9 of 12 First Time Champions Crowned on the Hill Country
Davlin - Campbell - Smith Repeat
Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (September 1, 2016) Hill Country Tour Players, finished out a strong 2016 Points Season at the Tour Championship at La Cantera in August. Setting up for the National Championship and Senior National Championship in September, here is how the Champions were able to pick up the year end awards, including a customized and personalized staff bag from Club Glove.
Championship Flight: First year San Antonio, TX, tour member Ernesto Beyer, edged out long time member Mark Miller by 192.5 points for the Championship. Playing in nine events on the season, Beyer compiled four wins, including the May Tiburon Amateur Major Championship in Naples, FL, in a playoff.
Senior Championship Flight: Starting the points season at the San Diego Open, Daniel Desilets of Kermit, TX, headed east in mid January to solidify his season with a win at the TPC Sawgrass Open playing in a combined flight of 15 players. Competing in thirteen events on the season, Deslilets didn't finish out of the top ten, and was only out of the top five, three times. We look forward to watching him compete at the Senior National Championship, in Innisbrook, where he'll try to best his T7 Finish in 2013 at PGA West.
Palmer Flight: Continuing to move his last time to NOT win a Championship on the Hill Country Tour into the past, Dave Davlin of San Antonio, TX, notched his sixth in a row. Four wins on the season, including the Winter Championship at Innisbrook and the Houston Open Major Championships bring his total career wins to 23. Davlin amassed 2,075 points on the season and will head to the National Championship to defend his Major Championship win in December.
Senior Palmer Flight: Doug Collins of Iraan, TX, picked up two wins on the season, but none bigger than the combined Palmer Flight at the Tour Championship. With two sub 80 rounds, Collins won by two strokes over a strong field to pick up the maximum points for his first Tour Championship Title and his seventh win on tour. Doug will travel to Florida to compete in his third Senior National Championship at Innisbrook.
Hogan Flight: With recently promoted Les Costales of Austin, TX, nipping on his heals, New Braunfels, TX, Michael Campbell finished the tour Championship in the fourth place spot. It would prove to be just enough to win his second consecutive Flight Championship by a mere 32 1/2 points. Campbell with two wins on the season, both coming on the west coast, will be looking to better his ninth place finish in the 2015 National Championship next week.
Senior Hogan Flight: Portland, TX, member Timothy VanLandingham proved it doesn't take wins for a Flight Championship, but certainly requires consistent finishes. VanLandinham, with a win in July at the Briggs Ranch Championship, put himself into the hunt with four top two finishes, including top fives at two Major Championships and outpaced four time winner on the season Paul Wuerdeman by 70 points. Timothy, will make the trip to the Senior National Championship for the first time this year.
Sarazen Flight: Joshua Douglas of Leander, TX, picked up his National Championship qualifying T3 at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay. Following up with a win at the May, Spring Branch Classic, Douglas with the help of promotions from the flight, edged out CD Dunem of San Antonio, TX, by 70 points for his first Flight Championship.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Unable to join us at the Tour Championship at La Cantera, Donald Bebout of Lakeway, TX, previously collected plenty of points for the Flight Champion award and did it early in the points season. Bebout, a winner in October at the Grand Cypress Challenge Major Championship, added another in LaQuinta, CA in June, to become another first time Flight Championship winner.
Jones Flight: Playing in eleven events on the season, Melissa Wood of Leander, TX, jump started her points Championship with a runner up finish at the Hall of Fame Classic Major Championship in Florida, then added her first Major Championship win at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek, but then needed to finish well at the Tour Championship. Wood led after the first day at The Palmer Course, setting her up for the year end award, with a T4 finish at the event.
Senior Jones Flight: After finishing the year end points 7th and 6th respectively over the past two seasons, Phil Lewis of San Antonio, TX, picked up his game. Lewis with one win on the season at the Memorial Weekend Championship at Pine Dunes on the Dallas tour, added a career best Major Championship finish at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek to become another first time Flight Champion winner on the tour. Lewis will travel to the Tampa, FL area to compete in the Senior National Championship, also another first of his career.
Snead Flight: Pflugerville, TX, member Jimmy Clanin, won his first two times out in the fall. Adding two more wins on the season including the Tour Championship, Clanin would also card a third and three fourth place finishes on the year at Major Championships to pace the field by over 400 points.
Senior Snead Flight: Dwain Smith, the 2013 Flight Champion, picked up two wins on the season, but none more important than the 210 point Tour Championship at La Cantera where he edged out Dan O'Shea for the points title. Smith, now with nine wins on his career adds another year end award.
Hill Country Tour, PLAYER OF THE YEAR, presented by HIGGINBOTHAM: The special award was set up and presented by Higginbotham, 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, playing in the Tour Championship and attending the National / Senior National Championship in the new flight.
2016 Hill Country Player of the Year: Playing in his second year on tour, Nacho Orozco of San Antonio, TX, started the year at the TPC Sawgrass Open Major Championship with a top 10 finish. He then followed up with his second win on tour at the Port Aransas Open in January, then a runner up at the Myrtle Beach Classic Major Championship in March. Clearly looking strong in the points, Orozco, piled on with the Championship at the Triburon Amateur in May and that would be all she wrote for the Sarazen Flight. With a points adjustment and Journey to Better Flight Promotion on June 2nd, Nacho would compete in two more Major Championships, before finishing T2 at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek, which took him over the top in votes for the top spot. We look forward to following Nacho at the National Championship next week as he continues the Journey to Better.
Upcoming Texas Events:
Fall events and 2017 points schedule are being added now, look out for the opportunity to get a jump start on the next season.
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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