Flight Champions Take Home the Bags - Dallas Tour

Dallas Flight Champions Awarded Customized Staff Bags on Sunday

Scott R Chilcutt, The Colony, TX (August 23, 2015)  Bringing a close to the year, setting up for National and Senior National Championship bids in September, marks another chapter with the Golf Channel AM Tour on the Dallas Tour.Beginning the points year on November 1st at The Frisco Lakes Challenge, just a few minutes north of The Tribute, 16 events made up the local schedule where thousands of competitive rounds were contested from players around the country.

Competing for year end awards, this year included a customized and personalized staff bag from Club Glove. This season in addition to the Flight Champion awards, a special Player of the Year bag was also given.

FLIGHT CHAMPIONS (ORDER OF MERIT POINTS The Journey to Better), awards presented by Compressor Designs, Inc. and Universal Pressure Pumping.  

Championship Flight:  Trophy Club, TX, player Andrew Braun had plenty of room to spare on the points championship at the end of the tour championship on Sunday.  Braun, playing in 16 rounds representing 12 events on the season was only out of the top ten on one occasion.  With three wins, including the March Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay Major, Andrew made strong showings at Pinehusrt with a T3 and Barton Creek with a T2. Over the season, Braun carded 42 birdies for an average of 2.62 per round and ended the year with a 395 point lead on runner up Gant Bills.

Senior Championship Flight:  Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX picks up his fourth consecutive Flight Championship award and second since his self promotion to the Senior Championship Flight.  Traversing around a busy weekend work schedule, Fenton made trips all around the state of Texas, added the Southern Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas weekends to make the call at 19 events representing 25 rounds of golf on the season.  With three wins on the season, including his first two of the points year, Sean was able to stay ahead of a transferred Terry Rice from the Championship Flight, due to National Championship schedule conflicts, to bring home the bag.

Palmer Flight:  Despite not winning in multiple events on the season since 2011, Brack Blackwood of Granbury, TX, accomplished just what he needed to pick up the Flight Championship awards. Playing in 18 rounds on the year over 13 events, Blackwood, may have changed his swing and pace a bit, but continued his consistent points scoring ways.  With a T-2 finish at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay and seven top five finishes, including the Red River Shootout at Winstar World Casino, Brack a two time runner up in the points championship,  outlasted the second place finisher by just 27 points after Clay Johnston of Lewisville, TX, won the Tour Championship at The Tribute and vaulted up the points standings. 

Senior Palmer Flight:  Playing in his first year on tour, J.D. Price of Lake Whitney, TX, made his mark early. Over the course of his first four events of the season, Price strung together three wins in a row and had his Senior National Championship qualification wrapped up before March 1st. Playing in 19 events on the season and 21 rounds, J.D. led the field with birdies (21), top finishes (14 top three) to assist him on the way to five wins on the points year.

Hogan Flight:  Darren Bufton of Bedford, TX, got on top of things early, winning the first points event of the season at Frisco Lakes Challenge in November.  Bufton went on to win five more over the course of the season for six on the year bringing his total on tour to seven where he won at the Cedar Park Challenge at Twin Creeks Country Club during his first year of play. Bufton led the flight in wins, and was second in total birdies, to take home the points championship by 85 points over Cory Welch of Fort Worth, TX.

Senior Hogan Flight:  With daughter Zoey, on the trail, Jalil DaneshFar hit the road hard in 2015.  Playing in 25 events on the season, including four Major Championships, DaneshFar, picked up 24 top ten finishes including, 2 wins, 6 runner up finishes and another 6 top three's.  Leading the scoring average in the Senior Hogan Flight, Jalil, at +12.79, cleared the points championship, for the second year in a row, by 115 points over Scott Harris of Fort Worth, TX.

