Scott R Chilcutt, Grand Prairie, TX (February 23, 2013) One year departed from arguably the most horrid golf conditions ever, with torrential cold rains, the Grand Prairie Classic returned to a more normalized February opener. Overnight frost held up the start of the shotgun format for one hour, but gave the players more time to wake up, warm up and get ready for the day.
Tangle Ridge Golf Club, in Grand Prairie, one of the top Municipal courses in the DFW Metroplex, once again showed how it can keep the course in tournament condition over the winter. While the frost delay eliminated any morning greens maintenance the course played fair for the sold out competition of 128 players, from five states representing 6 different tours.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: First timers on the tour take the top two spots. 35 year old Jeremy Frenzel from Fort Worth, TX carded three birdies in route to a +2 - 74. Frenzel mustered a four stroke advantage over McKinney, TX newcomer Travis Ray. Ray, with three birdies of his own, started the round shaky, but finished the back nine in one under par to carry a four stroke lead over Jeff Shores of Irving, TX rounding out the top three.
Senior Championship Flight: With traveling visitors helping to fill the rare Senior Championship Flight field, Edmond, OK member Al Swanson picked up his second win of the 2013 points year and fifteenth victory of his Am Tour career. Swanson birdied his second hole of the day, added one later at the par 5 - 13th to stay one stroke ahead of Allen, TX first time player John Long. Long played the front nine in +1, added a birdie on the 18th to edge out Grand Prairie, TX local Larry Vannatta. Vannatta's lone birdie on the par 4 - 16th hole earned him half of the giant skins pot.
Palmer Flight: Ethan Smith from Edmond, OK turned 16 just after the 2012 National Championships. Disappointed with his finish at the nationals after winning the Palmer Flight player of the year in Oklahoma, Smith starts the year out with his fourth win on tour. Smith's birdie on the 18th was enough to stay one stroke clear of a pair of Dallas members tied up in the second spot. Diana, TX member Keith Childress played his final six holes in one under par to share the runner up position with Ivan Zweig of Dallas after Zweig bogeyed his final two holes.
Senior Palmer Flight: Previously a Championship flight player, Curt Howard of Sapulpa, OK spent the winter eligible for the Palmer group and finally bit the bullet to make the change, clearing the way for his eighth win on tour and first since the April 2012 The
Open @ The Tribute. Playing along side of Howard, pairing partners, Kem Albritton of Garland, TX and Mansfield, TX member Danny Nicholls tied up the second place finish. With only five holes to play, Albritton seemed to have the tournament. Howard birdied the 18th, Nicholls doubled the 18th while Kem made a mess of the 1st hole to give Howard the four stroke advantage.
Hogan Flight: On hiatus from the tour with only one start (last years rain soaked Grand Prairie Classic) since the 2009 season, Midlothian, TX player Jeff Bolton played the front nine in +3 with a birdie on the par 3 - 9th. Bolton finished two strokes ahead of second place finisher Scott Harper from Ranger, TX. Harper, with consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes edged out Flower Mound, TX newcomer Mark Rainwater. Rainwater bounced back from a first hole double to birdie his 2nd hole on tour to pick up the podium finish in his first time out.
Senior Hogan Flight: One of the divisions that for many events during the past few years has been combined with the Mid Am group brought out one of the larger fields, in what might be considered the aging of the Hogan Flight in Dallas. Gregory Stairs from Mansfield, TX a main stay in that Senior Hogan Flight took advantage of the extra competition to pick up his fifth win on tour. Stairs played his final nine holes out of the shotgun two over par to finish two strokes clear of a pair knotted up in the second place spot. Jalil DaneshFar from Trophy Club, TX and Edmond, OK traveler James Surber shared the runner up honors.
Sarazen Flight: With 20 players to make the call for the flight, visiting Arkansas Tour member Jay Williams of Van Buren, AR picked up the big win on two birdies to lead fellow tour traveler Kirby Rogers of Muldrow, OK by a single stroke. Rogers was able to hold on to the second place finish despite woes on three of the holes by a single stroke over a pair tied up in the third spot. Nick Easen of Keller, TX and running south from the snow Oklahoma Tour member Gary Schuessler from Wichita, KS held it close to finish out with T3 finishes.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Just able to get into the event prior to the sellout and ultimate waiting list, Jamie Sansom of Frisco, TX made the most of his work schedule change. Sansom, grabbed his ninth win on tour by a single stroke over Denver Tour member Terry Poindexter of Highlands Ranch, CO. Poindexter made birdie on the par 5 -8th to stay two strokes clear of local Ken Benjamin of Grand Prairie, TX rounding out the top three.
