Special Day At TPC Craig Ranch - Championship at Craig Ranch

Scott R Chilcutt, July 9, 2012 (McKinney, TX)  Morning sprinkles, cloud cover and light winds played favorites to the morning wave of the Championship at Craig Ranch. Building thunderstorms over the Red River to the north continued to churn during the day but ultimately fizzled out before making their way to the McKinney area.  A very mild day for early July along with fast paced play and helpful club staff made for a special day at TPC Craig Ranch.
 
126 players entered the field with a net attendance increase of 40 competitors over the inaugural event in 2011.  Mark Helms from Broken Bow, OK shot a career low round to take home the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders.

RESULTS: 

Championship Flight:  Recently promoted from the Palmer Flight, Guy Nickels from Keller, TX birdied the final two holes to go along with an eagle on the par 4-14th to force a playoff with defending champion Terry Rice of Midland, TX.  Rice would successfully defend in extra holes for his third win in five tries on the year.  Jordan Rollins from Keller, TX,  Hideaway, TX member Scott Blackshear and Dallas Webster of Wylie, TX knotted up the third place spot two strokes back.

Palmer Flight:  Midland, TX native Clay Johnston that has relocated from the Metroplex to Denver, CO came back to Texas to win his first event since the 2011 Las Colinas Championship .  Johnston went out in two over par, added a birdie on the par 5 -12th and despite problems on the 18th with a triple stayed two strokes clear of  Eric Wersal from Fort Worth, TX. One stroke back the pair of Joshua Marler from Dallas, TX and Granbury, TX player Burt Preissinger finished tied for third.

Senior Palmer Flight:  In his second event on tour, Denton, TX resident Llynal Carey carded two birdies on the day for his first win, three strokes clear of Sean Fenton from Fort Worth, TX.  Oklahoma Tour traveler, Roland Lewis knotted up the third place spot with Terry Wooten from Grapevine, TX.  

Hogan Flight:  Chad Maynard from Frisco, TX commanded his second win on the season by five strokes over a trio tied for second with two birdies on the day. Taylor Davis from San Antonio, TX got in the middle of the father / son pair of  Jeff Blackwood and Daegan Blackwood from Midland, TX to share the second place honors.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Mansfield, TX resident Gregory Stairs got back to his winning ways with a three stroke cushion over Todd Landrum from Coppell, TX.  Stairs, a winner at the November 2011 Open @ Texas Star  came to the club house with a two birdie, two over par on the back nine.  Landrum birdied the 18th to finish one stroke ahead of Davis Noble of Lake Kiowa, TX rounding out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:   Joe Luman from Odessa, TX made great strides in his quest for National Championship qualifications finishing one stroke ahead of Denton, TX player Cory Womack.  Luman jumped several spots in the points standings in the highly competitive Sarazen Flight winning his first event on tour.  Britt McMullen from Burleson, TX finished in the show position after a runner up spot his last outing.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Oklahoma Tour member Mark Helms from Broken Bow, OK put an exclaimation point on his first win of the year and fourth on tour with a +3 - 75.   With the help of an eagle on the par 4 -14 and birdie on the par 5 -18th Helms kept a three stroke cushion over Craig Nowlin from Lewisville, TX.  Nowlin birdied the first and fourteenth holes to stay two strokes clear of Lawton, OK member Hank Chang rounding out the top three.

Jones Flight:  Melvin Wilson III from Dallas, TX birdied, 16 and 18 to pick up his second win on tour by two strokes over Granbury, TX player Greg Preissinger.  With a couple of birdies himself, Preissinger finished seven strokes clear of Houston Tour traveler Artis Stewart.

Senior Jones Flight:  In spite of taking an eight on the par four 6th hole with a lost ball episode, Arkansas Tour member Craig Merrill from Roland, AR carded two birdies on the back nine to force a playoff with Bob Eustice from Garland, TX.  Merrill would prevail in extra holes for his third win on the year. Mike Logsdon from Wylie, TX finished in the third spot one stroke back of the pair.

Snead Flight:  McKinney, TX local Larry Tolson recorded a career low round +11 - 83 to grab his second win on tour. Consistent play kept Tolson ahead of the second place finisher Mike Adcock from Fort Worth, TX.  In his second runner up finish on tour, Adcock birdied the par 4 - 11th to keep two strokes clear of third place finisher, Luis Dayer from North Richland Hills, TX.


SKINS:


Championship:  2 -- Guy Nickels, Keller, TX. 1 -- Scott Blackshear, Hideaway, TX; Andrew Morsinkhoff, Rockwall, TX.


Palmer:  1 -- Clay Johnston, Denver, Co; John Bohling, Highland Village, TX; Brook Lister, Tulsa, OK; Ivan Zweig, Dallas, TX; Joshua Marler, Dallas, TX; Brian Greene, McKinney, TX.


Senior Palmer:  3 -- Roland Lewis, Tulsa, OK. 2 -- Sean Fenton, Fort Worth, Texas. 1 -- James Galbraith, Prosper, TX; Llynal Carey, Denton, TX.


Hogan:  2 -- Chad Maynard, Frisco, TX.  1 -- Stephen Cannon, Dallas, TX; Scott Harper, Ranger, TX.


Senior Hogan:  2 -- Greg Sheppard, Carrollton, TX. 1 -- Gregory Stairs, Mansfield, TX; James Surber, Edmond, OK; Davis Noble, Lake Kiowa, TX; Denver Roden, Irving, TX.


Sarazen:  1 -- Nick Easen, Keller, TX; Gary Lee, Tyler, TX; Britt McMullen, Burleson, TX; Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Patrick Gutridge, Hurst, TX; William Ward, Oakwood, OK; John Kang, Enid, OK; Cory Womack, Denton, TX.


Senior Sarazen:  2 -- John Cox, Mansfield, TX. 1 -- Stephen Killion, Sanger, TX; Jamie Sansom, Frisco, TX; Rick Allaire, Dallas, TX; Hank Chang, Lawton, OK; Craig Nowlin, Lewisville, TX; Mark Helms, Broken Bow, OK.


Jones:  4 -- Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX. 3 -- Greg Preissinger, Granbury, TX. 2 -- Brian Glaser, Flower Mound, TX. 1 -- Andy Eldridge, Fort Worth, TX.


Senior Jones:  4 -- Mike Logsdon, Wylie TX; Craig Merrill, Roland, AR. 1 -- Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX.


Snead:  2 -- Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX; Bolaji Harris, Richardson, TX; Jerry Rayborn, Palestine, TX. 1 -- Dwain Smith, Cedar Park, TX; Dion Casto, Parker, TX; Billy Hendrix, Flower Mound, TX; Luis Dayer, North Richland Hills, TX.

Next Up:  Dallas and Oklahoma Tour players go head to head for the Oklahoma Open at Oaktree on July, 23rd.  Registration closes on Friday, July 13th at 11:59PM EDT. 

For More Information:Scott R Chilcutt
Tour Director
Dallas / Hill Country / Oklahoma Tours
405.513.1467schilcutt@gcamtour.com