2015 Hill Country Tour - Order of Merit - The Journey to Better - Champions Awarded

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (August 9, 2015)  Bringing a close to the year, setting up for National and Senior National Championship bids in September, marks another historic chapter with the Golf Channel AM Tour in south central Texas.

The 2015 Points Campaign on the Texas Hill Country Tour came to a close on Sunday at TPC San Antonio. Beginning the points year in October 2014 in Round Rock, TX, 15 events made up the local schedule and the area hosted another 3 Major Championships. From Round Rock, to Kerrville, to San Antonio, along with a couple of excursions to New Ulm and Port Aransas nearly 2,000 competitive rounds were played from players around the country.

Competing for year end awards, this year included a customized and personalized staff bag from Club Glove. This season in addition to the Flight Champion awards, a special Player of the Year bag was also given.

FLIGHT CHAMPIONS (ORDER OF MERIT POINTS The Journey to Better), awards presented by Scott Thompson and Clipper Wealth Management with additional support from Compressor Designs, Inc. and Universal Pressure Pumping.  

Championship Flight Champion:  An active member of the Army and stationed at Fort Hood, in Killeen, TX, Jordan Massey jumped right into the fray in his first year on tour.  Playing in nine events on the season, Massey was never out of the top three and only three times out of the winners circle, including wins at the Major Championship at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino.  Jordan intends on making a start at the National Championship in September and we look forward to continued success from the 25 year old Panama City, FL native before he moves on to bigger challenges.

Senior Championship Flight Champion:  Cedar Park, TX, traveler, Mike Harkins playing in his second season on tour made the rounds this season with fourteen events, including seven Major Championships.  Searching for events with Senior Championship Flights, Harkins was still only able to compete in two with the separate flight, with his best finish a runner up spot at the Srixon Championship at La Cantera.  Amassing 950 points on the points year, Mike ended up with a 75 point cushion over Daniel Desilets of Kermit, TX.

Palmer Flight Champion:  The last points season that Dave Davlin of San Antonio, TX, didn't win the Points Championship was 2010, when in his first two years on tour, he finished in the runner up spot both times.  Since then Davlin has dominated the Hill Country Tour, this year on top of the podium in five of thirteen events and only out of the top three finishers twice. A Champion at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek his last time out before the Tour Championship, the motivational speaker, added two top three finishes in his other two majors on the season. 

Senior Palmer Flight Champion:  Playing in a limited schedule on the year, San Angelo, TX, member, Al Smith made all of them count. In his six events on the season, Smith picked  up two Major Championships at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay and the  Arkansas Championship at Hot Springs Village, while adding a runner up at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino.  Only out of the top four once, Smith cruised to the points championship by 405 points over Doug Collins of Iraan, TX.

Hogan Flight Champion:  Michael Campbell of New Braunfels, TX, started the Tour Championship 87.5 points down to Converse, TX, member Ronnie Davis and knew it would require a win.  Playing in the final points group, Campbell was able to keep it in play and bring home the Flight Champion bag, by 47.5 points. It was Campbell's first win on the season and fourth win on tour.

Senior Hogan Flight Champion:  Dripping Springs, TX, player, Allan Collier took a slim 2.5 points lead into the Tour Championship at TPC San Antonio.  Collier added a Tour Championship win while taking the Flight Championship.  His third win on the season and fifth on tour while playing 22 events on the season. Allan also locked into an early Senior National Championship bid with a runner up at the Srixon Championship @ La Cantera to go along with two other top five finishes at Major Championships.

Sarazen Flight Champion:  Playing in only his second year on tour, Boerne, TX, member Rudy Cantu put together an incredible number of points with the help of wins.  Cantu, a two time Major Champion on the season with wins at the Srixon Championship at La Cantera, added to it the Texas Masters at Barton Creek, with two local event wins.  With 14 events on the points year, Cantu ended his season with 1,723 points, 523 ahead of his nearest competitor.

Senior Sarazen Flight Champion:  Michael Brewer of Round Rock, TX started the day at the Tour Championship at TPC San Antonio with a slim 40 point lead over San Antonio, TX, resident Charles Sagray.  While Brewer needed to stay in front of Sagray for the Championship, it would take more than just one spot, since Charles, only playing his eighth event would bring home his entire points finish.  At the end of the day, Brewer did just enough, leading the points by 30 to take home the customized staff bag, on thirteen events on the season.

