Lightning Strikes Again in Burnet

Scott R Chilcutt, Burnet, TX (March 18, 2018)  Delaware Springs, Golf Course, Northwest of Austin, along the edge of the Hill Country, once again hosted the Classic at the Springs.   Similar to the 2017 version, that location has a tendency to pop up storms coming across the Hill Country, with electricity.  This time around, we thought we had it beat, but low and behold, eight groups remained on the course, that needed to be evacuated for a short delay to the day.

Tight, tough conditions, with excellent green complexes, was another consistent challenge for the members looking to break into the winner's column.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $360, bringing the Texas Tour events total to $5,130 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Copperas Cove, TX, member Rusty Lippert, made it look easy.  With three birdies on his round, Lippert went -2, for his second win of the season and twentieth on tour.  Fourteen strokes back, first-year player Landon Leschber of Round Rock, TX,  with a birdie on the par 5 - 14th, grabbed the runner-up finish, four strokes clear of San Antonio, TX, resident Ron Finnerty.  Finnerty, with one of only a couple of birdies on the par 5 - 1st, added two more on his front nine at the par 4 - 3rd and par 5 - 6th.

Palmer Flight:  Recently relocated to just south of Burnet, in Marble Falls, Rodney Baumgartner, used some local knowledge and the help of three birdies on the round to pick up his second win of the season and third on tour.  First-year tour player from Killeen, TX, James Adams, picked up the runner-up finish, his best on tour, with Chuck Odom, of San Angelo, TX, rounding out the top three with four birdies on his day.

Hogan Flight:  Ryan Hill of San Antonio, TX, went -1 after his first three holes with a birdie on the par 4 - 3rd, proving to be plenty to pick up his first win on tour.  Leander, TX, member Jim Puckett, with three birdies on his round, including the final hole, par 4 - 18th, grabbed the runner-up finish, with Leven Miller of Cibolo, TX, rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Caught up in the lightning delay, the final group of the flight, had to wait to putt out on the last hole, with the pair of San Antonio, TX, residents Paul Juarez and Bob Starkman, joining already finished Bob Tuttle of Kingsland, TX, in a playoff.   Back to the par 5 - 1st, where only two birdies had been carded on the day, the trio all looked at birdie putts.  Tuttle would lip out his 18' attempt to be the first out, with the other two taking it another hole.  Starkman, would prevail in the playoff, for his eighth win on tour and first the 2016 season in Hawaii.

Sarazen Flight:  Killeen, TX, player Brian Cox, carded a sub-eighty round going +3 on the back nine to pick up his eighth win on tour and first since February 2016 at Comanche Trace.  Melissa Wood, of Leander, TX, with one of those few birdies on the par 5 - 1st, finished in the runner-up spot, with Chris Bryant of Cedar Park, TX, taking home the showplace finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Taking a break from the tour, since the 2017 Senior National Championship, Steve Hamilton of Leander, TX, came back with a new found game.  Hamilton struggled out of the gate but finished the back nine in +4 to pick up his eighth win on tour by two strokes.  Round Rock, TX, member Mike Brewer and Giddings, TX, player Michael Hirsch shared the runner-up finish.

Jones Flight:  Llano, TX, player Charles Watson, overcame a five-stroke deficit making the turn, with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 14th to force extra holes, with local tour player Michael Page of nearby Burnet, TX.  Page, with two birdies on the front nine, let Watson in with a double on the par 4 - 18th.  Back to the course, Watson would pick up his first win of the season and sixth on tour.  One stroke back of the pair, Terry Spencer of Georgetown, TX, would triple his final hole to stay out of the playoff, finishing third.

Snead Flight:  Annette Crossan, of Abilene, TX, picked up her first golf club, 2 1/2 years ago.  After following her husband around to events decided she needed to start competing in events.  Fast forward, nine events, Crossan took 43 strokes off her January finish in Florida to pick up her first win on tour.  Annette, with a birdie on the par 4 - 2nd hole, cleared, Copperas Cove, TX, player Dan O'Shea by four strokes.  O'Shea, with a birdie on the par 4 - 4th, stayed out in front of third-place finisher, Dwain Smith of Georgetown, TX, by two strokes.
  






SKINS:

Skins GIANT:  ($74/each)  1 -- Rodney Baumgartner, Horseshoe Bay, TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX; Annette Crossan, Abilene, TX; Steve Wade, Boerne, TX; Randy Dorsey, Killeen, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($40/each)  1 -- Derrick Matthews, Killeen, TX; Jon Huinker, Bloomington, MN; Chuck Odom, San Angelo, TX; Ron Finnerty, San Antonio, TX; Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX.

Hogan:  ($24/each)  2 -- Randy Dorsey, Killeen, TX; Jim Puckett, Leander, TX. 1 -- Leven Miller, Cibolo, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($45/each)  1 -- Kyle Lewie, Waco, TX; Jerry Smith, Georgetown, TX; Bob Tuttle, Kingsland, TX; Bob Starkman, San Antonio, TX.