Sarazen Flight:  Back to Back, Preston Miller of Fort Worth, TX, stepped up his game to win the flight championship award two years in a row. Preston played in 20 events and 24 rounds on the points season with his first Major Championship win at the Red River Shootout at Winstar in May. Miller went on to win two events on the season to go with another two on tour to finish 262.5 points ahead of Sven Bock of Richardson, TX.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Despite a bunch of jockeying and traveling to get a grip on the points Championship by players in the tour, Mark Donohue of Lewisville, TX, out of the country for the Tour Championship held on to the lead.  Donohue, was a three time winner on the season, including a Major Championship at the Red River Shootout at Winstar to go along with a T-3 at the Arkansas Championship Major.  At the end of the points season, Mark won the Flight Championship Award by a measly 37.5 points over Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX.

Jones Flight:  With a much appreciated (by members of the Jones Flight) self imposed promotion coming in 2016, Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX, swamped the field again in 2015. With seven wins on the season, including two Major Championships, including wins in his last five attempts. Fleming took home the Flight Championship award for the third time in his career by nearly a thousand points in 2015.

Senior Jones Flight:  Luis Dayer, of North Richland Hills, TX, came close his first two years on tour with runner up finishes, but he had to take his game up a notch when he was promoted to the Senior Jones Flight.  Dayer, played in 17 events on the season, picked up three wins, to go along with a top three finish at the Arkansas Championship, and finished just ahead of Llyod Reid, JR, with five wins on the season to take home the Flight Champion awards.

Snead Flight:  Tulsa, OK, resident William Hughes transferred to the Dallas Tour from the Oklahoma Tour in 2014.  Not because it would be easier to qualify or win, but in fact because he felt if he was going to be recognized for a great year it should be because he earned it.  Hughes played in 12 events on the season representing 17 rounds, winning in four, including the Major Championship at the Red River Shootout at Winstar, along with top three finishes at the Texas Open at Horseshoe Bay and the Arkansas Championship in Hot Springs.  It was the third consecutive flight championship for Hughes on the Dallas Tour.

Senior Snead Flight:  Douglas Pritchett, long hung out to dry because of a USGA handicap, finally got himself into a position to become competitive. Pritchett, a member since 2009 and hung up in the Senior Jones Flight, was finally eligible to move to the Senior Snead Flight and made things happen. The 74 year young man from Fort Worth, TX, finished the year with his first win on tour since the 2011 Coyote Ridge Challenge to take home the top honors in the flight. 

Hill Country Tour, PLAYER OF THE YEAR, presented by HIGGINBOTHAM: The special award was set up and presented by Higgenbotham, a Business Insurance and Financial Services Company that services the state of Texas with home offices in Fort Worth.  The player from each tour in the state selected by the committee, with feedback from the membership that met a series of criteria, including having been promoted and continued The Journey to Better by excelling in the new flight.

Steve Killion of Sanger, TX, was selected as the Player of the Year on the Dallas Tour.  Killion, promoted from the Senior Sarazen Flight, just after his first win on the Houston Tour in October, took only a short while to get acclimated to the Senior Hogan Flight.   Winning at Pamiilla Beach in Port Aransas in January, Killion won two more events, including his most important of the year, the Dallas Tour Championship at The Tribute.  We look forward to watching the results from Steve, as he continues to advance on the Journey to Better, with his game improvements.

Upcoming Texas Events:

The Tour takes a break for the Senior National Championship and National Championship events at LaQuinta, CA, in September and will get back underway in October for two events in the fall.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467

schilcutt@gcamtour.com

Dallas Closes the Points Year at The Tour Championship - Tribute Golf Links

Scott R Chilcutt, The Colony, TX (August 23, 2015)  Bringing a close to the year, setting up for National and Senior National Championship bids in September, marks another historic chapter with the Golf Channel AM Tour in north Texas.

The 2015 Points Campaign on the Dallas Tour came to a close on Sunday at The Tribute Golf Links and Guest House in The Colony, TX.  Beginning the points year on November 1st at The Frisco Lakes Challenge, just a few minutes north of The Tribute, 16 events made up the local schedule where thousands of competitive rounds were contested from players around the country.

Competing for year end awards, this year included a customized and personalized staff bag from Club Glove and presented by Compressor Designs, Inc and Universal Pressure Pumping. This season in addition to the Flight Champion awards, a special Player of the Year bag was also awarded, presented by Higgenbothem Insurance and Financial Services.

RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  In what would become a combined Open and Senior Championship Flight without the numbers at registration closing turned into a huge field, all vying for the win.  After the Saturday round, nine of twenty players were within three strokes, with two more just another back, but in the end two players went really low on Sunday to come from six strokes back to grab a podium finish.  At the conclusion of the Sunday round it would appear everyone was chasing late entry, David Ortego a Senior Championship Flight player from Spring, TX.  Ortego, +1 after the Saturday round would lead wire to wire for the low round of the weekend after adding four birdies on Sunday to win by two strokes. 

Starting the final round on the tenth hole, Dallas, TX, first year player Christopher McKay, shot three under going out with three birdies, added two more on the front to jump from six out of the overnight lead to finish low Open Championship Flight player and second overall.  28 year old, first time player Daniel Robbins from Frisco, TX, also jumped a bundle of players on Sunday, shooting -3 - 69 to round out the top three.

Palmer Flight:  Clay Johnston of Lewisville, TX, busted out of the gates on Saturday with three birdies to go along with three bogies to shoot even par 72 and never looked back.  Coming off a second place finish at the Major at Barton Creek at the first of August, Clay maintained that momentum.  During the final round, things got a little testy at the par 4 - 1st, but Johnston never really had a contender finishing out his first win on the season by eight strokes.  Fort Worth, TX, player Todd Arnold, bouncing back from a Championship Flight promotion after winning three events in the Palmer Flight early in the year, carded three birdies on the weekend for the runner up spot.  One stroke back of Arnold, Bekim Ramadani, of Arlington, TX, a winner at the August 3rd Open @ Lantana, put together five birdies on the weekend to round out the top three.

Senior Palmer Flight:  Requiring a strong finish at the Tour Championship to secure a Senior National Championship invitation, local, The Colony, TX, player Mark Taylor delivered under the pressure.  Tied up in the lead with two other players after the first day, Taylor fired the low flight round +5 - 77 on Sunday to pick up his first win of the season and his invitation to LaQuinta in September. Houston Tour traveler, Bruce Beakley, with three birdies on Saturday, finished out the event four strokes back of Taylor, and four strokes ahead of Lake Whitney, TX, member J.D. Price.  Price the winner of the Order Of Merit Points championship birdied his final hole of the day to stay ahead of a trio of players on his heels.

Hogan Flight:  Trophy Club, TX, player Zoey DanesFar led the first round and it looked like her matching +6 - 78 on Sunday would be enough, but no one saw Bill Nay of Plano, TX, coming.  Nay, four out of the lead after the Saturday round, put together a career low round, even par on Sunday, with the help of four birdies, to record his first win on tour. Relegated to the runner up finish, DaneshFar, with one win on the season, carded her sixth runner up of her career, three in the last four events.  Scott Striegel of Southlake, TX, just one out of the lead making the start on Sunday, used two birdies on the back nine to finish out with a show position finish, matching his best of the season.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Steve Killion of Sanger, TX, put together his third sub 80 round on 23 events on the season to make up a two stroke deficit heading to the final round to grab his fourth victory of the points season. Oklahoma Tour member from Oklahoma City, OK, Winn Ashmore, five strokes out of the overnight lead, shot the low flight round on Sunday to jump into a tie for second.  Ashmore, in his first year on tour, won for the first time his last time out at the Oklahoma Tour Championship, split the runner up points with Scott Harris of Fort Worth, TX, a two time winner on the year.