Jones Flight Champion:  Picking up his first Major Championship win on tour at the Srixon Championship at the end of June, James Price of Portland, TX, added a runner up finish at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino and third place honors at the  Texas Masters at Barton Creek Resort.  Price was only out of the top five in three events on the season to take home the Flight Champion award by a slim 5 points over San Antonio, TX, player Xavier Bardy, the 2014 winner.






Senior Jones Flight Champion:  Unable to join us at the Tour Championship at TPC San Antonio, Randy Helcel of Lott, TX, previously collected plenty of points for the Flight Champion award.  Helcel collected the Major Championship hardware from the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino and the Srixon Championship to go along with one local event win on the Dallas Tour at the Fort Worth Championship for the points advantage.

Snead Flight Champion:  William Speck of Corpus Christi, TX played in ten events on the season.  Picking up four wins, with two consecutive Major Championships at the Srixon Championship and the Texas Masters at Barton Creek Resort.  In addition, Speck picked up runner up honors at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay and Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino Major Championship to go along with two local wins to snag the Flight Championship Bag and it's honors by only 5 points over Christopher Cobb of Austin, TX.

Senior Snead Flight Champion:  Victoria, TX, resident, John Thomas, played in ten events on the year which proved to be just enough to pick up the Flight Honors with a win his last time out at The Hill Country Tour Championship at TPC San Antonio to go along with a fourth place finish at the Western Masters  at PGA West in March. 

Hill Country Tour, PLAYER OF THE YEAR, presented by HIGGINBOTHAM: The special award was set up and presented by Higgenbotham, a Business Insurance and Financial Services Company that services the state of Texas with home offices in Fort Worth.  The player from each tour in the state selected by the committee, with feedback from the membership that met a series of criteria, including having been promoted and continued The Journey to Better by excelling in the new flight.

Rusty Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX, was chosen for the inaugural Player of the Year honors on the Hill Country Tour. Lippert in his third year on tour, cruised through the first two years with five wins including a Major Championship at the 2014 San Antonio Open at LaCantera.  2015 showed his game was in order, winning his first three local events, added a T3 at the 2015 Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay  and then another Major Championship at the 2015 Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino leading the way to apparent Flight Championship.  Then came the promotion, with adjusted points to the Senior Championship flight, Lippert wouldn't sit on his laurels.  A runner up in a combined Championship / Senior Championship flight at the Austin - Nicklaus Open opened the door to another Major Championship, this time in his newly found Senior Championship Flight at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek Resort.   Rusty competed in 11 events on tour, including all the majors in the South Central Region and will receive the special, Black and Sliver customized Staff Bag, designed by Club Glove and presented by Higginbotham.

Upcoming Texas Events:

The Houston Tour finishes out it's double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship on Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, for the Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  

Dallas crowns the year end champions at the Tour Championship.  The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

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

      

Flight Champions Shine at the Hill Country Tour Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (August 9, 2015)  The AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, home to the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, played host to the Hill Country Tour Championship on Sunday.  Unlike most other TPC layouts, this track uses the natural landscape and ultimately trouble that comes along with the trees and native areas.  Add to that the extremely tough green complexes and it makes for a long, hard day in the Summer heat of the Hill Country.

Add to a tough golf challenge, the nerves of National and Senior National Championship qualifications, Tour Championship awards and last, but not least year end Flight Champion awards the event was just as special as it was promoted as being. 

This year the Hill Country Tour, presented the twelve Flight Champions (Order of Merit Points Leaders) with special staff bags from Club Glove, presented by Clipper Wealth Management with additional support from Compressor Designs and Universal Pressure Pumping.  Of the ten flights contested at the Championship, five of the players taking home the trophies, also grabbed a bag.  In all, of the 12 Flight Champion bags, 10 went to players starting the day with the lead in points, while two couldn't hold on to the special prize with Sunday finishes.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Currently residing in Killeen, TX, Jordan Massey has made a habit of winning at courses he's never laid eyes on.  It wouldn't be until the par 3 - 7th that Massey would card a par, but with the help of birdies on the par 5 - 2nd and par 4 - 5th, he would make the turn still in the contest.  Playing the back with a little more luck, he would add two more birdies and finish out the Championship, six strokes ahead of Daniel Desilets from Kermit, TX.  Desilets, only out of the top three in two of seven events on the season, maneuvered the round with little trouble picking up the runner up spot, with Dallas Tour member, Andrew Braun of Trophy Club, TX rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Playing out of TPC San Antonio, Dave Davlin knew the course, but still had to make the shots.  Starting the round a little slow, Davlin would make birdie on the par 4 - 5th, but was still two strokes back making the turn and then got back into the round going -1 over the first four holes coming to the club house, that would prove to be the difference in the Championship.  Al Smith of San Angelo, TX made the turn in the lead, lost it after twelve, made birdie on the par 5 -14th to get back to the top, but would be relegated to the runner up finish by a single stroke with a double on the par 5 - 18th. Michael Wagner of Houston,TX, playing in his second event on tour and San Antonio, TX, player Patricio Gonzalez would share the third place finish three strokes back of Smith.

