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