Scott R Chilcutt, Fort Worth, TX (May 17, 2015) The full field of Golf Channel AM Tour members, made the call for the Fort Worth Championship at Waterchase Golf Club after torrential rains preceded them to the course, early Sunday morning. Relegated to the cart paths, with bunkers unplayable, the course actually drained very well. Problems really only arose after some of the streams came out of the banks, leaving the players with a feeling the "water was chasing them".
At the end of the day, nine champions were crowned, with four of the nine flights taking extra holes to finalize the awards. Jeremy Nolan (Snead Flight) was "Up for the Srixon Challenge", winning his flight playing a Srixon ball and will get a dozen sent to him for the win. Burnie Rodgers, after coming off a hole in one his last tournament, went on to win the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by three strokes.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: First time Rockwall, TX, player Ari Rogers matched his six bogies with six birdies for an even par 72 to take home the hardware. One stroke back, Kevin Schmuhl of Southlake, TX, and McKinney, TX, resident, Tim Williams shared the runner up honors. Both players made the turn one stroke back of the lead, Schmul would make a birdie on the par 5 - 13th, Williams would then answer at the par 4 -17th, to stay knotted up in second.
Palmer Flight: Todd Arnold of Fort Worth, TX, playing in his first year on tour, carded a birdie on his final hole of the day, the par 5 - 18th to snatch the win. Arnold, one stroke back after sixteen holes, got to even after second place finisher, David Wright of Flower Mound, TX, faltered on seventeen to open the door. It makes the third win in five attempts for Arnold, jumping into second place in the points behind Wright. Grandbury, TX, player William Hall, recorded his second, third place finish in as many attempts, one stroke back of second.
Senior Palmer Flight: Starting on the tenth hole, Granbury, TX, member, Dave Hanson took a one stroke lead to the back, with the help of two birdies. Adding two more at the par 3 - 2nd and par 4 - 4th, Hanson would go up by three over Alan Luedke of Fort Worth. Luedke would stay steady, matching his front nine score, when Hanson struggled over four of his final five holes to force the first playoff of the day. Back out to the par 4 - 1st, Luedke, would prevail for his first win in only two attempts on tour. Whitney, TX, four time winner on the season, John Price just narrowly missed the playoff with a double on his final hole, rounding out the third place finish, one stroke back.
Hogan Flight: Cody Wright, of Dallas, TX and Killeen, TX member, Derrick Matthews would continue a playoff trend on the day. Both made the turn even, but each had his own story to tell coming to the clubhouse. Matthews, would record two bogies to go with seven pars, including the final four, while Wright would have to use two birdies, just enough to overcome his bogie on the final hole. Back out to the 1st hole, Wright would prevail with a par, to pick up his fourth win on tour and his third in as many tries. One stroke back of the leaders, Brian Cox of Killeen, TX, in his first event since taking over assistant duties on the Hill Country Tour, would play the back nine with 9 pars, to lock up a tie with Bedford, TX, three time winner on the season, Darren Bufton.
Senior Hogan Flight: Continuing in the third of four playoffs, Manuel Martinez of Cisco, TX, and Trophy Club, TX, resident, Jalil Daneshfar matched nines to require extra holes. Three holes to be exact, before Martinez would finally pick up his third win on the season, with a par on the par 5 - 3rd. Leading the pack after his first nine holes of the day, Michael Starks of Cleburne, TX, would struggle over four of his last six, to lock up the third place honors with Sanger, TX, member Steve Killion.
Sarazen Flight: David Hickman of Rockwall, TX, became a five time winner on tour, first since the 2010 The Spring Championship at Waterchase, becoming the only repeat winner of the event at the Fort Worth Club. Hickman, one stroke back, making the turn, finished the final nine, just good enough for a two stroke win. Back on tour after taking 2014 off, Higinio Sustaita of Fort Worth finished in the runner up spot, with recent Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino, Major Champion, Preston Miller of Fort Worth rounding out the top three.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Making the start on the tenth hole, both Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX, and Wichita Falls, TX, traveler Derek Drake would make their front nines look silly. Both, two under par at the turn, Rodgers, with three birdies and Drake with two would come to some semblance of reality on the back. Burnie would add three more birdies, and Derek added on another, but both ended the day all square setting the stage for the fourth and final playoff of the day. Both remounted and headed back out to the par 4 -1st, where Rodgers would make bogey, picking up his third win of the season and fifteenth on tour. Chris Howl of Arlington, TX, finished just two strokes back for the third place honors.
Jones Flight: Coming off his playoff win at the Red River Shootout at WinStar Resort & Casino in a playoff, Lott, TX, first year player, Randy Helcel made it two for two. Helcel, with a birdie on the par 3 - 16th, made it look easy with an eleven stroke advantage. Andy Eldridge of Fort Worth, TX, made par on six consecutive holes in the middle of his round for his best finish on tour, one stroke clear of North Richland Hills, TX, member Luis Dayer.
Snead Flight: Following in his fathers AM Tour winning footsteps, Jeremy Nolan of Rockwall, TX, commanded his first win on tour. Nine strokes back, Arlington, TX member, Thomas Rauch notched his fourth runner up on the season, to go with two wins, four strokes ahead of Stan Harper of Lake Leon, TX, rounding out the top three.
SKINS:
Giant SKINS: ($330/each) 1 -- Kevin Evans, Springtown, TX; Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX.
Championship / Palmer: ($45/each) 3 -- Kevin Schmuhl, Southlake, TX. 1 -- Eric Anderson, Granbury, TX; Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX; Kevin Evans, Springtown, TX.
Senior Palmer: ($16/each) 4 -- Dave Hanson, Granbury, TX. 1 -- Alan Luedke, Fort Worth, TX; Frank Spina, Keller, TX.
Hogan / Senior Hogan: ($130/each) 1 -- Steve Lamb, Garland, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; John Heintz, San Antonio, TX.
Sarazen: ($40/each) 3 -- Willie Carr, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Phil Anderson, Murphy, TX; John Lopez, Saginaw, TX.
Senior Sarazen: ($70/each) 3 -- Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX. 1 -- Davis Noble, Lake Kiowa, TX; Jamie Sansom, Plano, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($22/each) 2 -- Zane Latham, Valley View, TX; Randy Helcel, Lott, TX. 1 -- Douglas Taylor, San Angelo, TX; Andy Eldridge, Fort Worth, TX; Don Watson, Wichita Falls, TX; Jason Jenniges, Weatherford, TX; Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($200/each) #2 - John Neff - 3' 3"; #7 - Scott Harris - 4' 7"; #12 - No Qualified Shot; #14 - Jason Jenniges - 11' 5".
Upcoming Texas Events:
The Hill Country Tour makes its Memorial Day Weekend visit to Vaaler Creek Golf Club for the Battle at Blanco on Saturday, May 22nd. Then on to a special Monday event for the Cedar Park Challenge, at Twin Creeks on June 15th. Entry deadline is Friday, June 5th.
Back to the popular Heritage Ranch, the Dallas Tour competes at the Fairview Classic on May 31st. Registration closes on Friday May 22nd.
Houston Tour heads south for the Missouri City Championship at Quail Valley Golf Club on May 30th, entry deadline is Friday, May 22nd.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
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