Hogan Flight:  Michael Campbell of New Braunfels, TX, headed into the weekend needing a win. Playing the front nine with relatively little trouble, Campbell would finish his last five holes +4 to make it a nail biter, but in the end grabbed his first win on the season and fourth on tour.  Two strokes back, Rene Realme of San Antonio, TX, a winner at the Srixon Championship at La Cantera made birdie on the par 4 - 9th, but just could  not keep the momentum.  Helotes, TX, player Scott Thompson rounded out the top three, his best finish since a promotion at the beginning of June.

Senior Hogan Flight:   Dripping Springs, TX, resident, Allan Collier got off to a rough start when he made triple on the par 5 - 2nd, but then seemed to compose himself to stay in the game making the turn.  Just one stroke back,  Stringing together a + 3 after seven holes on the back, Collier would wind up taking the championship by two strokes.  John Hilgers of Wimberly, TX, with three wins on the season, would finish in the runner up spot, with San Antonio, TX, player  Paul Wuerdeman taking the final podium finish, the top three all the started and ended the day in the top three in points.

Sarazen Flight:  Despite making a double par ten on the par 5 - 18th to finish the day, Houston Tour invader,  Houchins, finishing his front nine with a birdie on the par 4 - 9th proved to be just enough room to be one of only three out of Hill Country players to take home the hardware on Sunday. Putting together his second runner up finish in as many attempts to go with a win at the Hill Country Open in his first year on tour, Carlos Benavides of Crystal City, TX, also made birdie on the final hole of the front nine.  San Antonio, TX, player Nacho Orozco, also in his first year on tour took home the show position finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Jim Craig of San Felipe, TX, led an all Houston Tour contingent to the top four places in the flight.  Craig, with a narrow one stroke advantage making the turn, added to the lead going +4 on the back for his second win on tour and just enough points to take the Flight Championship lead going into next weekends, Houston Tour Championship.  Houston, TX resident, Bruce LeGrand finished runner up, with Mark Kirby of Bridge City, TX, taking home the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  Haslet, TX, player Doyle Fleming proved to be a Flight Championship spoiler by taking home the hardware with a two stroke advantage for his fifth win on tour and third in as many attempts. Xavier Bardy of San Antonio, TX, out of the country for some of the season limiting his play, was looking for a repeat of his 2014 Flight Championship award, but needed that winner spot to make it happen. Rounding out the top three, the eventual Jones Flight Champion, Portland, TX member, James Price was just close enough for the staff bag.

Senior Jones Flight:  Joe Tyson of Austin, TX, made a statement with his fourth win on the season and sixth on tour.  Tyson, picked up the Championship by an eight stroke margin and did it with a nine on the par 5 - 2nd and a triple on the par 4 - 10th.  Houston Tour players, Rick Halprin of Houston and Corrigan, TX, member Mike Murphy took the second and third place honors by a single stroke separating them.

Snead Flight:  Selma, TX, player, Mark Colwell fresh off his win at the TRUE linkswear Championship at Chambers Bay can now boast that he won two events in 2015 on courses the PGA played during the same year. For Colwell, it was his fourth win on the season and twelfth on tour.  Dallas Tour member, Ethan Blase of Wylie, TX grabbed the second place finish by a stroke over, first year player Christopher Cobb of Austin, TX.

Senior Snead Flight:  John Thomas of Victoria, TX, is now a two time winner on tour.  Both coming at the TPC San Antonio facility, the Tour Championship in 2014 on the AT&T Canyons Course and now on the AT&T Oaks Course.  Nine strokes back, Georgetown, TX, member Dwain Smith completed his Senior National Championship qualification and eligibility with the runner up finish and Gene Hanley of San Antonio, TX had a lucrative day with a birdie on the par 3 - 13th the only one of the day.



SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($80/each)  2 -- Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Rodolfo Gonzalez, San Pedro Garza, TX; Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX; Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX; George Peddy, Bedford, TX; Rick Halprin, Houston, TX; Gene Hanley, San Antonio, TX.

Championship / Palmer: ($85/each)  1 -- Jordan Massey, Killeen, TX; Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Rodolfo Gonzalez, San Pedro Garza, TX; Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX.

Hogan:  ($25/each)  2 -- John Heintz, San Antonio, TX; Ronnie Davis, Converse, TX. 1 -- Micah Carroll, Anchorage, AK; Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Rene Realme, San Antonio, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($22/each)  4 -- Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX. 2 -- Chris Neelley, Spring, TX. 1 -- Darrell Wilson, Georgetown, TX; Steve Trickel, Boerne, TX; Tim Kozlowski, Humble, TX.

Sarazen:  ($80/each)  1 -- Rick Houchins, Houston, TX; George Horton, Houston, TX; Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($36/each)  1 -- Dale McFarland, Crowley, TX; George Peddy, Bedford, TX; Mark Kirby, Bridge City, TX; Jim Craig, San Felipe, TX; Alfredo Garcia, San Antonio, TX; Charles Sagray, San Antonio, TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:  ($56/each)  2 -- Rick Halprin, Houston, TX. 1 -- Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Xavier Bardy, San Antonio, TX; Joe Tyson, Austin, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:  ($20/each)  3 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX. 2 -- Charles Watson, Llano, TX. 1 -- Ramon Colen, San Antonio; Charles Mielak, San Antonio, TX; William Speck, Corpus Christi, TX; Christopher Cobb, Austin, TX; John Thomas, Victoria, TX; Gene Hanley, San Antonio, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($180/each)  #3 - George Horton - 6' 3";  #7 - John Hilgers - 15' 3";  #13 - Ron Finnerty  - 6"4 1/2";  #16 - Charles Sagray - 6' 8".

Upcoming Texas Events:

The double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship where spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  

Dallas crowns the year end champions at the Tour Championship.  The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

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

www.gcamtour.com

SIX OF TWELVE CHAMPIONSHIPS STAY IN THE HILL COUNTRY

Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (August, 2, 2015)  The Texas Masters at Barton Creek welcomed players to the final Major Championship weekend before the National Championship and Senior National Championship break.  Texas Tour members, while a majority of the field, proved the local Austin, TX layout will be hard to come from out of state to take home the hardware.  In the 12 flights, all champions are members of one of the
 three Texas Tours and only three players out of 36 in the top three, were visiting tour members.  

Players in the field, contributed to the 50/50 raffle, raising more than $1300 for thee Feherty's Troops First Foundation.



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  One stroke back after the Saturday round,  Gant Bills of Plano, TX, made up some ground on the Fazio Foothills course, with another four birdies to go with five the day before, but only enough ground to force a three way playoff.  Trophy Club, TX, player Andrew Braun, just outside of the final pairing made the biggest move, with four birdies of his own on the day.  First round leader, Cory Montgomery of Oklahoma City, OK, looked to have things locked up with two birdies and a -1 on the front, ran into trouble making the turn, but finished the last three holes even to get into the playoff mix.  On the first hole of the playoff, back to the par 4 - 10th, Bills would settle the Championship with a birdie to pick up his third win in his first season on tour.  Braun and Montgomery, both Major Champions in the 2015 points season would share the runner up spot.

Senior Championship Flight:  Recently promoted after his Senior Palmer Championship at the June Srixon Championship, Robert Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX, kept the ball rolling.  Lippert, with five birdies on the weekend, picked up his sixth win on the season, including three Major Championships.  Sugar Land, TX resident, Gordon Wagner carded an eagle at the par 5 - 15th on Sunday to make a run at the Championship, but fell short by the three strokes he started the day behind. It was Wagner's second runner up at a Major this season.  Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX made his Senior National Championship bid more official, with two birdies on the weekend rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:   Dave Davlin of San Antonio, TX, led the field wire to wire to back up his Championship at the 2014 Texas Masters at Barton Creek.  It was Davlin's, seventeenth win on tour and fourth Major Championship.  Lewisville, TX player Clay Johnston, came from eight strokes back after his first round on the Fazio layout to share the runner up honors with Tony Eno of Austin, TX.

