Hill Country Tour Championship - TPC San Antonio

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (August 13, 2017)   

The AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, home to the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, played host to the first round of the 2017 Hill Country Tour Championship.  Unlike most other TPC layouts, this track uses the natural landscape and ultimate 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.

Then the  2017 Hill Country Tour season went out with a "Swat" on Sunday.  Mosquito's, with an incubation period of 5 - 14 days, seemed to take hold of the shorter version after rains the previous Monday left retention ponds filled with water.  That standing water was just the ingredients to get the flying menaces dive-bombing the players at the AT & T Canyon course leaving them swatting for relief between every swing.

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. 

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $540, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $17,210 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Senior Championship Flight player, Rusty Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX, went out on Saturday with a vengeance.  Arguably the tougher of the two courses, Lippert put together seven birdies on the Oaks course and a -3, 69, to enjoy a nine stroke advantage heading into the final round.  With that lead, Lippert coasted to a final round +6, 78, good for a two day total +1 and a five stroke win, his fourth of the points season and eighteenth on tour.  T-3 after the first round, Charles Lyon, relocated to Boerne, TX, in the spring from Southern California, made his way up the leaderboard with a six birdie -2 in the final round to slam the door shut on the runner-up finish.  Four strokes back of Lyon, Mark Miller of Spring Branch, TX, with three birdies at the event and first year Granbury, TX, player Keith McKelvy, with an eagle and five birdies over the 36 holes shared the third place honors.

Palmer Flight:  Similar in fashion to the Championship Flight, Killeen, TX, member Derrick Matthews, virtually won the Championship on Saturday.  Matthews, with five birdies during his round at the Oaks Course, finished even par, with an eight stroke cushion.  Back to the Canyons on Sunday, Derrick would put together a mediocre round - 85, but finish with a Tour Championship, three strokes clear for his second win of the season and fifteenth over three flights on tour.  Johnny Liguez, of Helotes, TX, carded three birdies over the 36 holes for the runner-up finish, with  Schertz, TX, player Paul Gorman, and three birdies of his own, rounding out the top three.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Houston Tour traveler, Bob Hayward, showed up late for the first round, with a family emergency on his way to the event, took the two stroke penalty for being late, with a waiver of disqualification from the committee under decision 6-3a/1.5 and finished his first day two strokes ahead of the pack.  T2 after the round at the Oaks, Doug Collins of Iraan, TX, with a pair of birdies at the event, stepped it up on the final day, to finish three strokes clear for his fourth win of the season and eleventh on tour.  Hayward would finish in the runner-up spot, with San Angelo, TX, player Chuck Odom, T-2 after the final round, slipping back one place to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Playing in his fourth event of the season, Jesse Guerra, of San Antonio, TX,  led the pack with a two stroke advantage for his second win of the season.  Back, four strokes after the round at the Oaks, John Heintz also from San Antonio, TX, did just what he needed to do to win the Flight Championship, taking low second day honors to finish in the runner-up spot.  Thress strokes back of Heintz, Orange, TX, player Matt Purgahn, rounded out the top three in the largest contest of the weekend.

Senior Hogan Flight:  San Antonio, TX, player Paul Wuerdeman, became another wire to wire winner on Sunday.  Wuerdeman, one stroke clear after his round at the Oaks, carded the low flight round on Sunday and extended the lead to nine strokes after the Championship closed to pick up his second win of the season and fourteenth on tour.  Taking seven strokes off his first day total, Timothy VanLandingham of Portland, TX, took home the runner-up finish, with first-year player Servando Perez of Cedar Park, TX, rounding out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Montgomery, TX, member Joe Michetti and first-year member, Casey Reynolds, of Windthorst, TX, shared the lead heading into the final round at the Canyons Course.  Michetti with a birdie on the par 3 - 8th, did just enough to clear, Reynolds for the Championship, his eighth on tour and second of the points season.  For Reynolds, it was his best finish on tour,  four strokes clear of the pair of Joe Luman of Odessa, TX, and Austin, TX, resident Aaron Seafous sharing the third place honors.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Houston Tour member and traveler, Bruce LeGrand, made his way to the top after the first round at The Oaks course with a four stroke lead.  Out to the Canyons on Sunday,  Bruce would bookend his round with birdies on the par 4 - 1st and par 4 - 18th, but give way to Live Oak, TX, member Richard Huyck, with a series of trouble during the mid way holes.  Huyck, with a birdie on the par 3 - 8th would take seven strokes off his first eighteen to force extra holes.   Back to the par 4 - 17th, the pair would finish it out in one sudden death hole, with LeGrand picking up the Championship with bogey.  Twelve strokes back, Leander, TX, member Steve Hamilton, rounded out the third place honors, staying just ahead of the pack.