Jones Flight: Shawn Privat (\Pre-voh\) of Allen, TX made it two for two. Privat, with two wins and a runner up finish in his three events on tour recorded three birdies on the day to finish three strokes ahead of Combine, TX tour rookie, Charles Crooks. Crooks with birdies on the par 4 -3rd and par 5 -5th secured the runner up spot by three strokes over two players tied in third. Robert Glittenberg newcomer from Rowlett, TX and Denton, TX member Bolaji Harris shared the show position. 10th place finisher Dion Casto made his lone birdie on the par 4 - 15th profitable by sharing one of two Giant Skins.
Senior Jones Flight: Gordonville, TX player Keith Bruce picked up his first win on tour minutes from his home at the October 2012 Border
War at Rock Creek Resort and many thought it was a home field advantage. Since then he's had a third place finish to go with his second win on tour 90 miles south of his home. Bruce finished the day with a ten stroke advantage of first year member Lloyd C Reid Jr of Dallas. Reid hung on to his best finish, one stroke clear of the trio of Erich Brehm of Sunnyvale, TX, Lewisville, TX member Ron Hardy and Tom Stockton of Euless, TX.
Snead Flight: Christopher Johnson of Duncanville, TX played his way into his first win, in his first event on tour. Despite a ten on the par 5 -18th hole, Johnson held on over recurrent runner up, Saginaw, TX member, Mike Adcock. Adcock made it his fourth 2nd place finish of the year with a birdie on the par 3 - 4th hole to maintain a one stroke advantage over Clyde Reynolds of Belton, TX.
Senior Snead Flight: Oklahoma Tour traveler Rick Henthorn from Yukon, OK recorded his eleventh win on tour. Henthorn, a regular traveler to Dallas Tour events parred his last hole of the day, the tough par 3 -17th to finish one stroke clear of Arlington, TX player Thomas Rauch. The runner up finish for Rauch was his best finish on tour. Five strokes back, Larry Tolson of McKinney, TX rounded out the top three.
SKINS:
Giant Skins: 1 -- Larry Vannatta, Grand Prairie, Tx; Dion Casto, Parker, TX.
Championship / Senior Championship: 2 -- Tony Peppler, Dallas, TX; Jeremy Frenzel, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Jeff Shores, Irving, TX; Neill Osborne, Lake Charles, LA; Larry Vannatta, Grand Prairie, Tx; Milton Kirkwood, Pasadena, TX; Kyle Lewie, Waco, TX.
Palmer / Senior Palmer: 2 -- Kem Albritton, Garland, TX; Keith Childress, Diana, TX. 1 -- Adrian DelaGarza, Coppell, TX.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: 1 -- Jeff Bolton, Midlothian, TX; Nancy Geihl, Grand Prairie, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Randy Sellers, Lewisville, TX.
Sarazen / Senior Sarazen: 2 -- Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX; Jay Williams, Van Buren, AR. 1 -- Kirby Rogers, Muldrow, OK; Higinio Sustaita, Fort Worth Tx.; John Cox, Mansfield, TX.
Jones / Senior Jones: 2 -- Gary Chrisman, Yukon, OK. 1 -- Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX; Charles Crooks, Combine; Artis Stewart, Houston, TX; Dion Casto, Parker, TX; Shawn Privat, Allen, TX; Becky Rice, Lewisville, TX.
Snead/ Senior Snead: 2 -- Rick Henthorn, Yukon, OK. 1 -- Mike Adcock, Saginaw, TX; Christopher Johnson, Duncanville; Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX.
Next Up: The Texas Open
at Horseshoe Bay, sold out after less than two weeks on
the schedule, will be held on March 2nd/3rd in the heart of the Hill Country.
The Dallas Tour resumes action at the Indian Creek Golf Course
on March 9th for the Classic at the Creek. The Oklahoma Tour kicks off the year at the March 16th Kickingbird Challenge while the Hill Country gets back to the course for the Round Rock Open on March 24th.
For More Information:
Scott R
Chilcutt
Tour
Director
Dallas
/ Fort Worth Tour - Hill Country Tour -
Oklahoma Tour
GOLF
CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
- 972.302.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com
