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