Jones Flight:  Bill Speck of Corpus Christi, TX, led the field wire to wire with a pair of 91's.  Speck with two birdies on the weekend, recorded his second win of the season and seventh win on tour.  Kyle, TX, player, Larry Atchley, two back after the first round, carded the same score on Sunday, to pick up the runner-up finish, with Phil Lewis of San Antonio, TX, jumping three spots after eighteen holes to finish in the third place spot.

Snead Flight:  With three birdies on the weekend, Selma, TX, player Mark Colwell, put together two consistent rounds of golf to win wire to wire, by four strokes.  For Colwell, it was his first Championship of the season and fourteenth on tour.  Runner-up finisher after the first round, Mike Murphy of Coirrigan, TX, held his ground, four strokes back, with Mico, TX, player Charles Mielak rounding out the top three. 




SKINS:

DAY 1 - AT & T Oaks:

Giant SKINS:  ($330/each)  1 -- John Kellum, San Antonio, TX; Chad Maytubby, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($50/each)  3 -- Rusty Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX. 1 -- Chad Maytubby, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($16/each)  2 -- Chuck Odom, San Angelo, TX; Doug Collins, Iraan, TX; Bob Hayward, Houston, TX. 1 -- Nathan Douglas, Georgetown, TX; Danna Hoover, Burnet, TX; Terry Jackson, George West, TX; Gary Grizzle, San Antonio, TX

Hogan:  ($35/each)  3 -- Jim Puckett, Leander, TX. 1 -- Matt Purgahn, Orange, TX; JD Schott, Universal City, TX; Marshall Brackin, Norman, OK; Scott Thompson, Helotes, TX; Ivan Alvarado, San Antonio, TX.

Senior Hogan Media:  ($22/each)  2 -- Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- Bob Starkman, San Antonio, TX; Timothy VanLandingham, Portland, TX; Allan Collier, Austin, TX; Will Whitley, Cypress, TX; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX.

Sarazen:  ($25/each)  3 -- Casey Reynolds, Windthorst, TX. 1 -- Joshua Douglas, Leander, TX; Aaron Seafous, Austin, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX; George Peddy, San Antonio, TX; Steve Kline, Fremont, CA.

Senior Sarazen:  ($17/each)  3 -- Bruce LeGrand, Houston, TX. 2 -- Steve Hamilton, Leander, TX; James Pace, Burleson, TX. 1 -- L.P. Jones, Houston, TX; Randy Helcel, Barclays, Tx..

Jones:  ($18/each)  3 -- Steve DiPaola, San Antonio, TX. 2 -- Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Christopher Cobb, Austin, TX. 1 -- Jennifer Grothaus, Abilene, TX; Bill Speck, Corpus Christi, TX; Larry Atchley, Kyle, TX; Michael Page, Burnet, TX.

Snead:  ($28/each)  2 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX; Mike Murphy, Corrigan, TX. 1 -- Charles Mielak, Mico, TX; Javier Quintero, Houston, TX; Gene Hanley, San Antonio, TX.



DAY 2 - AT & T Canyons:

Giant SKINS:  ($94/each)  2 -- Charles Lyon, Boerne, TX. 1 -- Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX; Mackie Crossan, Abilene, TX; Bruce LeGrand, Houston, TX; Servando Perez, Cedar Park, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($22/each)  4 -- Charles Lyon, Boerne, TX. 3 -- Keith McKelvy, Granbury, TX. 1 -- Mark Miller, Spring Branch, TX; Johnny Liguez, Helotes, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($23/each)  2 -- Bob Hayward, Houston, TX. 1 -- Danna Hoover, Burnet, TX; Terry Jackson, George West, TX; Chuck Odom, San Angelo, TX; Doug Collins, Iraan, TX.

Hogan:  ($100/each)  1 -- Jim Puckett, Leander, TX; Marshall Brackin, Norman, OK; Les Costales, Cedar Park, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($32/each)  2 -- Servando Perez, Cedar Park, TX. 1 -- Allan Collier, Austin, TX; Paul Wuerdeman, San Antonio, TX; Chris Neelley, Spring, TX.

Sarazen:  ($110/each)  1 -- Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($25/each)  2 -- Bruce LeGrand, Houston, TX; Richard Huyck, Live Oak, TX. 1 -- Steve Hamilton, Leander, TX; John Maywald, Boerne, TX.

Jones:  ($33/each)  2 -- Mackie Crossan, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Jennifer Grothaus, Abilene, TX; Bill Speck, Corpus Christi, TX; Steve DiPaola, San Antonio, TX.


