San Antonio, TX resident,  Bobby Ashcraft coming off his third place National Championship qualification at the  Western Classic Major in Las Vegas ended up in the second place position with Larry Atchley of Kyle, TX a previous qualifier at the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay finishing in third.

Senior Snead Flight:  John Thomas of Victoria, TX has been in the top four his last two times out, but hasn't sniffed of a win.  On the last event of the points season, Thomas, shot his best round on tour to pick up his first win, three strokes clear of a pair knotted in the second place spot.  Gene Hanley from San Antonio, TX, with his best season on tour, split the runner up finish with Fischer, TX member Rickie Franklin.




2014 POINTS CHAMPIONS:


Mark Miller - 2014 Championship Flight Points Champion

Mike Harkins - 2014 Senior Championship Flight Points Champion

Dave Davlin - 2014 Palmer Flight Points Champion

Derrick Matthews - 2014 Hogan Flight Points Champion

John Hilgers - 2014 Senior Hogan Flight Points Champion

Ronnie Davis - 2014 Sarazen Flight Points Champion

Charles Sagray - 2014 Senior Sarazen Flight Points Champion

Charles Cox - 2014 Senior Jones Flight Points Champion

Mark Colwell - 2014 Snead Flight Points Champion

SKINS:

Giant SKINS:   1 -- Mark Miller, Spring Branch, TX; Rik Wall, Plano, TX; Morgan Splichal, San Antonio, TX; Roger Masek, Sugar Land, TX; Steve Trickel, Boerne, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  3 -- Mark Miller, Spring Branch, TX. 1 -- Mike Harkins, Cedar Park, TX; Rik Wall, Plano, TX; Jeff Bankard, San Antonio, TX; Morgan Splichal, San Antonio, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:   2 -- Roger Masek, Sugar Land, TX. 1 -- Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX; John Heintz, San Antonio, TX; Doug Collins, Iraan, TX; Steve Trickel, Boerne, TX.

Sarazen:   1 -- Ronnie Davis, Converse, TX; Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX; Daniel Mcgrath, Austin, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX.

Senior Sarazen:   3 -- Charles Sagray, San Antonio, TX. 2 -- Richard Huyck, Live Oak, TX. 1 -- Alfredo Garcia, San Antonio, TX; Cliff Rhoden, Sunnyvale, Tx.

Jones / Senior Jones:   2 -- Freddys Espinoza, Austin, TX. 1 -- Joe Tyson, Austin, TX; Phil Lewis, San Antonio, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:   2 -- Javier Quintero, Houston, TX. 1 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX; Stan Harper, Lake Leon, TX; Fred Priest, Orlando, Fl..





NEXT UP:

Tour players that are qualified and eligible take a much needed break to tighten up the swing and make all the travel arrangements for the 2014 National Championship, September 9th - 12th and the 2014 Senior National Championship September 15th-18th in Scottsdale, AZ.  Look for upcoming 2015 Points schedule to be released in the fall.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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

Texas Masters at Barton Creek

Golf Channel AM Tour Staff, Austin, TX (July 27, 2014)  The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, once again played host to the Texas Masters at Barton Creek, the last Major in the Central US before local Tour Championships and the Senior National Championship and National Championship in September.

Unseasonably mild temperatures with light winds welcomed the competitors.  The event courses used all the players shot-making skills, over the two distinctive layouts.  The Crenshaw Cliffside Course, while short, gives way to tough greens and hole positions which is generally its only defense against low scores.  Fazio Foothills, on the other hand, spreads out the groups with long carry's and tight fairways over the Hill Country layout.

$1,400 was raised by the Tour members from Florida to Hawaii representing 14 states and 18 tours for David Feherty's Troops First Foundation through the 50/50 raffle.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  First year tour member, Corey Freeland of Houston, TX made up a seven stroke deficit for his second win on tour and first Major Championship.  Freeland, played his front nine on the final day in -1 with four birdies on his round to finish one stroke ahead of Terry Rice of Midland, TX.  It was Rice's third Major Championship runner up finish on the season.  First round leader, Tony Peppler of Dallas, TX started the final day with a four stroke lead, but couldn't keep the momentum after moving to the Fazio Foothills course, finishing in the third place spot.

Senior Championship Flight:  Mike Harkins of nearby, Cedar Park, TX birdied his tenth hole on both days to pick up the wire to wire win, his first Major Championship and third win on the season.  Starting the day seven strokes back, Ken Dyke of Keller, TX shot the low round on Sunday with the help of six birdies to jump into a three way tie for second and Senior National Championship qualification.   Fort Worth, TX player,  Sean Fenton already qualified with two Major Championships on the season and Michael Fyfe of McKinney, TX with a runner up at the The Sooner State Showdown shared the runner up spot with Dyke. 

