A Few Firsts at Avery Ranch - Hill Country Tour

Scott R Chilcutt, Coppell, TX (June 3, 2018)  Avery Ranch Golf Club, officially in Austin proper, on the outskirts of Round Rock, hosted the Summer Classic - Round Rock on Sunday.  First time at the facility for this crew, it's a beautiful Hill Country, like course, and while play is allowed to the public, it has a private club atmosphere.  Favorable yardages, and great rolling greens allowed for some firsts in personal best low rounds.

The winner of the Feherty's Troops First Foundation 50/50 raffle, took home what would have been $390, but gave back 1/2 the pot to the Troops, bringing the daily total to $585, with Texas Tour events total rising to $13,625 contributed to the Foundation in 2018.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Coming off a third-place finish at the Battle of Blanco, in his first event on tour, Jacob Davis of Cibolo, TX, made this round count.  Davis, with five birdies on his round, including three in as many holes on the back, finished the round, -2 for his first Championship.  One stroke back, first time San Antonio, TX, player Sutherland Stith, carded an eagle on the par 5 - 14th, added three more birdies to the round to finish -1 in the runner-up spot. John Kellum of San Antonio, TX, a four-time winner in 2017, and playing in his first event of the season rounded out the top three, with a pair of birdies.

Palmer Flight:  Playing alongside Stith in the pairing, San Antonio, TX, player Rene Realme, was obviously inspired with his partners under par round, enough so, that he beat the field by seven strokes.  Realme, with with a birdie on the par 5 - 4th finished the back nine even par, for his National Championship qualifying third win of the season.  Jorge Rodriguez of nearby Round Rock, TX, finished in the runner-up spot, all alone, two strokes clear of San Antonio, TX, member Gary Grizzle and Z-man Lovato of Austin, TX sharing the third-place finish.

Hogan Flight:  Starting the day on the par 5 - 10th, College Station, TX, player Rick Smalley, held a two-stroke advantage over the field making the turn.  Small, +1 coming to the clubhouse, gave back that advantage plus more, on his final two holes, to let John Brannan of New Braunfels, snead into a playoff.  Back to the par 5 - 10th, it would be Brannan, picking up the Championship on the first sudden-death hole, at his first event on tour.  Three strokes back, Cody Cauley of San Angelo, TX, with a birdie on the par 4 - 16th rounded out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Competing in his second event of the weekend, after winning on Saturday in Coppell, TX, Houston Tour Player, Jeff Green of Coldspring, TX, made it two in a row.  Green, making the most out of three birdies on his round, recorded his sixth win of the season, four strokes clear of Boerne, TX, member Steve Wade.  Wade, with a birdie on the par 4 - 4th, stayed one stroke clear of third-place finisher, George Smith of Houston, TX, with three birdies on his round.

Sarazen Flight:  Odessa, TX, player Norm Gosselin, in a dead heat with Christopher Cobb, making the turn, matched his front nine scores coming to the clubhouse, for his fourth win on tour and first since 2016. Chris Bryant of Cedar Park, TX, snuck into the runner-up finish with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 11th, two strokes clear of Cobb, with a birdie of his own on the par 3 - 6th.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Another of the double weekend players to make the field at Avery Ranch, DFW Tour player Rodney Wren, of Dallas, TX, followed a great back nine on Saturday, to pick up his second win on tour, both coming this points season.  Wren, with two consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, finished with a personal best score, two strokes clear of Giddings, TX, player Michael Hirsch.  Hirsch, made the most of two birdies on the day, to edge out Steve Hamilton, of Leander, TX, by a stroke.

Jones Flight:   It took every bit of a personal best on tour, +7 - 79 for Abilene, TX, member Kevin Crosson to pick up his third win on tour and second of the points season.  Crosson with two birdies on his front nine after starting on the par 5 - 10th, edged out DFW Tour player, Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX, by one stroke.  Four strokes back, San Antonio, TX, player Phil Lewis, a winner his last time out, rounded out the top three.



Snead Flight:  Playing in his first year on tour, Pete Acosta of Alamo, TX, picked up his second win, with the help of a birdie on the par 4 - 12th hole.  Three strokes back, San Antonio, TX, member Bill Russell, secured the second place finish by two strokes over Dan O'Shea of Copperas Cove, TX, taking the final podium spot.

SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($220/each)  1 -- Marshall Durrett, Austin, TX; Terry Spencer, Georgetown, TX.

Championship/Palmer:  ($35/each)  3 -- Jacob Davis, Cibolo, TX. 1 -- Robert Lippert, Copperas Cove, TX.

Hogan/Senior Hogan:  ($76/each)  1 -- Randy Dorsey, Killeen, TX; Michael Campbell, New Braunfels, TX; Marshall Durrett, Austin, TX; George Smith, Magnolia, TX; Jacinto Zambrano, Kerrville, TX.

Sarazen:  ($40/each)  1 -- C.D. Dunem, San Antonio, TX; Michael Betzale, Live Oak, TX; Tommy Mobley, San Marcos, TX; Chris Bryant, Cedar Park, TX; Christopher Cobb, Austin, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($50/each)  1 -- Thomas Wellman, Lago Vista, TX; Michael Hirsch, Giddings, TX; Mackie Crossan, Abilene, TX; Joseph Tyson, Austin, TX.

Jones/Snead:  ($48/each)  3 -- Kevin Crosson, Abilene, TX.  1 -- Evan Kirkpatrick, Georgetown, TX; Terry Spencer, Georgetown, TX; Jennifer Grothaus, Abilene, TX; Annette Crossan, Abilene, TX; Dan O'Shea, Copperas Cove, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

$120/each:  #6 -  Chris Cobb - 23";  #8 - N/A;  #11 - Michael Hirsch - 4' 11";  #13 - Mike Betzale - 4' 6 1/4".



NEXT UP:

Dallas Tour -  June 16th the DFW Tour makes a stop at Bear Creek for the DFW International Open, waiting list spots are available.   Don't miss the registration for the Desoto Championship on July 1st at Thorntree Golf Club, entries close on Friday, June 22nd, but will surely sell out prior to that time.

Hill Country Tour -   Lighthouse Country Club, in Kingsland, TX, will open up the Texas Open weekend at Horseshoe Bay on Friday, June 22nd.  Spots still available with registration closing on Friday, June 15th.  


Houston Tour - Next up, The Woodlands Open, the home of the Insperity Invitational on the Champions Tour, on Monday, June, 11th. SOLD OUT and CLOSED. After a break for two majors in two weeks, the Houston Tour will tee it up at Pecan Grove Golf Club for the Richmond Championship on July 14th.  Entries close on Friday, July 6th. 

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

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

Hill Country Classic at La Cantera - July 7th and 8th.  SOLD OUT, waiting list 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