Snead:  ($40/each)  2 -- Mark Colwell, Selma, TX. 1 -- Charles Mielak, Mico, TX; Dwain Smith, Georgetown, TX; Ramon Colen, San Antonio, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$155/each

Day 1 - Oaks  - #3 - Rusty Lippert - 7';  #7 -  Jorge Rodriquez - 4' 6";  #13 - Ron Finnerty - 11' 8";  #16 - Chad Maytubby - 4' 10".

Day 2 - Canyons  - #4 - Mark Colwell - 1' 8";  #8 - Jeff Workman - 2' 2 1/2";  #13 - Matt Purgahn - 10' 5";  #16 - David Ortego - 6' 9".



NEXT UP:

The Houston Tour Championship at Blackhorse Golf Club, in Cypress, TX, on Saturday, August 19th, and Sunday, August 20th.

2017 Tour Championships in the state will culminate in Flower Mound, TX, at Bridlewood Golf Club for the DFW Tour Championship on August 26th and 27th.  Last chance to enter, if not sold out before, will be Friday, August 18th.

National Championship September will take place in Rancho Mirage, CA at the Mission Hill Country Club and Westin Mission Hills Courses.  Open players will compete for the 2017 National Championship from September 10th-13th, with the 2017 Senior National Championship taking to the links from September 16th-19th.

Fall Schedule for all three tours will be announced and posted within the next few weeks, look out for those scheduled events.

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

Prelude Texas Classic - Championship at Falconhead

Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (July 28, 2017)  The last single day event of the points season on the Hill Country Tour was held at Falconhead Golf Club.  The special Friday event, booked as the Prelude to the Texas Classic at Barton Creek, allowed players to test and tune for the weekend Major Championship, with 64 of the 92 players in the event starting a three, in three day weekend. 

While the heat was the beginning of what was to come for the weekend, the breezes on top of some of the Hill Country Hills, was welcome to what faced them on the weekend along the Canyons and Cliffs of Barton Creek.  Great course conditions, with the ability to learn something about Hill Country greens and the subtleness of the breaks, proved to be a perfect way to tune for the Major Championship.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $540, bringing the Texas Tour local events total to $15,720 in contributions to the Foundation in 2017.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  2015 Senior National Champion, David Ortego of The Woodlands, TX, making his rounds to fill eligibility for this year's event, made the best of his trip to Falconhead.  Starting the day on the par 4-1th, Ortego played his first nine in +3 with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 14th, then played his final eight holes in even par to pick up the win, his first of the season.  Two strokes back, San Antonio, TX, player Ron Finnerty, carded three birdies in the round for his seventh top three of the season and fourth runner-up finish.  Thomas Cruickshank of Richmond, TX, rounded out the top three, with the help of two birdies of his own on the round.

Palmer Flight:  Combined flight of Open and Senior Palmer players, proved to be more difficult for the open guys, with four of the top five going to the 50+ crowd, including the Champion.   McKinney, TX, player Michael Fyfe, made the turn with a two stroke advantage after starting on the par 4 - 10th and held that advantage with two birdies of the day.  For Fyfe, it was his third win of the season, including the January Major Championship at Doral. Playing in his first event on tour, Josh Donelson of Austin, TX, had a rough start with a quad eight on the par 4 - 10th but found his footing with three birdies to solidify the runner-up finish.  The first year McAllen, TX, player Paul Shovak, carded three birdies on his back nine to finish in the final podium spot, his best of the year.

Hogan Flight:  Coming off his first win of the season, his last time out, Brian Frazier of Kingwood, TX, took two strokes off that personal best, to go back to back.  Frazier, with an eagle on the par 5 - 14th, added four birdies to the round to clear, Bella Vista, AR, runner-up Kenny Butts by four strokes.  Butts, a seven-time winner on the season, finished three strokes clear of Brian McGhee of Dallas, TX, where they both made birdie 4 on the par 5-14th, rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Bob Tuttle of Kingwood, TX, with three birdies, held on to the lead for seventeen holes but then ran into trouble on the par 4 -18th dropping himself out of a two-way playoff for the Championship, relegating his finish to the third place spot.  Cypress, TX, player David Anthony, with two birdies on his day and Haslet, TX, Phillip Holt, needed a sudden death playoff to settle the score at the top.  Back to the par 4 - 1st, Holt would take care of business picking up his eighth win on tour and first of the season on the first extra hole.

Sarazen Flight:  Dripping Springs, TX, player Gary Hatter, picked up his third win on tour and first of the points season.  Hatter, with used three birdies on his round to outlast Houston Tour member, Jeff Gregory of Montgomery, TX, by three strokes.  Two strokes back of Gregory, San Antonio, TX, player CD Dunem finished in the third place spot for his third top three finish this season.  