Sarazen Flight:  Keller, TX, member, Nick Easen put together two sub 80 rounds of +6 - 78 to set the pace on the field, notching his first win on the season.  Easen carded three birdies on Saturday, added another on Sunday to defend his 2014 Tour Championship win at The Tribute.  Seven strokes back, Fort Worth, TX player Preston Miller, worked just hard enough to stay ahead of a couple of players inching up to him in the points, to finish off the points championship with the runner up spot.  One of those players, Richardson, TX, member Sven Bock, a three time winner on the season, just came up short, rounding out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Billy Gilmore of Sims, TX, staved off the hard charging, Jon Neff of Frisco, TX to pick up his first win since the 2011 season and only third on tour.  Gilmore, with three birdies on his opening round, took a four stroke lead to the Sunday round that quickly diminished when Neff, starting on the tenth hole, played his front nine in even par.  At the turn, and with delays from public play, it was the tale of two nines, when Neff came back to the field and let Gilmore back into the championship finishing in the runner up spot. Bob Moreau, of Rockwall, TX, a two time winner on the season, finished just one stroke back of Neff securing the third place honors.

Jones Flight:  Haslet, TX player, Doyle Fleming became the only player to play and win at all three Texas Tour Championships in a single season.  With the win, the fifth in a row for Fleming and seventh on the season, it was music to many Jones Flight Players ears when they heard his intentions to move to the Senior Sarazen flight beginning next season.  Hill Country Tour members, Daryl Nixon made the trip in from Taylor, TX, to finish in the runner up spot with Plano, TX, player Steve Pearson rounding out the top three.

Senior Jones Flight:  Close to the winners circle on three occasions this season with runner up finishes, Zane Latham of Valley View, TX, became a first time winner on tour in his three seasons.  Latham, started the final round, seven strokes out of the lead, took seven strokes off his first day score to win by one. First year player, Pete Partain of Bedford, TX, carded his career best score on Sunday to edge out a pair tied up just behind him. Chris Manahan of Oklahoma City, OK, and North Richland Hills, TX, resident Luis Dayer, split the third place honors one stroke back of Partain.

Snead Flight:   Douglas Taylor (Taylor not Hughes as incorrectly introduced) became another first time winner on tour, in his first year as a member.  Taylor starting the Sunday round, four strokes out of the top spot, put together the flight low round for the weekend on Sunday to vault into a seven stroke advantage. Tulsa, OK, player William Hughes, finished in the runner up spot with Ethan Blase of Wylie, TX, rounding out the top three.  
  






SKINS  (DAY 1):

Giant SKINS:  ($790/each)  1 -- Cory Womack, Denton, TX.

Championship:  ($106/each)  1 -- Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX; David Ortego, Spring, TX.

Palmer:  ($32/each)  3 -- Keith Childress, Diana, TX; Clay Johnston, Lewisville, TX. 2 -- Landon Hulcy, Joshua, TX; Todd Arnold, Ft Worth, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($22/each)  2 -- Stephen Fitzgerald, Dallas, TX; Jeff Feyerherm, Whitney, TX; Bruce Beakley, Houston, TX. 1 -- Alan Luedke, Fort Worth, TX; Mark Taylor, The Colony, TX.

Hogan:  ($60/each)  2 -- Tim Edwards, Amarillo, TX. 1 -- Cory Womack, Denton, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($40/each)  2 -- Steve Trickel, Boerne, TX. 1 -- Winn Ashmore, Oklahoma City, OK; Jalil Daneshfar, Trophy Club, TX; Dave Ducray, Plano, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Phillip Holt, Haslet, TX; Kent Mccord, Odessa, TX.

Sarazen:  ($34/each)  2 -- Nick Easen, Keller, TX. 1 -- Higinio Sustaita, Fort Worth, TX; Garrett Tidman, Little Elm, TX; Jason Shuffield, Frisco, TX; Troy Alexander, Dallas, TX; Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($36 each)  2 -- Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX. 1 -- Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX; Tom Stockton, Grand Prairie, TX; Jamie Sansom, Plano, TX.

Jones:  ($10/each)   4 -- Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX. 3 -- Daryl Nixon, Taylor, TX. 2 -- Steve Pearson, Plano, TX. 1 -- Timothy Durham, McKinney, TX.

Senior Jones:  ($65/each)  1 -- Quentin Klepper, North Richland Hills, TX; Don Watson, Wichita Falls, TX; Chris Manahan, Oklahoma City, OK.