Senior Palmer Flight:   Dusty Rhodes of Deer Park, TX, manhandled the field from the very start.  Starting the final round, four strokes ahead, Rhodes widened the gap on Sunday, picking up his first win on the season, seventh on tour and fourth Major Championship. Vidor, TX, resident, Robert Corbello jumped from a first round third place position into the runner up spot, with three birdies on the day, while Michael Fee of Mansfield, TX, made his own move, with two birdies on the Sunday round to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Converse, TX, player, Ronnie Davis started the final round on the Crenshaw Cliffside course, three strokes out of the lead, but used his knowledge of the greens to close out the championship by two strokes.  For Davis, it was his third Major Championship on tour, all coming at the Texas Masters, where in 2011 he won at TPC San Antonio and 2009 when the event was contested only on the Crenshaw course at Barton Creek.  Playing in his first year on tour, Clift Dempsey of Catersville, GA became only one of three players outside the state of Texas to finish in the top three. A winner earlier in the year at the Srixon Championship at La Cantera, Rene Realme of San Antonio, TX, shot the flight's low round of the weekend to finish out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  George Smith of Magnolia, TX, held a slim two stroke overnight lead, just ahead of Scott Harris of Fort Worth, TX.  Making the final turn of the event, Smith moved ahead another stroke, but found trouble on two of his final eight holes to open the door for more holes.  Back out to the #10 hole on the Fazio Course, Smith would kick back into gear for a par and his first win at a Major and fifth on tour.  Harris would finish in the runner up spot, bettering his third place finish at the Arkansas Championship, with Wimberly, TX, player John Hilgers carding a flight low round for the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Boerne, TX, member, Rudy Cantu followed his Major win at the Srixon Championship @ La Cantera, for his second major in as many attempts and fourth win on tour this points season. Cantu, starting the final round on the tenth hole, overtook first round leader, Preston Miller of Fort Worth, TX, on the front nine and never looked back.  College Station, TX, resident, Rick Smalley started the day, nine strokes out of the lead, making up ground to card the show place finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Five strokes back after the Saturday round on the Fazio layout, Richmond, TX, player Greg Faubion, recorded the low flight round of the weekend on the Crenshaw course with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 17th to grab his first Major Championship, third win of the season and fourth on tour.  Charles Sagray of San Antonio, TX, and Houston Tour member, Mark Kirby of Bridge City, TX, both with a pair of birdies on the weekend shared the runner up honors.

Jones Flight:  Leader in the clubhouse after the Saturday round,  Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX looked to give up that lead after the par 5 - 16th, but followed with a birdie on the par 3 - 17th, which proved to be just enough for the Championship.  It was the third win on the season and second Major Championship after winning early in the year at Horseshoe Bay.  Spring, TX, member Joe Armstrong, finished just one stroke back, equaling his best finish on tour.  Sitting near the bottom of the leader-board after round 1, James Price of Portland, TX bounced back to round out the top three on the Crenshaw layout. 

Senior Jones Flight:  Four strokes out of the overnight lead, Cathay McGee of Houston, TX, made up just enough of the deficit to go to extra holes with Cypress, TX member Lee Isham.  On the first playoff hole, McGee would make par to pick up her second Major Championship after winning the 2014 Pinehurst Amateur.  For Isham it solidified his Senior National Championship spot, with the pair of Marcy Glidden of  Brookshire, TX and Wesley Chappel, FL, traveler, Micki Cuppett sharing the third place finish.

Snead Flight:  William Speck of Corpus Christi, TX, made it three in a row and four out of the last five, including the Major, Srixon Championship @ La Cantera his last time out. Starting the day seven strokes back, Speck shot the low round of the flight on Sunday to finish two strokes ahead of  Bobby Ashcraft of San Antonio, TX.  San Angelo, TX first year player, Douglas Taylor grabbed the final podium spot.

Senior Snead Flight:   Houston, TX, player Ray Bednar led from start to finish over the flight for his third win on the season and first Major Championship.  Bednar ended the championship, six strokes clear of Boerne, TX member Tom Hill with Carl Eaton of Conroe, TX taking the third place finish.

Upcoming Texas Events:

Players scramble for National Championship qualification and Year End Flight Champion awards as the points season winds down.

The double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship where spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  Registration deadline is Friday, August 7th, but is sure to sell out before then.

TPC San Antonio, The AT&T Oaks Course, closes the Hill Country season on Sunday, August 9th at the Hill Country Tour Championship.  Entries are closed, but potential spots are available on the waiting list.  

The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

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

www.gcamtour.com