Plenty of Challenges at River Place Country Club on the Hill Country Tour

Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (April 27, 2014)  The Hill Country Tour made its first trip, under current management, to River Place Country Club, the second of six Dominion Golf Group properties the Dallas and Hill Country Tour will visit in 2014.  The Tom Kite design, his first, in the early 1990's built along the edge of the Hill Country in Austin. Huge elevation changes throughout the site required literally cutting and blasting into the hill side benching the holes into the slopes.  Those techniques can be found in many of the Tom Kite Design courses developed since his first at River Place.

Hot temperatures were a welcome change to the mostly cold events on the year so far. Champions were crowned in eight flights with the Tournament Champion trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving going to Joshua Douglas.




RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  After stringing together five top four finishes in eight events on tour, including three runner up spots, Texas Harper of San Antonio, TX broke through to the winners circle in a big way.  Playing the back nine first, Harper birdied the par 5 - 17th and par 4 -18th, added another at the par 4 - 3rd for a seven stroke win.  Fort Hood, TX player Jacob Morton took the runner up spot, with first time player Tanner Spani of Del Rio, TX rounding out the top three, one stroke back, with three birdies on the back nine.

Palmer Flight:  Craig Hart of Killeen, TX made the best of a cancelled fishing trip to take the top honors, for his third win on tour. Hart stumbled on the par 3 - 12th, but finished his first nine holes in +2, went the front nine, arguably a harder side, and held on with a birdie on the par 4 - 9th for a seven stroke win. College Station, TX traveler, Scott Williams carded his third runner up finish of the year, in as many attempts,  with second time tour player, Jeff Bankard of San Antonio, TX following up a T2 at The Dominion with the third place honors.

Hogan Flight:  Struggling on his first nine (10-18) Derrick Matthews of Killeen, TX navigated his back nine in even par with a birdie on the par 4 - 5th to force a playoff with Wimberly, TX member John Hilgers. Back to the tenth hole for the sudden death, Hilgers got the best of Matthews to pick up his fifth win on tour and third of the year, punching his card for the National Championship.   Don Koether of La Grange, TX playing in his first event since the 2012 The Legends of Golf Classic, birdied the par 5 - 13th for the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Searcy, AR native, Joshua Douglas, now residing in Leander, TX, used birdies on the par 5 - 17th and par 4 - 3rd to pick up his second win on tour and first since the 2013 The Legends of Golf Classic.  Nine strokes back and playing in his first event of the year, Tony Smith of Austin, TX got the best of a four stroke swing on the par 4 - 15th with a birdie to hold off third place finisher, Devin Brown of San Antonio, TX when he took a seven on the hole.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Bouncing back from a ninth place finish on Saturday on the Dallas Tour, Haslet, TX traveler, Burnie Rodgers, grabbed his first win of the points season on fifteen attempts and first since taking another Hill Country Tour championship at the 2013 Austin - Nicklaus Open.  One stroke back, Michael Brewer of Austin, TX held a one stroke edge after the first nine holes, but Rodgers was able to make up the difference on the back.  Jim Nedry of Lago Vista, TX birdied his tenth hole of the day to make up a first nine deficit and pull into the third place tie with San Antonio, TX player Charles Sagray.  Sagray, with two birdies on the day, made one of those stick for a Giant Skin.

Jones Flight:  Aaron Seafous of Austin, TX used some course knowledge to her advantage to record her fourth win on tour.  Following up on his win at The Dominion Country Club, John Grossenbacher also from Austin, birdied the par 4 - 18th, to finish two strokes back in his second event on tour.  Leander, TX member, Melissa Wood birdied the dog leg, over water, par 4 - 1st hole to round out the top three, matching her finish at the February,  Kerrville Championship @ Comanche Trace.

Senior Jones Flight:  Los Angeles Tour member, Donald Bebout now residing in Lakeway, TX birdied his final hole of the day, the par 4 - 9th for his first win of the year and ninth title on tour.  Tom Stockton of Euless, TX, one of three members to make the trip from the Saturday Border War at Rock Creek Resort, made his second half of the double weekend work for a runner up finish.  Houston Tour traveler, David Sipe, Atascocita, TX rounded out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Mark Colwell of Selma, TX picked up his second win on the season.  Colwell, a winner at the March, Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay, took a six stroke advantage to his  final nine, and held on for a one stroke win over a charging,  Lake Leon, TX member Stan Harper.  Stan, another traveler from the Oklahoma / Texas border the previous day, matched his best finish on tour on Saturday, with the help of birdies on the par 4 - 1st and par 3 - 6th.  Paul Harper of San Antonio, TX, a playoff winner at the San Antonio Masters his last out, finished in third.
  


SKINS:

Giant Skins:   1 -- Tanner Spani, Del Rio, TX; Charles Sagray, San Antonio, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  2 -- Texas Harper, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Tanner Spani, Del Rio, TX.

Hogan:   2 -- John Heintz, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Don Koether, La Grange, TX; Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:   3 -- Joshua Douglas, Leander, TX. 2 -- Dwayne London, League City, TX; Charles Sagray, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Ronnie Davis, Converse, TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:   1 -- Melissa Wood, Leander, TX; James Price, Portland, TX; John Grossenbacher, Austin, TX; Mike Rogers, Lewisville, TX; Donald Bebout, Lakeway, TX; Tom Stockton, Euless, TX.

Snead:   2 -- Stan Harper, Lake Leon, TX; John Thomas, Victoria, TX. 1 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX; D Nair, Austin Tx; Paul Harper, San Antonio, TX.

NEXT UP:

The Tour moves to the River Crossing Club for the Spring Branch Classic on Saturday May 10th.   The registration deadline is Friday, May 2nd at 11:59 PM and the field is limited.

Sunday May 18th the Dallas Tour visits Tierra Verde Golf Club for the Arlington  Championship.  Entry deadline is Friday May 9th.

The Oklahoma Tour is back in action on May 17th as players move to Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma City Championship, registration deadline is Friday, May 9th at 11:59 PM, EST.






FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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