Snead / Senior Snead:  ($10/each)  3 -- Douglas Taylor, San Angelo, TX; Charles Watson, Llano, TX; Ethan Blase, Wylie, TX. 1 -- Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX.



SKINS (DAY 2):

Giant SKINS:  ($395/each)  1 -- Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX.

Championship:  ($65/each)  1 -- Christopher McKay, Dallas, TX; Daniel Desilets, Kermit, TX; Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Dallas Webster, Wylie, TX; David Ortego, Spring, TX.

Palmer:  ($25/each)  2 -- Bekim Ramadani, Arligton, TX. 1 -- Doug Schmierer, Dallas, TX; Keith Childress, Diana, TX; Brack Blackwood, Granbury, TX; Clay Johnston, Lewisville, TX.

Senior Palmer:  ($20/each)  2 -- Rick Swanson, Carrollton, TX; Mark Taylor, The Colony, TX. 1 -- Dave Hanson, Granbury, TX; Alan Luedke, Fort Worth, TX; Jim Sumner, Odessa, TX; J.D. Price, Whitney, TX.

Hogan:  ($35/each)  2 -- Gabriel Brisco, Mesquite, TX. 1 -- Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Joshua Douglas, Leander, TX; Bill Nay, Plano, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; Scott Striegel, Southlake, TX.

Senior Hogan:  ($85/each)  1 -- David Jackson, McKinney, TX; Will Whitley, Cypress, TX; Scott Harris, Fort Worth, TX; Michael Starks, Cleburne, TX.

Sarazen:  ($48/each)  2 -- Douglas Galloway, Austin, TX; Wadsworth Jarrell, Fort Worth, TX. 1 -- Nick Easen, Keller, TX.

Senior Sarazen:  ($35/each)  1 -- Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX; Dale McFarland, Crowley, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX; Derek Drake, Wichita Falls, TX; Tim Brown, Richland Hills, TX; Jamie Sansom, Plano, TX.

Jones:  ($15/each)  3 -- Timothy Durham, McKinney, TX. 2 -- Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Benjamin Lipson, Houston, TX.

Senior Jones:  ($25/each)  2 -- Zane Latham, Valley View, TX; Chris Manahan, Oklahoma City, OK. 1 -- Tommy Templin, Hurst, TX; Pete Partain, Bedford, TX; Neil Macdonald, Huntsville, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:  ($15/each)  4 -- Douglas Taylor, San Angelo, TX. 2 -- Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX; Ethan Blase, Wylie, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE (Day 1):

($180/each)  #5 - Don Watson - 2' 8";  #8 - Bob Moreau - 9' 2";  #11 - David Ortego  - 11' 1/2";  #14 - Will Whitley - 2' 6".

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE (Day 2):

($180/each)  #5 - Josh Douglas - 5' 1";  #8 - Bruce Beakley -6' 3";  #11 - Terry Rice  - 10' 2";  #14 - JD Price - 4' 3".

Upcoming Texas Events:

The Tour takes a break for the Senior National Championship and National Championship events at LaQuinta, CA, in September and will get back underway in October for two events in the fall.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467

schilcutt@gcamtour.com

Lantana Golf Club - Fourth Round in Four Days for Many

Scott R Chilcutt, Lantana, TX (August 3, 2015)  Lantana Golf Club, first time on the Dallas Tour schedule in 2014 had an unfavorable, early spring date.  Strong winds and rain the previous day would wash out the bunkers and blow winter leaves into fairways.  With that under the belt, we knew if we could get a better date, later in the year, we would be able to enjoy the layout.  In comes a rescheduled Texas Open at Barton Creek, originally set for the previous weekend, the move would require only the hardy to make the call.  Overcast skies, and excellent course conditions would greet the ones that could make the call, leaving players with positive thoughts of the track.  Next year we hope for even better luck.

Phillip Holt (Senior Hogan 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. Mark Echols grabbed the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving, by one stroke.


RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  After a third place finish at the Texas Masters @ Barton Creek over the weekend, Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX, made the haul to Lantana count, carding two birdies on the day for a +2 and tied for tournament low round while picking up his third win of the season.  McKinney, TX, player,  Tim Williams put three birdies together on the back to go with one on the starting hole to share the runner up honors with Mark Echols of Diana, TX, also making a three event weekend out of it.

