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
