Grand Prairie Classic - Kicks off the 2014 Dallas Tour

Scott R Chilcutt, Grand Prairie, TX (February 22, 2014)  Tangle Ridge Golf Club, home to the past several years season opener on the Dallas Tour schedule, has a Hill Country feel to the south Metroplex layout.  Unlike the wet adventures of the previous years, fore casted highs in the 70's along with light winds never materialized.  Cool and strong consistent winds out of the south made for a long and challenging day.  

While most would have believed the #1 handicap hole, the long into the wind par 5 - 8th to play the toughest, it actually took a back seat to the signature par 4 - 14th, yielding only one birdie on the day at 2.12 strokes over par.  The 8th, played 1.97 over par with the #2 handicap, par 5 - 5th coming in just behind at 1.44 over.

Anthony Dayer of Colleyville, TX edged out Lewisville, TX member Shawn Whitaker by one stroke for the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving.



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  Dallas, TX member Tony Peppler carded three strategic birdies on the day, including the tough par 5 - 8th for a two stroke victory.  The win was Peppler's fourth on tour, including the 2012 Pacific Northwest Major Championship at Chambers Bay, against the largest field yet.   Jared Taylor of Edmond, OK, a first time player, birdied the par 4 - 2nd and 3rd holes to go two under after six ending his day in a tie for the second spot with Terry Rice of Midland, TX.

Senior Championship Flight:  Cheyenne, WY native Larry Vannatta now residing nearby in Grand Prairie, TX picked up his first win on tour.   Birdies on the par 4 - 3rd, par 4 - 10th and par 4 - 15th led Vannatta to a six stroke advantage over a pair knotted in the runner up spot.  Kyle Lewie of Waco, TX and Keller, TX player Ken Dyke, both coming off of previous weekend rounds on the Hill Country Tour for the  Kerrville Championship at Comanche Trace shared the second place finish.

Palmer Flight:   Two strokes back with four holes to play, Tyler Jewell of Dallas, TX, finished off with four consecutive birdies for his first win on tour.  Two strokes shy,  Rowlett, TX member Gregory Haddon certainly didn't give it away, finishing with four pars of his own, but just couldn't hold off the birdie barrage from Jewell.  Craig Parr of Gilmer, TX in his second event on tour carded four birdies on the day to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight  Shawn Whitaker of Lewisville, TX got over starting on the tough, into the wind par 5 - 8th hole in the shotgun format to grab his sixth win on tour and first since the 2011 Las Colinas Championship.  Five strokes back, Ranger, TX resident Scott Harper used birdies on the par 5 -5th (one of only two on the day) and par 3 - 9th to add a runner up finish to his two wins on the 2014 points season.  Chad Maynard of Frisco, TX finished in the show position two strokes back of Harper.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Trophy Club, TX member Jalil DaneshFar found himself collecting his seventh champion trophy. Starting on the tenth hole, DaneshFar played his first four holes in even par en route to a one stroke victory over traveling Oklahoma Tour member, Tim Mathis of Edmond.  Three stokes back, Paul Burleson of Argyle and Sanger, TX player Steve Killion split the third place honors.

Sarazen Flight:  Preston Miller of Fort Worth, TX makes it two in as many attempts. After starting his first four years without a win, Miller is on roll.  Carding a birdie on the par 3 - #12,  his first hole of the shotgun start, Miller went on to win by four strokes over, Scott Lane of Plano, TX and Rockwall, TX member David Hickman splitting the runner up position.  Nick Easen apparently in the money, DQ'd himself for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Spending most of the winter under snow, Oklahoma Tour member, Gary Schuessler of Wichita, KS, returned to Tangle Ridge after a T-3 at the 2013 Grand Prairie Classic for his third win on tour and second of the points season.  One stroke back, Mike Frenzel of Arlington, TX recorded the runner up finish with Haslet, TX member Burnie Rodgers finishing in the show position.

Jones Flight:  Luis Dayer of North Richland Hills, TX became another repeat winner on the day for his second on the year and fourth on tour. Dion Casto of  Parker, TX took the second place finish with a trio tied up in the third place finish.  Ron Hardy of Lewisville, TX,  Richardson, TX member Bolaji Harris and Zane Latham of Valley View, TX split the third place honors.

Snead Flight:  Second in the father / son duo to win on the day, Anthony Dayer of Colleyville, TX picked up his first win on tour.  Playing in his first event on tour, Wylie, TX resident Ethan Blase finished eight strokes back, with Jimmy Kim collecting third place points with the help of two birdies on the day.

Senior Snead Flight:  Birdie on the second hole of the day, the par 5 - 18th,  paved the way for Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX to win his twelfth event on tour and second of the year.  Local, Arlington, TX member Thomas Rauch finished in the second place position with new members, Sandye Conner of Arlington, TX and Cedar Hill, TX resident Peter Trotter sharing the third place finish.


SKINS:

Giant Skins: 1 -- Greg Richard, McKinney, TX; Larry Vannatta, Grand Prairie, Tx; Gregory Haddon, Rowlett, TX; Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK; George Peddy, Bedford, TX; Jimmy Kim, Frisco, TX. 

Championship / Senior Championship:  1 -- Eric Anderson, Granbury, TX; Greg Richard, McKinney, TX; Larry Vannatta, Grand Prairie, Tx.

Palmer:  2 -- Craig Parr, Gilmer, TX. 1 -- Gregory Haddon, Rowlett, TX; Tyler Jewell, Dallas, TX; Jeff Feyerherm, Whitney, TX; Brack Blackwood, Granbury, TX; John Padilla, Arlington, TX.

Hogan:  1 -- Gus Aldana, Houston, TX; Dave Ducray, Plano, TX; Gabriel Brisco, Mesquite, TX; Scott Harper, Ranger, TX.

Senior Hogan:  1 -- Tim Mathis, Edmond, OK; Robert Hutchins, Crossroads, TX; James McKee, Abilene, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  1 -- Scott Lane, Plano, TX; George Peddy, Bedford, TX; Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Gary Schuessler, Wichita, KS; Ken Benjamin, Denton, TX.

Jones:  2 -- Dion Casto, Parker, TX; Stan Harper, Lake Leon, TX. 1 -- Garrett Tidman, Little Elm, TX; Scott Sears, Carrollton, TX; Sammie Martin, Elgin, OK.

Snead:  4 -- Anthony Dayer, Colleyville, TX. 2 -- Jimmy Kim, Frisco, TX. 1 -- Don Freitag, Arlington, TX; Tom Reynolds, Belton, TX; Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX.



NEXT UP:

The first Major of the calendar year in the region takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th at the Texas Open @ Horeshoe Bay Major.  Back in action on Monday, March 17th the Dallas Tour takes on Lantana Country Club for the first time at the St. Patty's Day Challenge.
For More Information:

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