Scott R Chilcutt, Carrollton, TX (March 24, 2012) Calm, Sunny, Warm ...... "what do we do now", asked most of the field as they approached the first tee. A slow moving low pressure system over Oklahoma deposited multiple inches of rain and was accompanied by wind gusts up to 50 mph earlier in the week. It seemed to indicate we were in for just another bad weather Saturday, similar to the earlier Grand Prairie Classic. But as the system moved out of the area it left behind a perfect golf weather day on Saturday.
Indian Creek Golf Club, located due east of the intersection of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and I-35E in Carrollton, TX lies in a low area bordered to the west by the Elm Fork of the Trinity River below Lake Lewisville Dam. While the Trinity River stayed in it's banks, the creeks and lakes on the property of Indian Creek overflowed to make the golf course much smaller, requiring much more precision off the tees.
Darrin Howard from Longview, TX has been in the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders, running on many occasions only to lose out in a scorecard playoff. This time the playoff went his way over Midlothian, TX player Joe Torrez.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: Twenty players made the call for the Championship flight and with just one group left to tally, it looked like 25% of the field might end up in a playoff with five players tied at +7 - 79. Then came Midland, TX player Terry Rice to dash those aspirations. Rice played the back nine +1 -37 to win the flight with a 76. Andrew Braun from Trophy Club, TX, Dallas member Enrique Fuhlage, Chad Johnson from Cleburne, TX, Plano, TX resident Dheeraj Jangalwa and Rachel Smith from Mansfield, TX all finished in the second place knot.
Palmer Flight: Tim Williams from McKinney, TX has not let up since winning the 2011 National Championship. Promoted to the Palmer flight, Williams has two wins in three attempts. Lake Worth, TX player John Anderson had his best finish of the year in the second spot four strokes ahead of Adrian DelaGarza of Coppell, TX.
Senior Palmer Flight: Two wins in as many attempts for Michael Morgan from Shreveport, LA. Morgan who last played the Winter Classic - Hill Country Tour, returns to the tour tying the low round of the day with a +4 - 76 to win by five strokes. Coming off his second place National Championship qualification at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay, Sean Fenton from Fort Worth, finished three strokes ahead of third place finishers Steve Redding from Plano, TX and Mansfield, TX member Michael Fee.
Hogan Flight: Birdie on the first hole kept the wheels rolling for the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay champion, Brack Blackwood from Grandbury, TX. Blackwood with three wins on the season finished with a career low +5 - 77, five strokes ahead of Marina Del Rey, CA traveler Tony Anderson. Anderson secured his second place spot two strokes ahead of local Carrollton, TX newcomer Mike Davis.
Senior Hogan Flight: Jalil DaneshFar of Trophy Club, TX picked up his second win of the season over Coppell, TX resident Todd Landrum. Landrum with his second runner up spot in as many tries finished one stroke ahead of Terrell, TX first time player Barry Hendricks.
Sarazen Flight: Darrin Howard from Longview, TX finished two strokes ahead of Dallas, TX tour rookie Jimi Clark. Howard, who has been promoted twice since joining the tour just under a year ago made it two in a row and sixth of his career. Nancy Geihl from Grand Prairie, TX had three birdies to finish in the third place spot ahead of The Colony, TX member Richard Marr.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Former Player Advisory Board Member, Mansfield, TX player John Cox picked up his second win on tour and first since the 2009 Riverside Open over Houston Tour member Jim Craig of San Felipe, TX. Craig kept a one shot second place edge over Ken Benjamin from Grand Prairie, TX after Benjamin finished the back nine in one over par.
Jones Flight: Brandon Litzner from Coppell, TX and Dallas, TX rookie Melvin Wilson III had to battle out a playoff on the scorecard after darkness made an on course match up unplayable. The pair both finished with 89's but Litzner would prevail with the help of a birdie four on the par 5 sixteenth hole. Jose Aceves from Lantana, TX finished just one stroke back to finish in the third spot.
Senior Jones Flight: Mesquite, TX resident Paul Vessels grabbed his second win on tour by two strokes over the pair of Phillip White from Justin, TX and Garland, TX member Bob Eustice. T-2 finisher at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay, Eustice made a birdie on the thirteenth hole to stay even with White.
