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
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