Sarazen:  ($55/each)  1 -- Scott Fisher, Floresville, TX; Judy Harris, Abilene, TX; Tommy Mobley, San Marcos, TX; Melissa Wood, Leander, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($28/each)  2 -- Joe Abreo, Bulverde, TX; Joe Manders, Whitney, TX. 1 -- Michael Hirsch, Giddings, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($70/each)  1 -- Ramon Colen, San Antonio, TX; Dan O'Shea, Copperas Cove, TX; Charles Watson, Llano, TX; Michael Page, Burnet, TX.




CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$105/each:  #5 - Annette Crossan - 12' 7";  #7 - Bob Starkman - 7' 8 1/2";  
#13 - Gary Grizzle - 4' 8";  #16 - Steve Wade - 12' 2".




NEXT UP:

Hill Country Tour -  Sunday, April 8th, the Tour goes back to River Crossing Golf Club for the Spring Branch Classic.  Entries close on Friday, March 30th, 2018 at 11:59 PM CST.

Dallas Tour -  Sold out and closed for entries, we venture back to a special event at The Dye Classic @ Stonebridge Ranch on Monday, March 26th.   

April events start along I-35W in Burleson for the Battle Of Burleson, at Hidden Creek Golf Club on April 7th.  Registrations close on Friday, March 30th at 11:59 PM CST.   

Houston Tour -  Back to Cypress Lakes on March 24th for the Cypress Open, the event is closed and sold out.  

The schedule includes a special, two events in three days, beginning in Galveston on Saturday, April, 14th at Moody Gardens for the Galveston Island Championship.  This tournament is a consistent sell-out so don't wait for the deadline on Friday, April 6th.   The tour then moves a few miles north for the first visit to Sugar Creek Country Club, for the Sugar Land Championship, on Monday, April 16th.  The event registration also closes on Friday, April 6th.



Major Championships Open for Registration - (Majors that will be included in the 2018 Texas Tour Flight Champion year-end awards)

NW Arkansas Open at Bellavista - April 21st and 22nd.  Spots available.

Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay - June 23-24th. SOLD OUT, waiting list spots available.

Hill Country Classic at La Cantera - July 7th and 8th.  Spots available.

Texas Classic at Barton Creek - July 28th - 29th.  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

schilcutt@gcamtour.com

Prelude to San Antonio Open - Silverhorn Golf Club of Texas

Scott R Chilcutt, San Antonio, TX (March 2, 2018)  The Prelude - San Antonio Open, kicked off a three day weekend for many of the fortunate ones able to play all three days.  While some traveling to the area opted to play practice rounds on Friday, a full host of players made the trip to Silverhorn Golf Club of Texas for the warm-up.

Beautiful morning clouds and sunrise greeted players from around the country for the Hill Country, local event, with a special morning for Livingston, TX, first-year member, Roland Coyle, Jr, and his first Hole-In-One on the par 3 - 13th with an 8 iron from 136 yards. 

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home $530, bringing the Texas Tour events total to $3,090 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Thirty-time Golf Channel AM Tour winner, Mark Miller of Spring Branch, TX, looked to make it thrityone but ran into a roadblock with first-year player Ricky Agosto of nearby San Antonio, TX.  The pair equaled front nine and back nine scores with a host of birdies to force a sudden-death playoff, with Agosto, coming out on top for his first win on tour.  Rio Rancho, NM, resident Mike Taylor and Thomas Cruickshank of Richmond, TX, finished three strokes back, tied for third.

Palmer Flight:  Crystal River, FL, player Wendall Sheffield, a Texan for work, picked up his seventh win on tour and first since July 2017 in Oklahoma.  One stroke with three birdies on his round, Michael Foster of Catoosa, OK, finished in the runner-up spot, five strokes clear of a pair of players in third.  Matt Lovell, of San Antonio, TX, and Colorado Springs, CO, traveler Dave Mittan, shared the third place honors.

Hogan Flight:  Frequent Windy City traveler to Texas in the Spring, John Mauck of Chicago, IL, commanded the Championship by three strokes.  Mauck, down two strokes making the turn, built a steady lead that proved to be enough, to overcome a rough stretch on the par 3 - 16th and par 4 - 17th.   Kevin Fontenot, out of the weekend festivities, carded his second runner-up in as many attempts, with new San Antonio, TX, resident Les Costales, rounding out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Starting the day on the par 4 - 10th, Dale Fuhr of Missouri City, TX, looked to be out of the mix making the turn, five strokes out of the lead, but turned it on coming to the clubhouse.  Carding a +1 - 36 on his final nine holes, Fuhr, picked up his first win in two seasons on tour, six strokes clear of a trio knotted up in second.  Palmer, MA, traveler, Robert Simpkiss,  Steve Wade of Boerne, TX, and Southlake, TX, member Scott Striegel, all with birdies on the day, shared the runner-up finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Live Oak, TX, first-year player Michael Betzale, with birdie on the par 4 - 4th, picked up his first win on tour.  Four strokes back, Abilene, TX, traveler, Judy Harris, secured the runner-up finish, with C.D. Dunem of San Antonio, TX, rounding out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Prolific Golf Channel AM Tour winner, Mike Lee of Lakewood, WA, made it a first in Texas.  Lee, an astounding twenty-eight-time winner on tour, with five of the points season, has won all over the country, but got his first win in Texas, with the help of three birdies on the day.  Another big-time AM Tour winner, Bill Braun of Red Bud, IL, with two birdies on his round, finished in the runner-up spot, with Arlington Heights, IL, John Carrato and Houston, TX, player Robert Hayter sharing the show-place honors.

