Battle at Blanco - Hill Country Tour - 2016

Scott R Chilcutt, Blanco, TX (May 28, 2016) The Battle at Blanco at the Vaaler Creek Golf Club, has been hampered with weather issues in the past.  Last years version turned tragic, when 8 - 10 + inches of rain fell in a short time, swelling the Blanco River taking out homes, bridges and lives. The 2016 installment saw much better results, with just a little mist in the morning, turning into a beautiful day with great course conditions.

Charles Watson (Snead Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge".   Winning his prospective flight playing a Srixon ball, he will get a dozen sent to him for the win. Gary Hatter  picked up the Tournament Champion, presented by Carlisle's Engraving with a net - 6.   The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $310, bringing the year to date total from the Texas Tour local events to $7,020 contributed to the Foundation.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  San Antonio, TX, player Genero Davila, made the best of three birdies on the day to finish even par on the round, picking up his third win on the season and 2016 National Championship qualification.  Knotted up in a three way tie for the runner up finish, Daniel Desilets, of Kermit, TX, with four birdies on his round, Cedar Park, TX, member Mike Harkins, with a pair of his own and first year player, Marcus Flores, of Corpus Christi, TX, added three birdies including the par 4 -  18th to share the second place honors.

Palmer Flight:  Splitting his time between Grapevine, TX, and Stillwater, OK, Ryan Cummings playing out of the Dallas Tour, got his game together, going even par on the back to pick up his first win on the season and twelfth on tour since starting in the Jones Flight in 2010.  First time player, Dean Buschick, of Leander, TX, carded two birdies on the back nine, to hold off three time winner on the season and Palmer Flight Points leader, Dave Davlin for the runner up spot.

Hogan Flight:  First year tour player, Hector Cavazos, of San Antonio, TX, picked up his first win in three attempts, with the assistance of a birdie on the par 5 - 8th.  Austin, TX, resident, Charlie Dial, who made his first start at the South Texas Winter Championship in December, recorded his best finish one stroke out of the lead, with three birdies on the round. Rounding out the top three, John Heintz, playing out of San Antonio, made the turn seven strokes back, but finished the back nine in even par with two birdies to finish the round.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Louisiana native, Kenny Mire, residing in Pflugerville, TX, picked up his second win on tour and first on Texas soil, winning in Oklahoma in May.  Mire, tied in the top spot making the turn, followed a double bogey seven on the tenth hole with a birdie on the par 4 - 11th to put just enough cushion in place to win by one stroke.  Tied in the runner up spot, Jerry Smith of Salado, TX, off the tour since October 2014, carded two birdies on the front nine to share the second place finish with Dripping Springs, member, Allan Collier.

Sarazen Flight:  Gary Hatter of Dripping Springs, TX, painted a colorful scorecard, but in the end the three birdies on his opening nine was all it took to grab his second win on the season with a five stroke advantage.  San Antonio, TX member, Louis Torres, carded his best finish on tour in just under 12 months as a member with two birdies on his round.  One stroke back of Torres, Jim Puckett of Leander, TX, with a birdie of his own, rounded out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Leander, TX member, Steve Hamilton, picked up his third win on tour and first since the May 2015 Player Championship @ The Woodlands.  Hamilton made birdie on the par 4 - 14th to edge out a three stroke advantage over second place finisher Jim Quitta, of Louise, TX, in his first event on tour.  Bulverde, TX, player Joe Abreo, carded his best finish on the season in the show position.  

Jones Flight:  Knocking on the door, with three runner up finishes on the season, Joseph Tyson of Austin, TX, birdied the par 5 - 8th en route to his seventh career win on tour.  Four strokes back, Eastland, TX, player Terry Everts, a winner his last time out at the Fort Worth Championship,  made three birdies on the day to hold off Jay Mills, of Austin, TX, by one stroke for the runner up spot.

Snead Flight:  Charles Watson, of Llano, TX, ran away from the field for his second win on tour, both coming on the 2016 season.  With a birdie on the par 5 - 3rd, Watson secured a fourteen stroke advantage over second place finisher Ethan Blase, of Wylie, TX, with San Antonio, TX, member Gene Hanley, rounding out the top three. 






SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($83/each)  1 -- Ryan Cummings, Stillwater, OK; Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX; Jose Hernandez, Helotes, TX; Gary Hatter, Dripping Springs, TX; Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX; Terry Everts, Eastland, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($110/each)  1 -- Ryan Cummings, Stillwater, OK; Oscar Gonzalez, San Antonio, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  ($63/each)  1 -- Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX; Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Jose Hernandez, Helotes, TX; Rene Realme, San Antonio, TX; Jerrod Hoyle, Brenham, TX; Manny Martinez, Cisco, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($85/each)  2 -- Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Gary Hatter, Dripping Springs, TX; Richard Huyck, Live Oak, TX.


Jones / Snead:  ($48/each)   1 -- Douglas Taylor, San Angelo; Larry Atchley, Kyle, TX; Terry Everts, Eastland, TX; William Speck, Corpus Christi, TX; Carlos Gloria, San Antonio, TX; Paul Tyus, Schertz, TX; Charles Watson, Llano, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($120/each)  #5 - Ryan Cummings - 2" 0";  #9 - Scott Thompson - 6' 6";  #12 - Joe Tyson - 16' 7";  #15 - Gary Hatter - 10' 9".

Upcoming Texas Events:

South Central Region tours will take a break for the Arkansas Championship at Hot Springs Country Club on June 4th and 5th.  

Dallas Tour players, back in action at Tangle Ridge for the Grand Prairie Classic on Saturday, June 11th.  The event is already sold out, but waiting list spots are available until closing on Friday, June 3rd. 

Sunday, June 12 the Hill Country Tour will make another attempt at playing The Georgetown Open, at Berry Creek Golf Club.  This event was rescheduled for floods in late October.  The entry deadline is Friday, June 3rd at 11:59PM EST.

The Woodlands Country Club, Panther Trail, will welcome Houston Tour members, on Monday, June 13th for The Panther Classic.  Be sure to register for the event before it closes on Friday, June 3rd.

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

Tough Greens the Story at River Crossing

Scott R Chilcutt, Spring Branch, TX (May 7, 2016)  The Spring Branch Classic, historically affected with some weather out of the sky or out of the nearby rivers, had no such issue for this installment.  River Crossing Club located just south of the Guadalupe River crossing under State Highway 281 north of San Antonio, played host to the 2016 Spring Branch Classic and the greens were treacherously hard and fast.   While the locals may not be unaccustomed to the quick greens, it would only help a few to become multi time winners at the course.

Joshua Douglas (Sarazen Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge".   Winning his prospective flight playing a Srixon ball, Joshua will get a dozen sent to him for the win. James Price, with a -9 net score, won for the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving.   The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $230, bringing the year to date total from the Texas Tours to $5,930 contributed to the Foundation.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  San Antonio,TX, player Nikolas Mabry made the best of six birdies on the round, equaling his number of pars, to pick up his first championship on tour.  Two strokes back, Rusty Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX, a recent Major Champion at the Red River Shootout and local Spring Branch, TX, player Mark Miller swapped 37 / 39's on the front and back to share the runner up honors.

Palmer Flight:  Coming off a one / two finish at the Red River Shootout the previous weekend, the pair of San Antonio, TX, players Dave Davlin and Ron Finnerty were at it again, with the same results.  Finnerty, took a two stroke lead to the back nine, with a pair of birdies on the front, but couldn't hold the nine hole lead when Davlin answered with a -1 coming to the club house with three birdies. For Davlin, it was his second consecutive win at River Crossing for three over all, his third win on the season and twenty second victory on tour.  Chris Wadle, of Coupland, TX, a three time winner on the season, rounded out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  San Antonio, TX, member Rene Realme, down four strokes making the turn, might have thought he was out of it after doubling the 11th and 18th, but sandwiched between those scores were birdies on the par 5 - 14th and par 4 - 17th, proving to be plenty for the win.  For Realme it was his tenth victory on tour and third, in two flights at River Crossing Club.  Micah Carroll of Anchorage AK, finished two strokes back alone in the runner up spot, with Austin, TX, member, Charlie Dial and Rick Houchins of Houston, TX, splitting the show place finish.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Larry Susen of Austin, TX, carded three consecutive birdies starting on the par 5 - 3rd, but still trailed, Porter, TX, member Tim VandLandingham by one stroke at the turn. VanLandingham extended the lead to three, but ran into a tough stretch of holes in the middle of the back nine to surrender the top spot.  Susen, became a three time winner on tour and first since his 2014 Spring Branch Classic Championship at River Crossing with a two stroke cushion.  Bob Tuttle of Kingsland, TX, rounded out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Despite going + 5 over his final two holes, Joshua Douglas of Leander, TX, had plenty of cushion, with the help of a couple birdies on the round to grab his fifth win on tour.  Three strokes back, San Antonio, TX, resident, Devin Brown a winner his last time out at Silverhorn, picked up the second place spot, with a trio of players four strokes back in third.  Carlos Benavides of Crystal City, TX, Austin, TX, player Tony Smith and John Schott, a recent Major Champion at the Red River Shootout, from Marion, TX shared the last spot on the podium.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  San Antonio, TX, player Charles Sagray, made the turn with a mere one stroke advantage, but walked away from the field coming to the clubhouse for a five stroke win. For Sagray, it was his seventh win on tour and first since the April 2015 San Antonio Masters at the Dominion Country Club.  Steve Hamilton, of Leander, TX, with a birdie from 7" on the par 3 - 2nd finished in the second place spot, with Houston Tour player L.P. Jones taking home the third place finish.