Palmer Flight:  First round leader, San Antonio, TX player, Dave Davlin took advantage of four birdies on the weekend to grab his third Major Championship on tour and third win of the season.  Jacob Morton of Fort Hood, TX added a runner up finish to his third place National Championship qualification at the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay two strokes back.  In a Hill Country Tour sweep of the top three in the flight, Ron Finnerty of San Antonio, TX shot the low round on Sunday to jump his way into the show position finish.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Houston Tour member, Robert Corbello of Vidor, TX, came out swinging.  The lefty, used three birdies and an eagle on his first round at the Crenshaw Cliffside course to shoot an even par on Saturday and never looked back.  Corbello, a first time Major Champion at the March 2014 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay, added another Major to his six wins on tour.  Thirteen strokes back, Bryce Pool of Colleyville, TX carded his best Major finish with a trio of players on his heals, one stroke back.  Michael Fee of Mansfield, TX recorded his second third place Major finish on the season with Jimmy Westfall of Oklahoma City, OK and Odessa, TX member Thomas Pipes punching their tickets to the Senior National Championship.

Hogan Flight:  Steve Nagy of Sugar Land, TX started his final round, four strokes out of the lead, shot the low round of the day on Sunday with the help of a couple of birdies to tie it up with Spring, TX player Aaron Brougher.  Back to the #1 hole at the Crenshaw Cliffside course, Brougher would par the first sudden death hole for his third Major Championship of the season and fifth win on the year.  Chad Schuchmann of Springfield, MO, a winner at the South East Amateur at Chateau Elan Major in May, rounded out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:   Freeport, NY native, Bill Schuster, now residing in Jersey Village, TX became a first time winner on tour.   Schuster, birdied two holes on Saturday to card the low flight round and took with him a two stroke advantage to the Crenshaw course on Sunday to end the weekend with a five stroke lead. Bud Surber of Edmond, OK birdied two holes on Sunday for the runner up spot, his best finish at a Major this season.  Richmond, TX member, Christopher Phillips rounded out the top three with the help of two birdies on the weekend in the 26 player flight.

Sarazen Flight:  Playing with the Open Flight, 59 year old, Michael Roane of Leawood, KS equaled the final day low round to add his first Major Championship to ten local wins on tour. Four strokes back of Roane after the Saturday round, Forth Worth, TX member Preston Miller made a couple of birdies on Sunday to equal the low round for his best finish at a Major.   Ronnie Davis of Converse, TX made two birdies on Sunday to round out the top three spots and complete a one, two, three, 50+ finish in the Sarazen Flight.    

Senior Sarazen Flight:   Olan Benge of Wharton, TX became a three time Major Champion and two time winner on the season.  Benge, sitting on a four stroke lead after the opening round, made a birdie on the par 5 - 8th on Sunday to command a seven stroke victory.  South Pasadena, CA traveler, Yuri Pikover, a two time Major Champion on the season,  finished out one stroke clear of three players knotted in the third place finish.  Terry Lunsford of Winter Springs, FL equaled the low final round to jump into a tie with  Crowley, TX player Dale McFarland and Honolulu, HI player Melvin Hill for the final Senior National Championship invitations.      

Jones Flight:  Crystal Springs, TX member, Melissa Wood had the luxury of sleeping on a nine stroke advantage after her first round +8 - 80 on the Fazio Foothills track. Wood, played a solid front nine on Sunday, struggled through the final nine holes, but used the Saturday lead for a three stroke win, only her second win on tour and first Major Championship.  Aaron Seafous of Austin, TX, the 2014  San Antonio Open at LaCantera Champion, took five strokes off her first day finish and a low flight round on Sunday  for the runner up spot.  Oklahoma City, OK member Scott Brown carded five birdies on the weekend for hist best Major Championship finish.

Senior Jones Flight:  One stroke behind a couple of Houston Tour members after the opening round, Tom Stockton of Euless, TX birdied three holes on Sunday to win his first Major Championship and second event on the season.  Three strokes back, Dallas, TX resident, Lloyd C Reid Jr, a two time winner on the season settled for the runner up finish.  Olive Branch, MS member, Louis Ralph, a champion at the June, San Antonio Open at LaCantera and May The Sooner State Showdown, eagled the par 5 - 8th on Sunday to solidify his third place finish.

Snead Flight:   Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX became a four time Major Champion in 2014 with the flight low round on Sunday.  Fleming, one stroke back after the Saturday opener, finished four strokes ahead of Round Rock, TX member Dwain Smith tying up the second place honors.  Rick Hagel of Hackberry, LA rounded out the top three and final National Championship qualification spot.