Jones Flight:  Abilene, TX, traveler Kevin Crosson, picked up his second win on tour and first since his promotion to the Jones Flight.  Crosson, starting the day on the par 5 - 10th with a par, took a scant one-stroke lead to the back nine, where he finished one stroke ahead of Andrea Neill of Littleton, CO.  For Neill it was her sixth runner-up finish to go with three wins on tour.  Llano, TX, member Charles Watson the 2017 Hill Country Tour player of the year, finished in the final podium spot.

Senior Jones Flight:   With birdie on the par 5 - 6th hole, Marcy Glidden of Brookshire, TX, became a fourteen-time winner on tour, picking up her Senior National Championship qualifying third win on the points season.  One stroke back, San Antonio, TX, member Phil Lewis, with a birdie on his round and Mark Boles of Sealy, TX, shared the runner-up finish.

Snead Flight:  Jennifer Grothaus of Abilene, TX, grabbed her first win on tour, with the help of two birdies on the round.  Grothaus, starting the day on the par 5 - 10th made birdie on her first hole of the day but then turned to the back nine five strokes back.  Coming to the clubhouse, Jennifer played in +3 for the five-stroke victory.  Des Peres, IL member Russel Hollenback and Bill Russell of San Antonio, TX, shared the runner-up finish.



SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($155/each)  1 -- Adam Kuzinski, Castle Rock, CO; Tim Kozlowski, Conroe, TX; Brack Blackwood, San Marcos, TX; Robert Hayter, Houston, TX.

Championship:  ($50/each)  1 -- Ricky Agosto, San Antonio, TX; Kory Calhoun, Montgomery, TX; Adam Kuzinski, Castle Rock, CO; Ron Finnerty, San Antonio, TX.

Palmer:  ($22/each)  4 -- Michael Foster, Catoosa, OK. 1 -- Bruce Ahlquist, Castle Rock, CO; Wendall Sheffield, Crystal River, FL; Dave Mittan, Colorado Springs, CO; Brannon Smith, Midland, TX.

Hogan Media:  ($60/each)  2 -- Brack Blackwood, San Marcos, TX. 1 -- Jack Minze, Abilene, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($45/each)  1 -- Steve Wade, Boerne, TX; Stan Wilson, Jones, OK; Tim Kozlowski, Conroe, TX; Bill Wirtz, Maryland Heights, MO.

Sarazen:  ($100/each)  1 -- Michael Betzale, Live Oak, TX; Joe Michetti, Montgomery, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($42/each)  2 -- John Carrato, Arlington Heights, IL; Mike Lee, Lakewood, WA; Robert Hayter, Houston, TX. 1 -- Ronald Polillo, O'Fallon, IL; Tom Stockton, Grand Prairie, TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:  ($40/each)  3 -- Phil Lewis, San Antonio, TX. 1 -- John Stahlschmidt, San Antonio TX; Paul Cink, Sioux Falls, SD; Mark Boles, Sealy, TX.


Snead:  ($30/each)  2 -- Jason Jenniges, Weatherford, TX; Jennifer Grothaus, Abilene, TX. 1 -- Charles Burger, Mentor, OH; Jeff Olichwier, Chicago, IL.



CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$155/each:  #5 - Dale Fuhr - 3' 0 3/4";  #7 - Tommy Mobley - 6' 6";  #13 - Brack Blackwood - 5' 6 1/4";  #16 - Scott Striegel - 6' 11".



NEXT UP:

Dallas Tour - March 10th Frisco Lakes Challenge is SOLD OUT and closed.    

March 17th event at Winstar, the St. Paddy's Day Championship, is available for registration and is a TEXAS TOUR EVENT, and points available for year-end awards.  Entries close on Friday, March 9th.

Hill Country Tour -  March 18th, the tour goes back to Delaware Springs Golf Course for the Classic at the Springs, in Burnett, TX.  March 9th is the registration deadline.

Houston Tour -  March 11th, the tour travels back to Cinco Ranch for the Katy Classic, that event is closed for registration.  

Back to Cypress Lakes on March 24th for the Cypress Open, with registration closing on Friday, March 16th at 11:59 PM CST.  

Major Championships Open for Registration - (Majors that will be included in the 2018 Texas Tour Flight Champion year-end awards)

NW Arkansas Open at Bellavista - April 21st and 22nd.  Spots available.

Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay - June 23-24th. Spots available.

Texas Classic at Barton Creek - July 28th - 29th.  Spots available for entry.

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