Scott R Chilcutt, Westworth Village, TX (November 15, 2015) Hawks Creek Golf Club, built only a par 5 away from Carswell Field runways, on the grounds of the Naval Air Station - Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth played host to the Fall Championship, opening the event to the Star Spangled Banner over the loudspeaker.
Then the Dallas tour finally made a start on the 2016 points schedule. With the opener flooded out in late October at Frisco Lakes Golf Club, it has seemed an eternity since the tour finished the 2015 points season in August. Concerns over the cold and wet 2014 version of the Fall Championship at Hawks Creek, evaporated, with overnight rains staying south and Sunday rains moving north, the skies split for a nice fall day in the Fort Worth area.
Playing out of Hawks creek a few times a week, Douglas Pritchett went really low and grabbed the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, with a career low round on tour.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: After an initial scare to the field, viewing results showed a -3 - 69 posted by Tyler, TX, player George Toone, the players learned the visiting college student was a guest and not eligible for the prize fund / points. Snatching the Championship, was Dallas Webster from Wylie, TX, with the help of two birdies on the day. For Webster, the 2013 Pinehurst Amateur Champion, it was his third win on tour and second opener in as many years. Playing along side Dallas a pair of Fort Worth, TX, players, the 2014 Fall Championship at Hawks Creek winner, Jeremy Frenzel, with four birdies on the day, and Ari Rogers, starting the day with a birdie on the par 4 - 1st shared the runner up honors, two strokes back.
Palmer Flight: Bekim Ramadani of Arlington, TX, became a two time winner on tour on Sunday. Bekim, starting on the 17th of the shotgun looked to have the championship in hand, but a messy final hole made it much closer, winning by only a single stroke over the Fort Worth, TX, player John Padilla. For Padilla, sidelined from the tour since 2014, it was his third runner up finish. Dale Ranger, another Fort Worth, TX, player used two birdies on the day to round out the top three in his first event on tour.
Senior Palmer Flight: Unable to settle the score after 18 holes, JD Price from Lake Whitney, TX, and Garland, TX, player Kem Albritton had to reload in a sudden death playoff. Both players, with a pair of birdies on the day, went back to the short par 4 - 1st and finished in short order. Albritton, off the tour for most of the 2015 points season with medical issues, made a mess of his tee and approach shot, but was able to get it up and down for a par, picking up his twelfth win on tour. Price, a five time winner on tour, recorded his fifth runner up finish. Granbury, TX, member Dave Hanson, had six birdies on his round, but it wasn't enough to overcome a +4 on the par 5 - 18th, to finish in the third place position, two strokes back.
Hogan Flight: Fort Worth, TX, first year player, Kurt Boerner, made all his high scores on his first eight holes, starting on the 11th. Boerner, then made the turn to birdie the par 4 - 1st and par 4 - 2nd, to finish his last 10 in one under par, just enough to pick up his first win on tour. Frisco, TX, member Chad Maynard, with birdies on the par 3 - 7th and par 5 - 18th finished in the runner up spot with a pair of players one stroke back. Kyle Akins of Mesquite, TX, with three birdies, and McKinney, TX, resident, Navakiran Chitturi, with two birdies of his own, shared the third place honors.
Senior Hogan Flight: Continuing a theme of Fort Worth, TX, top finishers, Scott Harris, handled the field with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 18th to finish out his third win on tour, with a four stroke cushion. Chasing Harris, Jalil DaneshFar of Trophy Club, TX, and Cisco, TX, player Manuel Martinez swapped punches, but couldn't get into the championship ring, sharing the runner up finish.
Sarazen Flight: Starting his third year on tour, Sven Bock of Richardson, TX, made the best of the Hawks Creek layout with his fifth win on tour. Bock, starting on the 8th hole, used the front nine to catapult him to the win with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 5th. One stroke back, a transplant from the Hill Country Tour, Michael Hill now from Rockwall, TX, took advantage of two birdies on the back nine to square up the runner up finish with Fort Worth, TX, member Wadsworth Jarrell.
Senior Sarazen Flight: 2015 Flight Champion on the Dallas Tour, Mark Donohue of Lewisville, TX, kept on the winning ways. Donohue, starting on the eighth hole, went +1 after seven holes with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 12th, and added another at the par 4 - 2nd. Mark struggled a bit at the par 5 - 8th, but held on for his seventh win on tour, including one Major Championship at Winstar in 2015. One stroke back, Dallas, TX, resident Rodney Wren, equaled his best finish on tour at the Oklahoma Tour Championship in August, with Bob Moreau of Rockwall, TX, rounding out the top three, with a birdie on the par 4 - 1st.
Jones Flight: Traveling Oklahoma Tour member, Doug Watson from Shawnee, OK, made the best of his trip, and picked up his third win on tour. Watson, starting on the sixth hole, finished his final nine holes in +5 for a one stroke advantage over first year New Jersey native Alfred Killinger, playing out of Orlando, FL. Rounding out the top three, Larry Tolson of Fairview, TX, taking a hiatus from the tour for a year, finished three strokes out of the win.
Snead Flight: With the most dominating win of the day, Douglas Pritchett used all the home cook'n he could muster. Playing out of Hawks Creek, Pritchett carefully placed his shots to win by nine strokes, for his ninth on tour with the help of a birdie on the par 5 - 12th. Carefully situated between the win and a pair in the third place spot, Arlington, TX, member Don Freitag picked up the runner up finish, with Stan Harper of Lake Leon, TX, and first time Weatherford, TX, player Chance Lauer sharing the third place honors.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: ($220/each) 1 -- Jeremy Frenzel, Fort Worth, TX; Chad Maynard, Frisco, TX; Phillip Holt, Haslet, TX.
Championship / Palmer: ($65/each) 3 -- Jeremy Frenzel, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX.
Senior Palmer: ($20/each) 3 -- Dave Hanson, Granbury, TX. 2 -- Nic Linde, Keller TX. 1 -- Alan Luedke, Fort Worth, TX; J.D. Price, Whitney, TX; Kem Albritton, Garland, TX.
Hogan: ($25/each) 3 -- Kirk Boerner, Fort Worth, TX. 2 -- William Trott, Keller, TX. 1 -- Kyle Akins, Mesquite, TX; Chad Maynard, Frisco, TX; Joseph Roy, Rockwall, TX.
Senior Hogan: ($48/each) 2 -- Scott Harris, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Steve Lamb, Garland, TX; Phillip Holt, Haslet, TX; Sal Torres, Fort Worth, TX.
Sarazen / Senior Sarazen: ($60/each) 2 -- Ray Blackshear, Hideaway, TX. 1 -- Troy Alexander, Dallas, TX; Sven Bock, Richardson, TX; Jon Neff, Frisco, TX; Dale McFarland, Crowley, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($64/each) 2 -- Mike Jones, Midland, TX. 1 -- Don Freitag, Arlington, TX; Pete Partain, Bedford, TX; Quentin Klepper, North Richland Hills, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($160/each) #4 - Kyle Akins - 3' 0"; #7 - Chad Maynard - 5' 10"; #10 - Sven Bock - 9' 11"; #17 - Rodney Wren - 6' 10".
Upcoming Texas Events:
Players from around the state take on a sold out field at Sonterra Golf Club on Saturday, November 21st for the Fall Challenge at Sonterra on the Hill Country Tour.
After a Thanksgiving weekend break, more will flock to The Falls in New Ulm, TX, for the two tournaments in two days at the South Texas Winter Championship on Saturday, December 5th and Sunday December 6th.
Tournament spots and accommodations at the destination resort are sure to sell out, so register today to secure your place at the final event of the 2015 calendar year.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
