Rachel Smith Sets The Mark - Fort Worth Championship - Waterchase

Scott R Chilcutt, Fort Worth, TX (August 5, 2012)  Located on the east side of Fort Worth and just minutes west of the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and Dallas Cowboys Stadium sits the Waterchase Golf Club.  What the facility lacks in clubhouse amenities it more than makes up for the on course experience.  Carved out of the local terrain with an abundance of native areas and water hazards, along with plush conditions and carpet like greens, the course, under the extreme heat conditions, made for a historic Fort Worth Championship challenge to remember.

Rachel Smith from Mansfield, TX, made history by being the first woman to win a Golf Channel Am Tour event in the Championship Flight. On a roll after finishing as the low amateur at the Texas Women's Open at the Lakes at Castle Hills the Winthrop University standout bested the field of 12 Championship Flight players carding a two under par 70. 

Shooting his way into a most certain flight promotion to the Senior Hogan group, Stephen Killion took home the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Labor Finders.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Mansfield, TX player Rachel Smith had only one blemish on her round, a double bogey on the par five tenth hole was more than made up for with four birdies and the remaining pars that led to her first victory, two strokes ahead of Chad Johnson from Cleburne, TX.  An eagle three on the par five sixth hole was enough for Andrew Braun from Trophy Club, TX to solidify his third place finish just one stroke back of second place finisher Johnson.

Palmer Flight:  John Anderson from Lake Worth, TX birdied the final hole to force what would have been a playoff with Amarillo, TX member Ben Burney.  After Burney was not available for the extra holes, Anderson was awarded his fifth win on tour and first on the year.  The pair of players, Chad Netherton from Midlothian, VA and Dallas, TX member Ivan Zweig rounded out the top three position two strokes back.

Senior Palmer Flight:  James Galbraith from Prosper, TX played the back nine in one over par to force a playoff with Fort Worth, TX member Sean Fenton.  After 1/2 of the first hole of the playoff had to be abandoned because of greens maintenance, Fenton birdied the 18th to pick up his third win on the season.  Four strokes back, Terry Wooten from Grapevine, TX finished in the show position.

Hogan Flight:  Dallas, TX resident, Jimi Clark righted the ship after a tough fifth through ninth holes to pick up his second win on tour and first since his promotion from the Sarazen Flight.  Scott Harper from Ranger, TX recorded three birdies on the day to finish in the second spot and stay four strokes ahead of Chad Maynard from Frisco, TX and Mesquite, TX player Gabriel Brisco.

Senior Hogan Flight: Greg Sheppard of Carrollton, TX landed his first win on tour since the 2011 Tour Championship @ Cowboy.  Sheppard stayed two strokes clear of Trophy Club, TX player Jalil DaneshFar and one stroke back,  Paul Burleson from Argyle, TX rounded out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:  Denton, TX player Cory Womack started out with four birdies on the first six holes and looked to have run away with the field until a double, triple and final hole quad brought him back to the field.  The early round barrage was enough for Womack to land his second win on the year and to stay ahead of the pair of Willie Dozier from Garland, TX and Hurst, TX member Patrick Gutridge tied up in the second spot.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Stephen Killion from Sanger, TX won his fourth event of the year and third on a round in the 70's.  Three birdies to go with four bogeys and a double kept the lead to three strokes over Oklahoma Tour traveler,  Hank Chang from Lawton, OK.  Chang stayed three strokes clear of  the 2011 Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort  champion, Jim Wright from Azle, TX finishing in the third position.

Jones Flight: Tulsa, OK native Melvin Wilson III now from Dallas, TX punched his ticket to the National Champsionship with his third win on the season by two strokes over Imran Siddiqi from Edmond, OK.  Siddiqi birdied the seventeenth to hold the second place finish on his own, two strokes ahead of Brian Glaser from Flower Mound, TX.

Senior Jones Flight:   Bob Eustice from Garland, TX brought home the trophy for the second time this year, three strokes clear of a pair of players knotted up in the second spot. First year players Paul Vessels of Mesquite, TX and Euless, TX Tom Stockton shared the second place finish.

Snead Flight:  Arlington, TX resident Don Freitag grabbed his fourth win on tour and first of the year with a four stroke advantage over Billy Hendrix from Flower Mound, TX.  Just a single stroke back, partners in crime,  Mike Adcock of Saginaw, TX and Parker, TX player Dion Casto split the third place finish.


SKINS:

Championship:  2 -- Chad Johnson, Cleburne, TX; Rachel Smith, Mansfield, TX; Tony Hogg, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Andrew Morsinkhoff, Rockwall, TX; Willie Roach, Fort Worth, TX; Andrew Braun, Trophy Club, TX; Jim Largent, Granbury, TX.

Palmer / Senior Palmer:  2 -- Terry Wooten, Grapevine, TX. 1 -- Ben Burney, Amarillo, TX; Steve Tucker, Durant, OK; Ivan Zweig, Dallas, TX; John Anderson, Lake Worth, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  3 -- Scott Harper, Ranger, TX. 2 -- Chad Maynard, Frisco, TX. 1 -- Shawn Whitaker, Lewisville, TX; Philip Mahony, New York, NY.

Sarazen:  1 -- Scott Lane, Plano, TX; Cory Womack, Denton, TX; George Peddy, Bedford, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  3 -- Hank Chang, Lawton, OK; Stephen Killion, Sanger, TX. 1 -- David McCasland, Red Oak, TX; Dale McFarland, Crowley, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Jerrell Neely, Richland Hills, TX; Jim Wright, Azle, TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:  2 -- Trecia Wood, Frisco, TX. 1 -- Imran Siddiqi, Edmond, OK; Mike Jones, Midland,TX; Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX.

Snead:  2 -- Dion Casto, Parker, TX; Don Freitag, Arlington, TX. 1 -- Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX; Joe Torrez, Midlothian TX; Billy Hendrix, Flower Mound, TX.

Next Up:  Dallas Tour Championship at Tour 18 to be held on Saturday August 18th.  Registration deadline is on Friday August 10th at 11:59 PM EST.

For More Information:

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