The Tale of the Season - Dallas Tour Championship

Scott R Chilcutt, Flower Mound, TX (August 18, 2012)  The Dallas Tour wrapped up the 2012 season and for some players in a very similar way to the start of the calendar year.  After torrential rains at the February Grand Prairie Classic @ Tangle Ridge the tour schedule seemed to fast forward directly into hot weather.  With days over the summer in excess of 100 degrees it took all the members could muster to outlast mother nature.   We suppose it seemed only appropriate that we would end the year like we started when the skies opened up for about half of the players to make for a soggy finish.

Players from 7 Tours and 5 states looked for the last chance for National Championship qualification, National Championship eligibility, Player of the Year awards to go with the trophies and gift cards.

Enduring the elements, the field all finished at the famed Tour 18 Dallas.  The course crafted after some of the greatest golf courses in America would welcome the players to a beautiful morning and mid day before the rain shot through the Flower Mound, TX complex.  Unlike the earlier Grand Prairie event the participants were able to finish what they started, the last event before the National Championships. 



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Midland, TX player Terry Rice struggled on the par-5 sixth hole, but bounced back with a birdie on the seventh and went the final twelve holes in one under par to record his fourth win on the season and eighth on tour.  Needing his fifth event of the year for National Championship eligibility, visiting Birmingham Tour member Marcus House from Olive Branch, MS finished his last six holes in one under to edge out first time tour player Mike Klem from Flower Mound, TX by one stroke.

Palmer Flight:  42 year old John Bohling from Highland Village, TX took twenty three strokes off his fifteenth place finish during his last outing at the Bobcat Open at Texas Star to command a ten stroke win.  Ben Burney from Amarillo, TX solidified his National Championship qualification going one over par on the back nine to tie the second place spot with Randy McGinnis from San Antonio, TX.  McGinnis started his travels in the early morning from San Antonino to record a messy scorecard, with five birdies and four doubles and four bogie's to stay out front of the fourth place finish by two strokes.

Senior Palmer Flight:  A birdie on the final hole put Overland Park, KS traveler Thomas Kass into a three way playoff with Jimmy Westfall from Oklahoma City, OK and Fort Worth, TX points leader Sean Fenton.  Westfall fell out on the second extra hole,  but the other two took a total of five to untie the knot when Kass took home the glass for his second win on tour this year and Westfall and Fenton shared the runner up honors. 

Hogan Flight:  With his sights set on the Player of the Year honors, Daegan Blackwood from Midland, TX came out firing with a birdie on the first, shooting one over par for his first ten holes.  Minor troubles coming to the club house inched the door open, but he finished with a stroke advantage for his second win of the season. Chad Maynard from Frisco, TX and first year Dallas, TX member Jimi Clark would split the second place finish.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Gregory Stairs from Mansfield, TX put the hammer down early, with birdies on the first and third holes, he went out in two over to finish the round with a +5 - 77 to command a ten stroke advantage over a pair tied in the second place position.  Greg Sheppard from Carrollton, TX made a run with a back nine three over par, but front nine woes would only get him into a runner up tie with Argyle, TX member Paul Burleson.

Sarazen Flight:  With the reality and pressure of a last chance attempt for National Championship qualification, George Peddy of Bedford, TX put the heaviness of the situation to work, firing his best round of the year and first win on tour since the March 2011 Champions Circle Classic.  Two strokes back, Grand Prairie, TX player Nancy Geihl used an eagle on the par five fourteenth hole to stay one stroke clear of Gary Lee from Tyler, TX rounding out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  John Rogers from Waco, TX picked up his second win of the season and third on tour after rain forced a scorecard playoff for the top spot.  Oklahoma Tour player Stan Wilson played his way into the top spot early on in his round, but the back nine tie breaker went Rogers direction.  Mansfield, TX resident John Cox finished off his rain drenched round to take the show position, his seventh top five of the year.

Jones Flight:  Gerardo Garza from Lewisville, TX outlasted the flight to pick up his second win on tour. Three strokes back the pair of Brandon Litzner from Coppell, TX and Dallas, TX resident Melvin Wilson III made a mess of the par three seventeenth in the pouring rain, but held on to share the second place honors.  Litzner eagled the par five fourth hole to go with a birdie on the thirteenth while Wilson picked up a pair of birdies on the four and twelve. 

Senior Jones Flight:  The steady play of Garland, TX member Bob Eustice weathered the storm to card his third victory of the year and second in as many attempts.  Six strokes back, Paul Vessels from Mesquite, TX and Lewisville, TX trophy maker Ron Hardy knotted up the runner up spot.  Going out in +6 on the front nine, Hardy couldn't keep up with the rain and wind, but finished ahead in the points standings with his finish.

Snead Flight:   Recently eligible to move back to the Snead flight after a promotion last fall, Don Freitag from Arlington, TX was another player that needed the win to get his invitation to the National Championship. With a bogey on the final hole, Freitag wrapped up his second win in as many attempts one stroke clear of Parker, TX standout, Dion Casto.  Mike Adcock from Saginaw, TX finished just another stroke back to firm up the third place finish.

Senior Snead Flight:  Faced with the opportunity to call it a nine hole event after the rain delay, the foursome left in the flight,  Dwain Smith of Cedar Park, TX,  Yukon, OK member Rick Henthorn,  Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX and McKinney, TX player Larry Tolson let Smith make the call.  Dwain had traveled from the Hill Country and with a birdie in the rain on the 9th hole, wanted to try to finish.  And finish they did, through the wind, rain, darkness and nearby lightening, Smith picked up his 2nd win on tour ahead of the pair of Henthorn and Fleming.           
    


SKINS:

Championship:  1 -- Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX; Andrew Braun, Trophy Club, TX; Andrew Morsinkhoff, Rockwall, TX; Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Anthony Peppler, Dallas, TX.

Palmer / Senior Palmer:  1 -- Jimmy Westfall, Oklahoma City, OK; Lance Berland, Salina, Kansas; John Bohling, Highland Village, TX; Adrian DelaGarza, Coppell, TX; Randy McGinnis, San Antonio, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  1 -- Michael Garrett, Mt. Vernon, TX; Jeff Blackwood, Midland, TX; Mike Davis, Carrollton, TX; Greg Sheppard, Carrollton, TX; Gregory Stairs, Mansfield, TX.

Sarazen:  3 -- George Peddy, Bedford, TX. 1 -- Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Nancy Geihl, Grand Prairie, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  2 -- John Cox, Mansfield, TX. 1 -- Ken Benjamin, Grand Prairie, TX; Stephen Killion, Sanger, TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:  3 -- Brandon Litzner, Coppell, TX. 2 -- Keith Bruce, Gordonville, TX. 1 -- Imran Siddiqi, Edmond, OK; Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX; Gerardo Garza, Lewesville, TX; Tom Stockton, Euless, TX; Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:  2 -- Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX; Don Freitag, Arlington, TX; Rick Henthorn, Yukon, OK. 1 -- Jerry Rayborn, Palestine, TX; Dwain Smith, Cedar Park, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX.



Next Up:   After a fall break for the Senior National Championship and National Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL the tour will resume play in early October on the Dallas Tour.  Look for details on the fall schedule soon.

For More Information:

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