Snead Flight: First year player Joe Torrez of Midlothian, TX snatched his first win on tour by four strokes over Richardson, TX resident Bolaji Harris. Francisco Vazquez of Waco, TX finished in the third spot just one stroke back of Harris.
Senior Snead Flight: Just barely finishing before darkness made the course unplayable, Oklahoma Tour traveler Rick Henthorn of Yukon, OK picked up his third win of the season over Haslet, TX first year member Doyle Fleming. Juan-Paz Pena of Plano, TX, a winner at the rain soaked Grand Prairie Classic @ Tangle Ridge finished in the third spot.
SKINS:
Championship: 1 -- Ken Dyke, Keller, TX, The Golf Channel Players Club - Dallas; Enrique Fuhlage, Dallas, TX, The Golf Channel Players Club - Dallas; Terry Rice, Midland, TX.
Palmer/Senior Palmer: 3 -- Tim Williams, McKinney, TX. 1 -- John Anderson, Lake Worth, TX.
Hogan/Senior Hogan: 1 -- Lloyd Herbert, Killeen, TX; Barry Hendricks, Terrell, TX; Greg Sheppard, Carrollton, TX; Gregory Stairs, Mansfield, TX.
Sarazen/Senior Sarazen: 1 -- Gabriel Brisco, Mesquite, TX; Nancy Geihl, Grand Prairie, TX; Art Talamantes Jr, Edgewood, TX; Walter White, Monroe, LA, Southern Pines GC-Calvert.
Jones/Senior Jones: 1 -- Jose Aceves, Lantana, TX; Don Freitag, Arlington, TX; Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX; Douglas Pritchett, Ft Worth, TX.
Snead/Senior Snead: 3 -- Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX. 2 -- Kendrae Washington, Irving, TX, Battle Lake GC. 1 -- Bolaji Harris, Richardson, TX, The Golf Channel Players Club - Dallas; Rick Henthorn, Yukon, OK; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Larry Tolson, McKinney, TX.
Next Up - Dallas Tour is at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes for the Frisco Lakes Challenge on April 7th. Hill Country is back in action after The Nelson open (registration closed) for The Legends of Golf Classic at Onion Creek Golf Club on April 1th. Oklahoma Tour visits the Cherokee HIlls Golf Club for the Hard Rock Open on April 28th.
For more information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth - Hill Country - Oklahoma
Golf Channel Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.201.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
www.gcamtour.com
Scott R Chilcutt, Horseshoe Bay, TX (March 4, 2012) Horseshoe Bay Resort, situated just west of Historic Marble Falls, TX in the highland lakes region of the Texas Hill Country, hosted the 2012 Texas Open Major Championship for the second year.
Apple Rock and Ram Rock, two of the three Robert Trent Jones, Sr. courses on the property overlooking Lake LBJ,
would not disappoint the traveling competitors in search of prizes and National Championship qualification. Just like 2011, beautiful skies and warm south winds were on hand for the practice rounds on Friday only to change direction from the north on opening day, cooling off the players and changing strategies. As quickly as the winds and temperatures changed for Saturday, light SW breezes and sunshine welcomed the final round.
Championship Flight: Starting the round on Sunday two strokes behind overnight leader, Al Smith from Cabot, AR, defending Texas Open Champion Marshall Morgan knew he needed a strong start. Morgan from Odessa, TX would need to make up ground on Smith, but also stay ahead of Jeff Boyer from Oklahoma City starting the day just one stroke back. Coming off the 14th green, Morgan looked to have it locked up going +1 against Al's +5 but the remaining four holes would set the stage for the first playoff of the afternoon when they both finished with 155 two day totals. On the first playoff hole, the 58 year old Morgan successfully defended his title with the long hitting Smith picking up his best Major Championship finish while Boyer picked up the final National Championship qualification finishing third.
Palmer Flight: Consistency would prove to be the key to the championship for Keller, TX player Guy Nickels. Nickels, the 2010 Texas Masters at TPC San Antonio Champion has now won his last four outings with the Am Tour. Starting the final round 8 strokes back of overnight leader Ivan Zweig from Dallas, Guy followed up his first day 81 with an 82 on the arguably tougher Ram Rock course to snatch the championship by three strokes over Zweig. Ivan would hole out from the fairway on the 10th hole for an eagle two but couldn't control any momentum. 2012 Duel in the Desert Flight Champion, Ron Finnerty from Laredo, TX would start and finish the final round in the third spot punching his ticket for the second time this year to the Nationals.