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Tom Stockton of Grand Prairie, TX, made the most of a birdie on the par 4 - 17th to grab his Senior National Championship qualifying third win of the season.  For Stockton is was his ninth victory since starting the Tour in 2012.  Two strokes back a pair of out of state travelers, Sarasota, FL, resident Marty Thompson, with two birdies on the round and Steven James, of Seattle, WA, with a birdie of his own on the day, shared the runner-up honors.

Jones Flight:  First-year member Evan Kirkpatrick of Georgetown, TX,  carded three birdies on the day en route to his first win on tour.  Seven strokes back, San Antonio, TX, member Bobby Ashcraft and Houston, TX, player Artis Stewart, both with birdies on the card, split the second place finish.

Senior Jones Flight:  Playing out of the Houston Tour, Rick Halprin, made the best of two birdies on his round to edge the field by four strokes.  For Halprin, it was his fourth win of the points season, including a Major Championship at the National Preview at Mission Hills in May.  Brookshire, TX, player Marcy Glidden, also playing out of the Houston Tour, took home the runner-up finish, with Alabama traveler, Michael Grant of Huntsville, AL rounding out the top three.

Snead Flight:  Copperas Cove, TX, member Dan O'Shea made par on his final hole of the day, that proved to be just enough for his second win of the season and fourteenth on tour.  One stroke back, first-year player Matt Milholland of San Antonio, TX, recorded his best finish on tour, with Weatherford, TX, player Jason Jenniges rounding out the top three, with a birdie on the par 5 - 14th.







SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($140/each)  1 -- Mike Harkins, Cedar Park, TX; Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX; Josh Donelson, Austin, TX; Michael Roane, Leawood, KS.

Championship / Palmer:  ($56/each)  2 -- Mike Harkins, Cedar Park, TX; Josh Donelson, Austin, TX. 1 -- Ron Finnerty, San Antonio, TX; Jeff Zemencsik, Magnolia, TX.

Hogan:  ($30/each)  3 -- Brian Frazier, Kingwood, TX. 2 -- Marshall Brackin, Norman, OK. 1 -- Jeff Ottmers, San Antonio, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($30/each)  2 -- Bob Tuttle, Kingsland, TX; Dale Fuhr, Missouri City, TX. 1 -- Allan Collier, Austin, TX; Scott Hooper, Richmond, TX.

Sarazen:  ($30/each)  3 -- Gary Hatter, Dripping Springs, TX. 1 -- Angel Morales Jacquez, San Antonio, TX; Frank Mayfield, Buckeye, AZ; C.D. Dunem, San Antonio, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($30/each)  3 -- David McCasland, Red Oak, TX. 2 -- Steve Hamilton, Leander, TX. 1 -- David Day, Rockwall, TX; Michael Roane, Leawood, KS; Tom Stockton, Grand Prairie, TX.


Jones / Senior Jones / Snead:  ($32/each)  2 -- Lloyd C Reid Jr, Dallas, TX; Andres Santos, Pflugerville, TX; Evan Kirkpatrick, Georgetown, TX. 1 -- Jeff Ackerman Sr., Wylie, TX; Rick Halprin, Houston, TX; Bobby Ashcraft, San Antonio, TX; Christopher Cobb, Austin, TX.


CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$140/each

#4 - David Hickman - 4' 7 1/2";  #8 - Marty Thompson - 3' 1";  #11 - Michael Roane - 1' 7";  #16 - Kenny Butts - 7' 8".


NEXT UP:

The DFW Tour and Houston Tours, finish off single day events before the Tour Championship month gets into full swing.  Houston Tour is back into action on Saturday, August 5th at the Montgomery Championship at Woodforest Golf Club and the  DFW Tour members, visit for the first time, the Fazio Course for the Stonebriar Championship - Fazio course on August 7th. 

Hill Country Tour Championship will venture to TPC San Antonio, where the A T & T Oaks and Canyons courses will test the players to the fullest on Saturday, August, 12th, and Sunday, August 13th.  Don't miss your last chance for National Championship qualification/eligibility along with year end awards.  Registrations close on Friday, August 4th at midnight.

Houston Tour Championship will take place at Blackhorse Golf Club, in Cypress, TX, on Saturday, August 19th, and Sunday, August 20th, where we will rotate between the South and North courses.   Entries will close on Friday, August 11th.

Tour Championships in the state will culminate in Flower Mound, TX, at Bridlewood Golf Club for the DFW Tour Championship on August 26th and 27th.  Last chance to enter, if not sold out before, will be Friday, August 18th.

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