Palmer Flight:  Arlington, TX, resident, Bekim Ramadani, slipped in five birdies on the day to tie low round status and edged out Michael Fee of Mansfield, TX, with four birdies of his own, by one stroke.  The win was Ramadani's first, in his first year on tour and for Fee, it was close again for another Major Championship, finishing in the third place spot at Barton Creek over the weekend.  One stroke back of Fee, a couple of first year players, Alan Luedke of Fort Worth, TX, with a pair of birdies, and Dallas, TX, member Doug Schmierer, with two of his own, split the third place honors.

Hogan Flight:  Darren Bufton of Bedford, TX, made a trip to Austin for the Prelude to the Texas Masters on Friday at Falconhead, placed in the runner up spot and then skipped out on the weekend fun.  Bufton, with three birdies on the morning, shot a sub 80 round for the fifth time this season picking up his sixth win. Trophy Club, TX, first year player, Zoey DaneshFar, making a showing at all four over the weekend, including the win on Friday, finished just one stroke back, with the help of two birdies on the round. Cory Womack of Denton, TX, carded three birdies on the day to round out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Haslet, TX, player Phillip Holt, carded three birdies on his day to stamp his ticket to the Senior National Championship, with three wins on the season.  Jalil Daneshfar of Trophy Club, TX, playing in his fourth round in four days, didn't seem to let the heat bother him, finishing just one stroke back for his fifth runner up finish on the season to go with one win at Heritage Ranch.  Another four round in four days, Sanger, TX resident, Steve Killion rounded out the top three.

Sarazen Flight:   Jason Shuffield of Frisco, TX, matched his best round on tour, when he last won at TPC Craig Ranch picking up his second win on tour. Shuffield, made birdie on the par 4 - 18th to win by five strokes over,  Richardson, TX player Sven Bock.  Five strokes back of Bock, first time player Troy Alexander of Dallas, TX, took the third place honors with two birdies and an ACE on the round. The hole in one came on the par 3 - 11th with a 7 iron from 158 yards. 

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Rockwall, TX player Bob Moreau became the only player of many to make the four in four swing to take the top spot.  Moreau,  with birdie on the par 4 -12th, made it two wins on the season with only a two stroke advantage over Davis Noble of Lake Kiowa, TX.  Noble with a birdie on the par 5 - 13th, held off Lewisville, TX, member Mark Donohue, rounding out the top three.

Jones Flight:   Quentin Klepper of North Richland Hills, TX, birdied his final hole of the day to jump into a three way playoff with Valley View, TX, player Zane Latham and Haslet, TX member Doyle Fleming, after Fleming made birdie on his seventeenth hole.  Back out to the course, Fleming would bring home the win after his Championship over the weekend at the Texas Masters at Barton Creek.



SKINS:

Giant SKINS:  ($120/each)  1 -- Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Keith Childress, Diana, TX; Troy Alexander, Dallas, TX.

Championship / Palmer:  ($64/each)  2 -- Doug Schmierer, Dallas, TX. 1 -- David Wright, Flower Mound, TX; Tim Williams, McKinney, TX; Keith Childress, Diana, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  ($30/each)  2 -- Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX. 1 -- Ali Gazi, Flower Mound, TX; Kirk Boerner, Fort Worth, TX; Michael Schmidt, Rowlett, TX; Cory Womack, Denton, TX; Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Zoey DaneshFar, Trophy Club, TX; Steve Killion, Sanger, TX; Steve Lamb, Garland, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  ($45/each)  2 -- Troy Alexander, Dallas, TX. 1 -- Tom Stockton, Grand Prairie, TX; Preston Miller, Fort Worth, TX; Bob Moreau, Rockwall, TX; Rodney Wren, Dallas, TX.

Jones / Snead:  ($10/each)  4 -- Quentin Klepper, North Richland Hills, TX. 2 -- Doyle Fleming, Haslet, TX; Zane Latham, Valley View, TX. 1 -- Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX.

CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:

($90/each)  #4 - Keith Childress - 3' 10";  #8 - Mark Echols - 3' 3";  #11 - Troy Alexander  -- ACE;  #15 - Bekim Ramadani - 8' 9".

Upcoming Texas Events:

Players scramble for National Championship qualification and Year End Flight Champion awards as the points season winds down.

Dallas crowns the year end champions at the Tour Championship.  The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

The double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship where spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  Registration deadline is Friday, August 7th, but is sure to sell out before then.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467

schilcutt@gcamtour.com

www.gcamtour.com

Texas Masters at Barton Creek

Scott R Chilcutt, Austin, TX (August, 2, 2015)  The Texas Masters at Barton Creek welcomed players to the final Major Championship weekend before the National Championship and Senior National Championship break.  Texas Tour members, while a majority of the field, proved the local Austin, TX layout will be hard to come from out of state to take home the hardware.  In the 12 flights, all champions are members of one of the
 three Texas Tours and only three players out of 36 in the top three, were visiting tour members.  

Players in the field, contributed to the 50/50 raffle, raising more than $1300 for thee Feherty's Troops First Foundation.



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:  One stroke back after the Saturday round,  Gant Bills of Plano, TX, made up some ground on the Fazio Foothills course, with another four birdies to go with five the day before, but only enough ground to force a three way playoff.  Trophy Club, TX, player Andrew Braun, just outside of the final pairing made the biggest move, with four birdies of his own on the day.  First round leader, Cory Montgomery of Oklahoma City, OK, looked to have things locked up with two birdies and a -1 on the front, ran into trouble making the turn, but finished the last three holes even to get into the playoff mix.  On the first hole of the playoff, back to the par 4 - 10th, Bills would settle the Championship with a birdie to pick up his third win in his first season on tour.  Braun and Montgomery, both Major Champions in the 2015 points season would share the runner up spot.

Senior Championship Flight:  Recently promoted after his Senior Palmer Championship at the June Srixon Championship, Robert Lippert of Copperas Cove, TX, kept the ball rolling.  Lippert, with five birdies on the weekend, picked up his sixth win on the season, including three Major Championships.  Sugar Land, TX resident, Gordon Wagner carded an eagle at the par 5 - 15th on Sunday to make a run at the Championship, but fell short by the three strokes he started the day behind. It was Wagner's second runner up at a Major this season.  Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX made his Senior National Championship bid more official, with two birdies on the weekend rounding out the top three.

Palmer Flight:   Dave Davlin of San Antonio, TX, led the field wire to wire to back up his Championship at the 2014 Texas Masters at Barton Creek.  It was Davlin's, seventeenth win on tour and fourth Major Championship.  Lewisville, TX player Clay Johnston, came from eight strokes back after his first round on the Fazio layout to share the runner up honors with Tony Eno of Austin, TX.

Senior Palmer Flight:   Dusty Rhodes of Deer Park, TX, manhandled the field from the very start.  Starting the final round, four strokes ahead, Rhodes widened the gap on Sunday, picking up his first win on the season, seventh on tour and fourth Major Championship. Vidor, TX, resident, Robert Corbello jumped from a first round third place position into the runner up spot, with three birdies on the day, while Michael Fee of Mansfield, TX, made his own move, with two birdies on the Sunday round to round out the top three.

Hogan Flight:  Converse, TX, player, Ronnie Davis started the final round on the Crenshaw Cliffside course, three strokes out of the lead, but used his knowledge of the greens to close out the championship by two strokes.  For Davis, it was his third Major Championship on tour, all coming at the Texas Masters, where in 2011 he won at TPC San Antonio and 2009 when the event was contested only on the Crenshaw course at Barton Creek.  Playing in his first year on tour, Clift Dempsey of Catersville, GA became only one of three players outside the state of Texas to finish in the top three. A winner earlier in the year at the Srixon Championship at La Cantera, Rene Realme of San Antonio, TX, shot the flight's low round of the weekend to finish out the top three.