Senior Palmer Flight: It was traveling Phoenix, AZ player Richard Hunt's tournament to lose after firing an eight over par 79 Saturday at the tough and windblown Ram Rock course. In the final pairing, Sean Fenton from Fort Worth along with Garland, TX player Kem Albritton were six strokes back to start the day and both mounted a charge. but in the end couldn't make up the deficit. Albritton and Fenton finished tied for the second spot two strokes back. Hunt, the 2010 WESTERN OPEN champion made it his second Major championship and thirteenth win on the tour.
Hogan Flight: Brack Blackwood from Grandbury, TX completed the first half of the events "father / son" tandem championship. Blackwood, the overnight leader, got into trouble in the middle of his round but finished the last five holes in one over par to grab the championship by 6 strokes over Roger Masek of Sugerland, TX. Masek took seven strokes off his first round finish ahead of consistent scores from Auburn, WA player Barry Lauderbaugh. Lauderbaugh's best finish in a major championship punched his ticket to the National Championships by two strokes over fourth spot.
Senior Hogan Flight: Out of State travelers take the top two spots in the Senior Hogan Flight with William Wirtz from Maryland Heights, MO claiming the trophy and his best finish in a Major. Two strokes back, overnight leader Gary Spears from Brighton, CO, had enough of a lead going into the final round to stay ahead of Maurice Mintken from Round Rock, TX and Cypress, TX player Bob Miller bettering his score from Saturday to tie for the final National Championship qualification spots.
Sarazen Flight: Oklahoma Tour player Jeffrey Banner from Lawton went wire to wire for his second win on tour. Starting on the eleventh hole at Ram Rock, Banner played steady through the early going but would run into big trouble towards the late portion of his round. Playing along side Banner in the final pairing Derrick Matthews from Kileen, TX bounced back after a first hole disaster to put pressure on Banner, but just fell short taking the second spot over Westfield, IN traveler Jon Wendt by three strokes.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Battling back and forth the entire round, overnight leader Jamie Sansom from Frisco, TX looked to have it locked up coming to the final hole over Mark Kirby of Bridge City, TX. A two shot swing on the last would put the pair in a playoff where Kirby maintained the momentum and captured the championship. San Felipe, TX member Jim Craig took twelve strokes of his first day total with three birdies and landed the final National Championship qualification by a couple of strokes over the fourth spot.
Jones Flight: Katy, TX ace Richard Kelley captured his first win on tour by a whopping 16 strokes over two players knotted in the second spot. Scott Thompson from Helotes, TX playing in his third event on tour birdied the par four ninth hole to tie up the second spot with Keller, TX player Nick Easen.
Senior Jones Flight: Randy Adcock from Vidor, TX knows how to win the Texas Open making it a three-peat. Adcock the 2010 National Champion won the first major at the 2010 Texas Open MAJOR at Barton Creek and successfully defended his championship last year at Horsehoe Bay. Ron Hardy took thirteen strokes off his day one total with birdies on the third and seventh holes to finish in a tie for second with Bob Eustice from Garland, TX playing in his first Major Championship.
Snead Flight: The back half of the father / son Championship, David Blackwood playing out of the Hill Country Tour finished the final round strokes ahead of Jason Crawford from Round Rock. Crawford, playing a limited schedule recorded his best finish on tour bested a pair from San Antonio, overnight leader Xavier Bardy and Carlos Cruz who shared the third and final qualification spot for the Nationals.
Senior Snead Flight: Timothy Thayer from Cypress, TX and Pflugerville, TX member Thomas Kerwin took it to extra holes. Thayer finished off his Championship run picking up the trophy and first win since 2010. It was Kerwin's best finish in a Major in six attempts. Rounding out the top three, The Woodlands, TX player Jim Lamberth grabbed his National Championship invitation in his first major event.
Texas Open players put the "Troops First" this weekend raising over $1,600 for the Troops First Foundation.
Next Up - Hill Country Tour back in action at the End of Winter Open at the River Crossing Club on March 10, 2012. Dallas Tour resumes play at the Classic at The Creek on March 24, 2012. Oklahoma Tour starts off 2012 at the ST. Patty's Day @ KickingBird event.
For more information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth - Hill Country - Oklahoma
Golf Channel Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.201.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
www.gcamtour.com
