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