Senior Hogan Flight:  George Smith of Magnolia, TX, held a slim two stroke overnight lead, just ahead of Scott Harris of Fort Worth, TX.  Making the final turn of the event, Smith moved ahead another stroke, but found trouble on two of his final eight holes to open the door for more holes.  Back out to the #10 hole on the Fazio Course, Smith would kick back into gear for a par and his first win at a Major and fifth on tour.  Harris would finish in the runner up spot, bettering his third place finish at the Arkansas Championship, with Wimberly, TX, player John Hilgers carding a flight low round for the third place finish.

Sarazen Flight:  Boerne, TX, member, Rudy Cantu followed his Major win at the Srixon Championship @ La Cantera, for his second major in as many attempts and fourth win on tour this points season. Cantu, starting the final round on the tenth hole, overtook first round leader, Preston Miller of Fort Worth, TX, on the front nine and never looked back.  College Station, TX, resident, Rick Smalley started the day, nine strokes out of the lead, making up ground to card the show place finish.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  Five strokes back after the Saturday round on the Fazio layout, Richmond, TX, player Greg Faubion, recorded the low flight round of the weekend on the Crenshaw course with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 17th to grab his first Major Championship, third win of the season and fourth on tour.  Charles Sagray of San Antonio, TX, and Houston Tour member, Mark Kirby of Bridge City, TX, both with a pair of birdies on the weekend shared the runner up honors.

Jones Flight:  Leader in the clubhouse after the Saturday round,  Doyle Fleming of Haslet, TX looked to give up that lead after the par 5 - 16th, but followed with a birdie on the par 3 - 17th, which proved to be just enough for the Championship.  It was the third win on the season and second Major Championship after winning early in the year at Horseshoe Bay.  Spring, TX, member Joe Armstrong, finished just one stroke back, equaling his best finish on tour.  Sitting near the bottom of the leader-board after round 1, James Price of Portland, TX bounced back to round out the top three on the Crenshaw layout. 

Senior Jones Flight:  Four strokes out of the overnight lead, Cathay McGee of Houston, TX, made up just enough of the deficit to go to extra holes with Cypress, TX member Lee Isham.  On the first playoff hole, McGee would make par to pick up her second Major Championship after winning the 2014 Pinehurst Amateur.  For Isham it solidified his Senior National Championship spot, with the pair of Marcy Glidden of  Brookshire, TX and Wesley Chappel, FL, traveler, Micki Cuppett sharing the third place finish.

Snead Flight:  William Speck of Corpus Christi, TX, made it three in a row and four out of the last five, including the Major, Srixon Championship @ La Cantera his last time out. Starting the day seven strokes back, Speck shot the low round of the flight on Sunday to finish two strokes ahead of  Bobby Ashcraft of San Antonio, TX.  San Angelo, TX first year player, Douglas Taylor grabbed the final podium spot.

Senior Snead Flight:   Houston, TX, player Ray Bednar led from start to finish over the flight for his third win on the season and first Major Championship.  Bednar ended the championship, six strokes clear of Boerne, TX member Tom Hill with Carl Eaton of Conroe, TX taking the third place finish.

Upcoming Texas Events:

Players scramble for National Championship qualification and Year End Flight Champion awards as the points season winds down.

The double points and double prize fund event at the Tour Championship where spots are filling up quickly for the Saturday, August 15th and Sunday August 16th, Houston Tour Championship @ Blackhorse.  Registration deadline is Friday, August 7th, but is sure to sell out before then.

TPC San Antonio, The AT&T Oaks Course, closes the Hill Country season on Sunday, August 9th at the Hill Country Tour Championship.  Entries are closed, but potential spots are available on the waiting list.  

The Tribute Golf Links, closed since the floods in late May, should be in excellent conditions for the Dallas Tour Championship on August 22nd and 23rd.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Director - Texas Tours

Dallas  Tour - Hill Country Tour  - Houston Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour

405.513.1467

schilcutt@gcamtour.com

www.gcamtour.com