Jones Flight:  James Price of Portland, TX, birdied the par 4 - 1st and par 5 - 8th, to take a two stroke advantage to the back nine, where he was able to waltz in for a six stroke advantage, his third win on the season and seventh on tour.  Local River Crossing member, Phil Lewis of San Antonio, TX, grabbed the runner up spot carding his best finish in over a year with Gregg Singhaus of New Braunfels, TX, two strokes back of Lewis.

Snead Flight:  Bobby Ashcraft of San Antonio, TX, eligible for a move back to the Snead Flight, picked up his first win since his promotion and seventh on tour.  Dallas Tour traveler, Ethan Blase of Wylie, TX, took home the runner up spot, with Dan O'Shea recording the third place finish, his third on the season.





SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($90/each)  1 -- Al Smith, San Angelo, TX; Dave Davlin, San Antonio, TX; German Zavala, Eagle Pass, TX; Timothy VanLandingham, Portland, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($70/each)  2 -- Al Smith, San Angelo, TX. 1 -- John Hilgers, Wimberley, TX; Terry Jackson, George West, TX.

Hogan:  ($20/each)  2 -- Charlie Dial, Austin, TX; Rene Realme, San Antonio, TX; German Zavala, Eagle Pass, TX. 1 -- Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX; Rick Houchins, Houston, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($20/each)  4 -- Timothy VanLandingham, Portland, TX. 3 -- Larry Susen, Austin, TX. 1 -- Allan Collier, Dripping Springs, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($37/each)  2 -- Joshua Douglas, Leander, TX. 1 -- Carlos Benavides, Crystal City, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX; Devin Brown, San Antonio, TX; Louis Torres, San Antonio; Steve Hamilton, Leander, TX.

Jones:  ($60/each)  1 -- James Price, Portland, TX; Joseph Tyson, Austin, TX; Delynn Reed, Austin, TX.

Snead:  ($20/each)  2 -- Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Dan OShea, Copperas Cove, TX. 1 -- Manuel Gonzalez, Round Rock, TX; Chico Robinson, Austell, GA; Charles Watson, Llano, TX; Ramon Colen, San Antonio.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($110/each)  #2 - Steve Hamilton - 7";  #7 - Dave Davlin - 24' 9";  #12 - John Schott - 7' 3";  #15 - Johnny Heintz - 10' 5".

Upcoming Texas Events:

The Fort Worth Championship at WaterChase, will be held on Sunday May 15th, followed by a special Monday event at the exclusive Bay Oaks Country Club for the South Houston Championship on Monday, May 16th.  

Memorial Day weekend, will fill the schedule, for those not taking in lake or beach action, starting Saturday May 25th for the Battle @ Blanco at Vaaler Creek Golf Club.  Follow up with a Sunday event in Frankston, TX, just some 250 miles to the northeast for the Memorial Weekend Championship at Pine Dunes on May 29th.

Make sure to register for the Arkansas Championship at Hot Springs Country Club on June 4th and 5th.  This Major Championship, unlike many in the area still has spots available.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467